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to Dasaratha to seek Rama's aid promising in return the hand of Sită in marriage to Rama. Buddhi-visarada greeted the proposals with approval. Atisayamati" however took a strong exception and narrated the story as to how the sacrifice of animals originated. 12 He exploded the belief that Sagara and others obtained heaven by virtue of animalsacrifice and suggested that they should not be a party to the performance of a sacrifice by Janaka.
11.
Story of Rama in Jain Literature
SANDHI LXX:
On hearing the good speech of Atidayamati Dasaratha's mind became firm in the dharma preached by the Jinas. His commander-in-chief, Mahabala, by name, however recommended that Rama should be sent to Mithila with a view to testing his prowess. Dasaratha then asked his Purohita whether Rama's going to Mithila would bring him prosperity. He predicted that wherever Räma, accompanied by Laksmana, would go. he would win glory and that the two Kumāras were destined to be, as the Puranas have described, the eighth Baladeva and Vasudeva and that killing Rāvana on the battle-field they would rule over the earth. Dasaratha asked him then about the rise and prosperity of Ravana. The Purohita then narrated the history of the life of Ravana, and predicted that Rama by protecting Janaka's sacrifice would definitely marry Sită. Dasaratha then sent Rama and Lakṣmaṇa with Mahabala and the army to Mithila. Janaka accorded them a hearty welcome. The sacrifice was performed and Sita was married to Rāma. After a few days he was called home by Dasaratha. After his arrival in Ayodhya Dasaratha performed the worship of Jina-idols and got Räma married to seven other maidens and Laksmana to sixteen damsels.
12.
13.
The Birth of Rama, Lakṣmaṇa, Bharata and Satrughna and the Preventing of the Sacrifice.
These are the names of two ministers in the service of Dasaratha.
This story of the origin of animal-sacrifice is in complete correspondence with the one given by Gunabhadra and hence in order to avoid unnecessary repetition we here skip over it. This history of the previous life of Ravana - his birth as king Naradeva, his renunciation of the world, his Nidana on seeing a Vidyadhara king, his next birth as a god, then the subsequent birth in the family of the Vidyadharas at Lankā, his marriage with Mandodari, the terrible 'nidana' of Manimati whose wrath he in curred by disturbing her in her severe austerities, the birth of Sita to Rāvana, her desertion by Marica, her discovery by a farmer. and her adoption as a daughter by Janaka-is entirely identical with the account of the UttaraPurana.
In this portion, however, we find the distinct power of description of the poet revealed. We give only a few examples:
Rāvana is, as it were, a violent goad to the elephants presiding over directions, and a pike (Sula) in the heart and head to formidable foes (K. 5-2)-- and the blazing fire, as it were, at the time of universal destruction (K. 5-7).
