Paumchariyam Part 1

Author(s): Vimalsuri, Punyavijay, Harman
Publisher: Prakrit Granth Parishad

Page 16

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DIFFERENT JAINA RĀMĀYAŅA 24. Sita Charitra by Santi Sari 25. Sītā Charitra by Brahma Nemidatta 26. Sītā Charitra of Amaradāsa
Sita Charitra (a Kāvya in four cantos containing 95, 99, 153, and 209 stanzas respectively) 28. Sitā-prabandha, (in Sanskrit) anonymous 29. Sitāpataka (also called Maithili-Kalyānanāțaka) by Hastimalla, son of Govindabhatta 30. Trisusţisära by Harişeņa, pupil of Vajrasena
27.
3. THE DIFFERENT JAINA FORMS OF THE STORY OF RAMA: THEIR INTERRELATION
Among the various Jaina adaptations of the Rāma legend Vimala's Palmacbariya stands, chronologicallay speaking, first. The study of the different Jaina Rāmāyaṇas clearly reveals that Ravişeņa, Svayambha, Silachārya, Bhadreśvara, Hemachandra, Dhaneśvar, Devavijaya and Meghavijaya follow Vimala. Ravişeņa does not state that his Padmapurāņa is based on Vimala's Padmachariya. The comparative study of the two versions establishes firmly that Ravişeņa is heavily indebted to Vimala. Svayathbhù expressly states to have followed Ravişena in composing his Pauma-Chariu. At the end of his version of the Rāma story Sīlāchārya states: "Thus is narrated, in brief, the life history of Rāma and Lakşmaņa which is described at length in works like the Palmachariya." From this statement it follows that he has used Vimala's work in preparing his abridged version. Bhadreśvara does not indicate his source but the study of his Rāmāyaṇa version proves beyond any shadow of doubt that he adopts the story of Rāmu as given by Vimala and frequently also borrows phrases and lines from him. Hemachandra does not care to mention his source for his two Rāmāyaṇa versions - one found in his Yogaśāstra-svopajña-Vștti and the other in his Trisastiśalakāpuruşacharita. Hemachandra has based his versions mainly on Vimala and Ravisena. Dhanesvara's version too closely follows the tradition represented by Vimala. Devavijaya' himself says that he is following Hemachandra. Megbavijaya's Laghu-Trişaşti is an abridged version of Hemachandra's Trişastiśalākāpuruşacharita.
Gunabhadra's version which is largely dependent on Vālmīki contains some features which have their parallels in the Dasaratha-Jataka and the version of Sanghadasa, and some traits peculiar to the the Jaina forms of the Rāma legend, and this conglomeration of different elements gives Gunabhadra's version a new look and form. It is, therefore, generally regarded, and rightly too, for it has many important divergences with the Paumacariya - as forming another independent version. Puşpadanta, although he does not expressly state so, follows Gunabhadra. Krsnadāsa is another writer who follows him. From the number of authors, who follow Vimala, it is evident that his tradition is highly popular among the Jainas.
The versions of Sanghadāsa and Harişeņa, however, are more related to the Rāmāyaṇa of Vālmīki or the Ramopākhyāna of the Mahābhārata than to the version of either Vimala or Guņabhadra.
The different works noticed in the Tinaratnakośa probably do not contain any new features but reproduce, with some variations, one or the other of the popular versions. It would not be correct to designate the schools of Vimala and Guņabhadra as Svetāmbara and Digambara for some Digambara writers too follow the so-called Svetārbara version of Vimala. The three groups of Jaina Rāmāyaṇas may conveniently be represented in a tabular form as follows: