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मार्च २००९
43
Śambuka are presented in entirely new manner. Comparatively sympathetic and liberal attitude towards women is seen throughout the Rāmakathā. Vimalasűri and his followers have picturised the ordeal of Sitā only once and Digambara authors, otherwise famous for their rigid attitude towards women, have dropped altogether the incident of the ordeal of Sitā.
In spite of all these plus-points, an objective analysis and valuation of the Jaina versions is needed.
If Jainas charge the Brahmanic Rāmāyaṇa as 'मतिविकल्पित' and claim that they got the tradition of Ramakatha from Lord Mahāvira, naturally the readers expect consistency at least in the basic facts in all Jaina versions, which is not the reality. So the charge of 'haracor4Fl' applies to them in the same manner.
These Jainified versions are successful in creating Jaina environment but it is difficult for even Jaina readers to believe that there are so many Chaityas and Mandiras and places of pilgrimage and religious preaching and Dikșas during the forest wanderings of Padma and Sitā and elsewhere, at the time of Rāmāyaṇa. These new renderings of Jaina authors are not popular among the Jainas even today due to the popularity of Vălmiki-Rāmāyaṇa, which is deep-rooted in the society. An unbiased reader is compelled to admit that beautiful descriptions of nature and seasons, the presentation of dialogues and especially the poetic and aesthetic values of Vālmiki -Rāmāyaṇa are much more lacking in the Jaina versions. The total Jainification seems to be the cause of this lacuna. That is the reason why the Jaina authors like Samghadāsagani and Silānka have followed the story-line of Rāmakathā of Välmiki with some reasonable and rational changes here and there.
Due to the disparity in various renderings, lack of poetic values and exaggerated Jainification, Jaina Rāmkathā is not very popular even among Jainas.
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