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The Prakrit and Apabhramśa Rāmāyaṇas
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is height of absurdity to represent Rāvaņa, whose prowess was comparable to Indra's, as a blood-drinking monster, or to describe Kumbhakarņa, who was learned in all the Šāstras, as sleeping continuously for six months unperturbed even if elephants pushed him and pots of oil were poured in his ears, and when awakened swallowing buffaloes, elephants, human beings, one and all that he could lay his hands on. How again could Rāvaņa be represented as conquering Indra, who is powerful enough to uproot the whole of Jambūdvipa and to reduce his opponent to ashes at the mere thought of him. It is also false to depict Rāma, who was highly pious, as killing a golden deer or as deceitfully killing Vālin for the sake of Sugriva and Tārā. Further it runs counter to reason to believe that monkeys could build a bridge over the ocean. The popular version of the Rāmacarita was thus according to Vimala full of absurdities, falsifications, misrepresentations and elements contrary to sense.
(9) Changes in Characterization
And this outlook has changed Rāvaņa from a sinful, wicked, tyrranical monster to a noble, pious and powerful Vidyādhara king, whose conduct had no other blemish except abducting Sitā.
Several other characters also have undergone a similar transformation. It is not any Mantharā-inspired intrigue which leads Kaikeyi to ask throne for Bharata and exile for Rāma. According to the VPc version, Bharata expressed a strong desire to renounce the world and become a monk in the footsteps of Dasaratha, and it was with a view to forestall this step of Bharata that Kaikeyi contrived to saddle him with the responsibility of kingship. As to Rāma's exile to the forest, it was Rāma's voluntary decision, out of his love for Bharata.
So too the Vālin of VPc is quite different from the Vālin of VR. According to the Jain tradition Vālin was an exceptionally powerful Vidyādhara king, who humbled the pride of Rāvana in an encounter, and thereafter renounced the world. Practising austerities he attained liberation. It was another Vidyadhara called
