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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAM
of Brahmin Kapila in the village of Arunagrama and quenches there her thirst (35. 1-6).
In the Gitavala just before conveying of in advance by Hanuman the news about Rama's return to Ayodhya from Laňkā. Kausalyā is depicted as suffering from the agony of separation from her sons. She looks around in the directions waiting for the return of Rama. She requests a crow to tell her as to when her son will return to Ayodhya. She promises to offer milk and rise (gruel) to the crow when she meets her sons and Sītā (Lankākāṇḍa. 18-10)
"Baithi saguna manavati mātā/
Kaba aihem mere bāla kusala ghara kusala ghara kahahu kāga phuri bata/
Dūdha bhāta ki doni daihaum sone coñca madhaihaihaum/ Gitävali, 6. 19. 1-2).
A similar description on the identical occasion is found in the PCV also. Here Aparajita (Kausalya) promises to offer payasa to the
crow.
"Tam bhaņai vāyasam sã, jai me puttassa tattha gantūņaṁ/ Vattam ānehi lahum, dehāmi ya pāyasaṁ tujjha//" PCV, 78. 3.
A similar reference is there in the Paumacariu of Svayambhu. A comparison with it-"gharapangane vayasu kulakulai, pam bhaṇai Rahuvai milai" (PCS, 78. 15. 3) indicates that Tulasīdasa has either drawn upon the Paumacariyam or Padmacaritam.
The above discussion shows that Tulasīdasa was acquainted with the Jaina works on Rama-story. He has expressly admitted in his Rāmacaritamānasa that he had consulted also the works which were outside the pale of Brahmanism.
Nanapurapanigamāgamasammatam yad,
Rāmāyane nigaditam kvacidanyatoapi/ (TR, 1.7).
Now what remains after consulting the Vedas, Puranas and the Ramayana. It is an implicit reference to the Jaina works on Rama-story. Not only that but he pays his homage to the Prakrit poets who composed works on Rama-story:
Je prakṛta kabi parama sayane, bhāṣāṁ jinha hari carita bakhane/ Bhae je ahahim je hoihahim agem, pranavauṁ sabahi kapaṭa saba tyageṁ// TR, 1.14.3.
Thus he praises Prakrit poets for all time to come and that also with a pure heart, without any deceit.
