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Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
Among his poetical works his huge epic on the "Lives of the Sixty-three Excellent Men" (Trisasti-Salákāpurusa-Carita) is perhaps best known. Though not without merit as a work of poetry a Mahā-Kavya, yet its purpose is instruction and edification. It is invaluable as a storehouse of ancient legendary lore and tradition. The appendix to this work, the Parişista-Parvan is even more important by its wealth of folk-lore and stories of all kinds.
As a devout Jain he also composed some hymns of praise (Stotras). His Vitarägastotra ( Hymn to the Passionless (Mahavira) ) is a Stotra and at the same time a manual of Jainism.
Hemacandra is always more of a scholar and a moralist than a poet, though not without taste and considerable skill in the use of the Kávya style. This is also shown by his didactic poem, the Yogaśāstra, consisting of a text in simple Slokas and a commentary in the style of ornate poetry, containing also stories.
In one epic poem Kumarapäla-Carita (also known as Dvyäśraya-Kavya, because it is written in two languages, Sanskrit and Prakrit) Hemacandra proves himself a poet, a historian and a grammarian, all at the same time. The poem describes the history of his patrons, but at the same time it is intended to illustrate the rules of his own Sanskrit and Prakrit grammars.
His grammar called Siddhahemacandra is hardly more than an improved edition of Sakatayana's grammar and yet is valuable on account of its practical arrangement and terminology. He also added himself. a commentary and both Uņādiganasūtra and Dhātupåtha to this grammar. The eighth chapter of Siddhahemacandra is devoted to Prakrit grammar, which is still the most important grammar of the Prakrit dialects we possess. In his Prakrit grammar he has preserved some pretty Apabhramsa songs. And in his manual of metrics he even composed Apabhramsa songs himself in illustration of Apabhramsa metres and has thus shown his interest in popular poetry.
His Kävyánusāsana is a manual of poetics and Chandonusāsana of metrics and each is accompanied by the author's own commentary.
His Abhidhānacintamanimálā is a Synonymic lexicon and Anekārthasamgraha a homonymic lexicon. His Deśināmamālā is a Prakrit lexicon. His Nighanțušesa, a glossary of botanical terms, is supplement to his Abhidhānacintamani. All these works are of inestimable value.
His Premăna-Mimāṁsā "Examination of the Means of Proof" is a work on logic, - with his own commentary. And his Anyayogavyavacchedadvåtrimsika, 32 verses in praise of Mahavira is at the same time a treatise on logic.
With this brief outline of the life and works of Hemacandra we now turn to his Trişasti-Salākāpurusa-carita, Parvan VII for a detailed study as it contains the story of Rama:
