Story Of Rama In Jain Literature

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Saraswati Pustak Bhandar

Page 23

Introduction : The Character of Jain Mythology
of Jainism, they promulgate dharma and by their precept and example help their followers to attain mukti.
The word Cakravartin or Cakrin means one who rules over the six Khandas of Bharata-varşa'. He possesses a wondrous Cakra (Disc) whereby he is called a Cakrin'. Dr. Ghatage gives the explanatory gloss as :
“The classical Indian idea of a Cakravartin is that of a universal monarch, a paramount ruler. Vedic literature knows the word Sam-rāt but Cakravartin comes into vogue only in the later parts of the epics. In the popular literature such rulers are also assigned to the Vidyādharas, semi-divine beings, as in the case of Naraváhana-datta, the son of Udayana and the hero of the Brhat-Katha. The original meaning appears to be a king, whose chariot-wheel meets no obstacle in his conquests.
With the Buddhists the Cakravartin got associated with a disc, a jewel, which precedes him and procures for him success. He represents the secular authority as the Buddha does the spiritual power. It is said of Buddha 'F#77 Tafaa'. The Jain idea of a Cakravartin is similar and he is said to win 14 rainas, including the disc. These ideas are all developments from the popular identification of the carka with the disc in the hand of Vişnu, a solar symbol. There are twelve such universal monarchs in Jain Mythology. They have further created the category of Bharatārdha-cakravartins who rule only half the Bharata country, and who are having the nine Vasudevas with them.
Scholars have explained the word maar in different ways. Wilson considered it to mean one who abides in (aaa) a large territory called a *. Kern takes वर्तिन to mean वर्तयति 'who rules'. Senart regards him to be one who owns a चक्रवाल while Jacobi thinks that 7 here stands for the political term H039."
The word Baladeva (also Balabhadra) or Haladhara or Halin is used for the elder step-brother of Nārāyana or Vasudeva, who is a mighty human king ruling over three parts of the earth. For example, in the story of Rāma, Padma (another name of Rāma) is the Baladeva and Lakşmana is the Narāyana or Vasudeva; and Ravana who is antagonistic to Väsudeva is called Prativasudeva.
According to one tradition there are 54 great men only, as it does not count the Prativāsudevas in the list of 'Uttama-purusas'. This tradition is recorded in the Samavāyanga-Sūtra and Silacārya too speaks of 54 great men.
It is to be noted that all these 63 Salaka-Puruşas are "great men and are bereft of any divine element. In the Hindu Mythology Nārāyana is an epithet of Vişnu Krena and Balabhadra or Baladeva (or Balarama) is the name of the elder brother of Krsna, Nārāyaṇa is the supreme God and Baladeva too is sometimes regarded as