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The Rāmāyana of Acārya Hemacandra
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27Sita's Purity and her Entering the Order of nuns CANTO X:
Canto X gives an account of the past lives of Rāma, Sugriva, Rāvana, Vibhîşana, Lakşmaņa, Sitā, Visalyā, Bhamandala, Rāvana, Ankusa and others, Krtāntavadana's Dikṣā, who later on was born as a god, the birth of Sitā as a god, the Diksă of Laksmana's sons, Bhāmandala's death, Hanumat's Diksa at the sight of sunset and later his attaining liberation; Laksmana's death brought about, though unwittingly, by gods; the Diksa of Lavana and Ankusa and their obtaining Mokşa; Rāma's sad plight at Laksmana's death; invasion of the kingdom of Ayodhyā by the sons of Indrajit and Sunda, their fleeing away when they knew that gods were on Rāma's side, later on their entering the Order, Coronation of Anangadeva (son of Lavana) and the renunciation of Rāma and other heroes, Rāma'sobtaining gradually Avadhi-jñāna and Kevala-jñāna, the Upasarga caused to Rama by Sitā-god, Rāma's prediction (that Lakşmana and Rāvana who were born in hell would ultimately obtain Nirvāņa - Laksmana as a Cakravartin and Rāvana as a Tirthankara and that the soul of Sitā would be born as a Ganadhara of Rávana
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The account given here is in agreement with the Paüma-Cartya (Cantos XCV-CIII both inclusive). There are some remarkable changes introduced by Hemacandra, e.g.. Rama, at Lakşmana's suggestion, goes to the forest in search of Sità whom he has abandoned, in order to please his subjects who slandered her. He makes a minute search but in vain. Taking her to be devoured by some wild animal and losing all hopes of regaining her he returned to Ayodhya and performed her funeral rites (w. 27-33); whereas according to Vimala, Rāma was comforted by Laksmana who explained to him the nature of Samsara and the unrestrained working of the law of Karman (Canto XCVI, w. 38-42); Hemacandra drops entirely the long sermon by Muni Sakalabhūsana (Vimala, Canto CII w. 63-203) and he narrates the past lives of Rāma and Laksmana (Vimala, Canto CIII) in Canto X Hemacandra describes very suggestively the different conflicting emotions that overpower Rama when he hears the account of his twin sons from Närada : Rāmopi vismaya-vrida-kheda-harşa-samakulah v. 154. Wonder - on account of the heroism of his sons, Shame - on account of his own defeat. Dejection - on account of his remembering anew the sad event of Sită's repudiation, and Joy - on account of union with his sons. The account given here entirely agrees with the Paüma-Cariya (part of Canto CIII and Cantos CIV-CVIII both inclusive). As elsewhere, here too we get a few sine Subhäșitas e.g..
1. Karmanam visama gatih v. 115. 2. Gatayah karmädhinā hi dehinām v. 231.
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