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Prakrit and Apabbramsa Studies
Sāhasagati who, enamoured of Tārā, assumed, through magic power, the form of Sugriva, ousted 'the real 'Sugriva and usurped his queen and kingdom. Rāma killed this phoney Sugriva. This orientation absolves both Vālin and Rāma from all guilt. Rāma has also nothing to do with killing Sambūka. According to VPc. Sambūka was a son of Rāvaņa's sister Candraņakhā (same as the Sūrpanakhā of VR). He was practising austerities for acquiring the magic sword Sūryahāsa, when he was quite accidently killed by Lakşmaņa.
The few typical and basic alterations described above would suffice to give some idea of the general orientation of the Jain Rāmacarita. As to the spirit and atmosphere pervading the Jain versions, following points are easily noted: Omission of the typically Brahmanic episodes like the legends of Vaśiştha and Viśvāmitra, Agastya etc.; addition of anti-Brahmanical legends pertaining to the origin of sacrifice and Rāvana's destruction of Marutta's sacrifice; addition of episodes implying devotion to and veneration for Jain religion: interspersing the narrative with sermons of Jain monks; depicting numerous characters as devout Jainas, as renouncing the world and becoming Jain monks, as worshipping at Jain shrines and holy places; describing past and future births characters wherein functioning of the law of Karma is given Jainistic prominence; the emphasis throughout on the doctrine of Ahiṁsā-all these create a characteristically Jain atmosphere.
(10) Other Jain Version.
My observations so far have kept in view only Vimala's version of the Rāmacarita. It is the principal and most important Jain version and is followed generally and for the most part by the Padmapurāņa of Ravişeņa (678 AD.) and Trișașți-Salākāpuruşacarita of Hemacandra (1060-72 A.D.) in Sanskrit, Paumacariu of Svayam bhū in Apabhramśa (9th cent. A.D.), and Kahāvali of Bhadreśvara (11th or 12th cent, A.D.), in Prakrit.
Another Jain version of the Rāma story is contained in the Uiterapitāra of Guņábhadra (878 A.D.) in Sanskrit, which is fol
