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श्रमण
Śri Hanumana in Padmapurāṇa
Dr. Surendra Kumar Garg*
'Padmapuraṇa' is the Jaina version of the story of the Rāmāyaṇa. Written in Samskṛta, it is quite massive in bulk. No wonder its creator, Jainācārya Ravisena is remembered as the 'Jaina Valmiki'.
purāṇam!
In ancient Jaina literary works, such as Vimalasüri's 'Pauma-cariya' in Prakṛta (i.e. the unrefined dialect), and Svayambhudeva's 'Pauma-cariu' in Apabhramśa ( i. e. cant phraseology; or the vulgar language) Rama is known as 'Pauma' i. e. 'Padma' — a widely accepted name in Jaina Puranas. This is, probably, the reason why Jainacarya Ravisena named his epic Padmapuraṇam' or 'Padmacaritam, popularly known as 'Padmapuraṇa' ( can be had from Bharatiya Jnanpitha Lodhi Road, New Delhi-3) in line with the Hindu ( Brahmina ), Purāņas such as the holy 'Visņu Purāṇa', 'Śiva Purāṇa', etc. Svayambhudeva's 'Pauma-cariu' is largely based on Raviṣena's 'Padma
The story of Ravisena's 'Padmapurana' is quite interesting but widely different from the ancient Hindu lore. The leading role in it is not that of Rama but of Laksamana. Śambuka gets slain at the hands of Laksamana (chapter 43/61), and again Laksamana is credited with the killing of Kharaduṣaṇa (44/50-58 ). Further it is Lakṣmaṇa that assures the frightened Vanaras (Vidyadharas) of his proposed killing of the mighty Ravana by lifting the rare 'Kotisila" (48/213-14 ); and finally, none else but Lakṣmaṇa himself kills the (-demon-) king Ravana; of course, not with the usual bow & arrows, but with his 'Chakra-Ratna' (Narayana's sharp-teathed perpetual circular weapon which remains unseen; and appears only on certain occasions.) ( 76/33 ).
Explaining this, Dr. Ramakant Shukla writes in his doctoral thesis - "Jainācārya Raviṣena-kṛta Padmapurāṇa' aur Tulasi-kṛta 'Rāmacaritamānasa' (Vani Parishada, Vani Vihar, New Delhi - 18). "In Padmapurāṇa, Padma (Rama )'s character has been depicted according to the Jaina-concept. In Jaina
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