Paumchariyam Part 1

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

Page 38

THE FORM OF THE PAOMACHARIYA :
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The figures of speech which are commoly met with in this work are Upamā and Rapake. Some other figures which we come across in the work are Utprekṣā, Atiśayokti and Artbāntaranyäsa. Anuprāsa and Yamaka are found to be rarely used.
Vimalasāri, no doubt, delineates the sentiments of Sựngāra, Vira, Karuna and other sentiments in the narration of the principal story and in the romantic episodes that he has added. The fact, however, remains that his supreme interest lies in the developnent of Vairā, ya' that leads the various characters in the story to the renunciation of worldly life and acceptance of Jainisn.
Vimalasäri's style is lucid and fluent and, wherever necessary, forceful. The Purāņa portion of the work, although otherwise important, makes extremely dull reading, but the style of this portion of the work too is quite simple and easy. In the course of his narration when he chooses to give poetic descriptions. we come across comparatively long compounds but they are not difficult to understand.
Vimalasuri devotes 105 pages out of a total of 335 pages* to narrating the back-ground of the principal narrative. This certainly detracts from his merit as a story-teller. He inscreases the bulk of the story by adding many legendary stories and romantic episodes ; some of these, e. g., the episodes of Bhānandala and Vitasugrīva, are indeed quite beautiful. He claims at the end of his work that his Paümachariya is Visuddha-laliyakkharaheüjuttam' and 'Akkhāņaesu vivibesu nibaddha-attham'. This claim is partially just and legitimate as the language of the work is not pure and chaste but shows many unprakritic forms and idioms. Jacobi rightly observes that the work "is very fluently written, in an easy epic style". Uddyotanasäri pays a handsome tribute to Vimala as follows:
जारिसयं विमलंको विमलं को तारिसं लहइ अत्यं
24H 7 a fee 975 11-Kuvalayamālā. This high compliment Vimalasari richly deserves.
12. THE FORM OF THE PAUMACHARIYA : The narrative literature of the Jainas is vast in extent and varied in scope. It is generally divided into four broad categories as follows: (a) the Purāņas and the Mahapuranas, (b) the Charitras, Kathās and Akhyānas, (c) the Prabandhas and (d) the Kathakośas. We are here concerned with the first category only as the work under study calls itself a Purāņa (1.32, CXVIII. 111). The term Purāna originally meant nothing but Purāņa Akhyānam, ie, old narrative.' Then in the course of time it came to denote & species of literature comprising works of religious and didactic contents in which were collected ancient traditions of the creation, the deeds of the gods, heroes, saints, and distant ancestors. of the human race, the beginnings of the famous royal families and so on. The term Purāņa is defined in Hindu literature as follows:
A Purāņa treats of five subjects: (1) Sarga, Creation', (2) Pratisarga, 're-creation', i. e., the periodical annihilation and renewal of the worlds, (3) Vachśa, 'account of the genealogy, viz., of the gods
* Pages of Jacobi's:Edition. 1. CXVIII-III 2. Some ancient Jain Works, Modern Review, December 1914. 3. See Winternitz: History of Indian Literature, Vol. II (pp. 475 onwards); Dr. A. N. Upadhye :
Introduction to Bhatkathākoşa (pp. 17-39). 4. Ti sifarra a rattfor 7 draft grroi que 11 -Matsyapurāpa LXV. 63