Critical Study Of Paumacariyam

Author(s): K R Chandra
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology and Ahimsa

Page 90

COMPARATIVE STUDY OF THE RĀMA-STORY
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together (3. 9. 27). Rāma insists on performing his righteous duty by destroying the wicked. Proceeding further they reach Pañcāpsara Tațāka (3. 11. 11), stay there for a very long period of time and visit again muni Sutiksna. From there they go to the aśrama of the brother of Agastya and then to that of muni Agastya. They pay obeisance to the great sage while the sage expresses his regards for them and presents them with a divine Vaisnava bow, an arrow, a quiver and a sword (3. 12. 32-36). Being directed by the sage, they proceed towards Pañcavați (3. 13. 13), situated beside the river Godāvari (3. 13 18), for their final resort.
The TR follows the VR, but in it Rama is deified (8. 4). He departs from the Citrakūta hill with the fear that he will be disturbed and often frequented by the people as they had known the reality that Rāma was an incarnation of Visņu (3. 3)'. During his journey all the munis pay obeisance to Rāma, taking him as God personified. Sita is also deified. She is mentioned as 'Sri'? (Lakşmi 3. 7). There is no reference to the snatching away of Sita by Virādha. Rāma manifests his 'caturbhuja-rūpa' and Sutīkşņa eulogises Rāma as God-incarnate. There is no reference to the Pañcāpsarataţāka. Muni Agastya addresses Rāma as Hari and worships him (3. 12). From there Rama goes to Pañcavati.
The PCR agrees with the PCV. But it mentions Kūvavadda as Kūvara, Potana as Patana (Yakşādhipati) and names the place where the colony was conjured up by the Yaksa as Vanasthalı (35. 54). Sitä is said to have been left behind with an Āryă (nun) when Rāma proceeded to subjugate Ativīrya (37. 95). The PCS deviates from the account of the PCV and the PCR. It mentions that Rudrabhūti on being enamoured of Sītā commissions his warriors to snatch her away (27. 3. 9),' but he soon falls at the feet of Rāma and Lakşmana as soon as he learns that they are Baladeva and Vāsudeva respectively (27. 8. 9). Vijayapura is mentioned as Jivantapura (29. 10) while the name of the king is Anantavīrya (30. 1. 2), It does not refer to Ratimālā and Vijayasundarī. The river Godavari (Golāņai) is referred
1. In the interpolated chapter 5.45 after 7.37 of the VR, Rāma is called Padmana
bha i. e. Vişnu. 2. She is also called the mother of world, jagadambīby Arigada when he goes to
Lankā to persuade Kāvana (TR, 6. 29. 3). In the VR, in an interpolated
chapter Sita is addressed as Lakşmi (3. 2. and 5. 53 after 7. 37). 3. In the VR Virādha snatches away Sītā, but he surrenders to Rāma as soon as
he remembers the prophecy made by Vaisravana that he will attain Syarga on being killed by Rāma (3. 4. 18).