________________
Sita Ravana-Kathanaka of Acarya Hemacandra
family by a mere desire of enjoying the love of another's wife and sank into
hell.
211
The interrelation of the two versions: It is, indeed, remarkable that though the author of the two versions is the same, they betray some noteworthy divergences. Thus, the incident of Ravana's wearing the 'navaratnamālā, of his fight against Indra and the four ‘dikpālas', of his slaying Candrodara, the lord of Pātālalaǹkā and bestowing that kingdom and his own sister on Khara, of the two boons of Kaikeyi and the instigation of Manthara, Rama's stay at the Pañcavati-asrama, the meeting of Rama and Lakṣmaṇa with Virādha after the destruction of the enemy, Sita's breaking fast after 19 (and not 21 as in the TSPC) days, the account of war between the principal heroes, the construction of eight (and not seven as in the TSPC) Vapras to guard Lakṣmaṇa, the intimating to Rāma of the means to save his brother by Bhamandala, (and not by the Vidyadhara himself directly), the release of Kumbhakarna, etc. before the slaying of Rāvana, and the cutting off of Ravana's head by the disc all these are differently told in the two versions. It is, further, remarkable that out of a total of 278 verses of the YS version 82 verses are identical, word for word, and 28 verses nearly identical-nearly because there are slight verbal but immaterial and insignificant changes--and broadly speaking--leaving aside the divergences noted above--the two versions are in agreement in their essential features. It is evident that the identical or nearly identical passages have been taken over from one version in the other version. Now, the question is whether the composition of the commentary to the YS falls earlier to or later than that of the TSPC. The TSPC (Parvan 10, Prasasti verses) mentions that the Yogasästra was already composed. One might venture to state that probably its commentary too was already composed. Bühler without any hesitation remarks that "Its (TSPC) composition falls later than that of the Yogaśāstra, for it is not quoted in the commentary on the latter..." (italics mine). Prof. M.C. Modì is inclined to believe that the commentary on the YS may have been written after the completion of the TSPC or that the TSPC and the commentary on the YS were being simultaneously written14. The view of Bühler seems to be more reasonable for nowhere in the commentary on the YS Hemacandra mentions the TSPC. He generally introduces quotations from his own works with the remark ' यदवोचाम or यदुक्तमस्माभि:' The present narrative poem he introduces while commenting on the YS II. 99--with the remark 'अयं चार्थः संप्रदायगम्यः, स चायम्. The word indicates some ancient authority or authorities, which he has made use of while penning this narrative poem. What precisely his source for this poem was it is impossible to state in the present state of our knowledge. The YS version shows, it may be conceded without any hesitation, acquaintance with the Paumacariya of Vimala Suri, the Padmacarita of
14. Hema-samiksa (in Gujarati) by Prof. M.C. Modi, Ahmedabad, 1942.
