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À CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
which are held to have originated at different dates. Our Paumacariyam contains some such points which have their counterparts with slight variations either in the one or two versions of VR exclusively. A critical examination of those points reveals that Vimalasūri was influenced most probably by the (Northern-Udicya) recension of VR and in some cases the PCV seems to have counterinfluenced some versions of VR.
(a) Portions found exclusively in the Northern recension i. e. the Udicyapātha or tha common recension of the N-W. and the Gaudiya till they were not separated into two different versions :
(i) The order of certain episodes in the Rāvana-Carita in both the works is similar as follows :-PCV-Raising of Kailasa mountain by Rāvana, his discomfiture at the hands of Muni Vāli, the episode of Rāvana's hostility with the king of Māheśvara, the destruction of the sacrifice of king Marutta, then many other episodes.
Udicya VR :-Raising of Kailasa, Rāvana's encounter with the king of Māheśvara and Vāli, Rāvana's challenge to Marutta and then many other episodes. (But in the Southern version, Rāvana's encouter with the king of Maheśvara and Vali are narrated in the last. (VRTP, 150).
(ii) PCV-Preceding the exile of Vibhiệaņa from Laikā, Rāvana in fury tries to have a duel with him (55.20). Udicya VR-Rāvana in fury kicks Vibhīşaņa (Gaudīya, 6.87, N-W, 6,90=VRTP, 123.)
(iii) PCV :-After the killing of Hasta and Prahasta and the recovery of Lakşmaņa, Rāvana is advised by his ministers to sign a pact of Sandhi with Rāma (PCV, 65.7).
At one place Rāvana decides to give up Sīta but only after defeating Rama so that he would not be regarded by the people as coward (69.29f). Before the commencement of the final battle Mandodarī requests Rāvana to give up Sītā because Lakşmaņa is a Prativasudeva and his (Rāvana's) death is destined at the hands of Lakşmana (70.8-37).
The above points bear similarity with those of the Udicya version of the VR as follows:
Udicya VR-When Rāvana demands help from Kumbhakarna, the latter says that he has come to learn from Nārada that his (Rāvana's) assassination is being arranged at the hands of the Avatāra of Viņpu. Nārada had learnt it at the meeting of the Devatās. Kumbhakarna further tells that Rāma has come here to kill us all, so we should sign a pact of Sandhi with him (Gaudiya, 6-40; N-W, 6.41).
