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CHAPTER XII
CONCLUSION
Part One It contains a critical study of the narrative material of the PCV in six chapters.
In the first chapter it has been shown that there are some defects in the text of Paumacariyain edited by Dr. H. Jacobi. It is imperative that after examining various available manuscripts, a critical text of Paumacariyam is published. Thereby, it will be clear whether there is any interpolation in it".
Following that we have examined the internal evidences of Paumacariyan and have come to the conclusion that Vimalasüri had no bias for any particular sect, but he was a liberal Jaina author: Further a critical examination of external evidences as well as the views of various scholars assigning the Paumacariyam with different dates, ranging from 1st century A.D. to 8th century A.D., has been made. Some fresh evidences in the form of historical data and political situations have been put forth for settling its date. Referencess to the Śrīparvatiyas, Kilakilas and the Anandas, the political situations around Daśapura and Nandyāvartapura (Nagardhan), the nature of the language of Paumcariyam and some influence of Apabhrarśa on it reveal that our work was not composed earlier than the 5th century A.D. and not later than 677 A.D., the date of Padmacaritam of Ravişeņa, which is a Sanskrit recast of Paumacariyam: Further it is worth consideration that an apprehension of the charge of plagiarism must have prevented Ravişena from recasting Paumacariyan within one or two decades of its composition. Some considerable period of time, say, one or two centuries would have elapsed between them. Therefore, the 530th year of the Nirvāpa Era as mentioned in the PCV, should be that of Vikrama Era and thus 473 A.D. seems to be the correct date of composition of Paumacariyaṁ.
In the second chapter first hand knowledge of the Rama narrative of Paumacariyam is available in summary-form.
1. In the revised edition of Paumacariyam published by Prakrit Text Society in
1902 and 1968, there still remains some textual defects.
