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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
The hero of the VH is depicted as a romantic character who wanders from place to place and marries various girls. In the PCV also Rama and Lakşmaņa, during their journey, are depicted as romantic, exhibiting their exploits and marrying various girls (In the VR there are no such marriages).
The VH (p. 1) is divided into five main divisions called Adhikaras (tattha ime ahigārā). Our PCV is also planned into seven divisions called Adhikāras (satta purānettha ahigārā 1. 32). (In the VR they are called Kändas). The VH is further divided into many Lambhakas each dealing with a separate episode er story and having a separate title. Our PCV also contains many cantos with their separate titles. (The VR has no separate title for each canto).
In the story of Pradyumnakumāra we find that he is kidnapped on the very day of his birth and he unites with his parents after a long time (VH, p. 82 f). The motif of this story has its counterpart in the PCV's story of Bhamandala.
The story of Citravega of (VH, p. 215) in which she is transformed into a male by some medical treatment and is again brought to her original condition at the time of her marriage, seems to have its counterpart in the PCV in the story of Kalyāṇamālā who lives as a disguised prince and discloses her identity when she meets Lakşmana with a desire to marry him.
Then we have striking similarities in a few descriptions and phrases.
The descriptions of Magadha, Rājagpha and king Śreņika are based on the same pattern in both the works (PCV, 2. 1-10; 3. 1; VH, p. 2). Compare the opening verse of the 'stuti' in the PCV (1.1) with that of the first line following the first verse of the VH.
On the basis of the above evidences it can be regarded that certain intervening stories of the PCV have their sources in the VH or both the works might have common sources.
(2) Sources of Respective Intervening Stories of PCV:
The sources of the intervening stories can be briefly stated as follows:
(A) Jaina Sources : (i) The 'nāmávali' sūtras in the Samavāyanga and the Tiloyapannatti as well as the oral Jaina tradition are the sources of the biographies
1. Siddh asurakinnaroragadaņuvaibhuvanindavanda parimahiyam.--PCV. Namo vinayapaņayasurindavindavandiyakamāravindām Arahantānan-VH.
