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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN
of Padma, an illustrious ancient person. In the Paumacariyan, there are, no doubt, accounts of the lives of some other great persons but they are subordinated to the main story of Padma. Jinasena further tells us that a Puräna should describe the Universe, the country, the capital, the kingdom, the Tirtha (the establishment of the ford), charities and penances, four states of existence and the fruits of 'punya' and 'papa'.' The Paumacariyaṁ contains descriptions of all these topics. It further in its Praśasti states that the topics of Kāma, Artha, Dharma and Moksa are also described in it?.
Now let us trace the development of the concept of a Purāņa in the Brahmanical tradition. The Vayuand the Matsya+ Purāņa define Purāņa as an ancient tale. Gradually the definition of Purāņa expands. Amarasimha says that a Purāna should contain the description of creation, dissolution and recreation, divine genealogies, ages of Manus and genealogies of kings. Later on five more topics are added to the above list, these being means of livelihood, incarnation of Gods, the final emancipation, Jiva (unmanifest) and Brahman. Thus the Brahmanical concept of a Purana is wider than the Jaina one and a Jaina Mahapurāņa can be fairly compared with a Brahmanical Purāna. Still later on the description of Dharma, Artha. Kama and Mokşa were also considered to be important ingradients of a Brahmanical Purāna?. Our work also states that these four topics are described in it.
C. Planning of the PCV:
The poet begins his work with a deliberate plan. He proposes to deal with the following seven subjects (Adhikaras) the universe, the genesis of Vamsas, departure for forest, battle, birth of Lava and Ankusa, salvation and various past births. In the work proper the poet takes up all these subjects. He also gives an elaborate and systematic list of the contents of the work in the first canto (1.34-88). All those contents or topics are described into the work which is divided
1. 4. 3. See also Mahāpurana of Puşpadanta. (20. 1. 4-5). 2. Kāmatthadhammamokkha ettha Puranammi Vanniyā savve 118.01. 3. Yasmātpurā hyanatidam Purāņam tena hi smstam 1.83. 4. Purātanasya kalpasya Purāņāni-Vidurbudhāḥ-53-62. 5. Vide Studies in Epics and Purānas of India by A. D. Pusalker (1955), Int.
pp. 46 f. 6. Ibid. 7. Ibid & Matsya Pu, 5 3.66 (Dharmaścārth aśca kāmasca mokşascaivātra
kirtyate). 8. Thiivamsasamuppatti, patthāṇaranam Lavankusuppatti/
Nivvānamaneyabhava, satta Purānettha ahigārā//1.32.
