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The Origin of the Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
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(d) Elevation :
According to the Valmīki Rāmāyana, Kaikeyi is a selfish, greedy and intriguing woman. Rama kills Välin treacherously and is guilty of killing Sambūka. Rävana is a tyrant, an oppressor of mankind etc., violently obstructing sacrifices, and he abducts women. Välin is a usurper, and unlawfully takes possession of his brother's wife and kingdom. Vimala Süri takes a very sympathetic view of these characters, and attempts to clear them of blame. He represents Kaikeyi as a mother par excellence who is prepared to let her husband accept asceticism but desperately tries to retain her loving son. She does not demand Rāma's exile. Valin, a mighty Vidyadhara hero, though capable of inflicting a crushing defeat on Ravana, voluntarily appoints Sugriva to the throne and himself becomes a monk. This account acquits Válin of the shameful charge of living with his brother's wife, and Rāma of the charge of treacherously slaying Valin, who had done no harm to him. Laksmana kills Sambúka by accident and this exonerates Rama completely from the guilt of slaying Tapasvin. Ravana is a pious and devout Jain. He restores ruined Jain shrines. As far as possible he avoids 'Himsa' whenever he has to fight. In his world-conquest he is shown to have subdued his enemies whom he later on sets free and restores to them their kingdom. His only weakness is his passion for Sitā!
Thus it will be seen that Vimala is very keen on elevating his characters.
(e) Purging the story of Rāma of its Brahmanical atmosphere :
In the Vālmiki Rămâyana the heroes move in an entirely Brahmanical atmosphere. From the beginning to the end the poem breathes this atmosphere. Numerous Brahmanical legends and myths such as those of Vašiştha, Viśvámitra, Agastya, Vedavati, and so on, are inserted in the narrative. The performance of Asvamedha sacrifice is described with approval. The main characters are represented as Avatāras of the great Hindu god --Vişnu. Vimala Sûri, who is out "to give his co-religionists a complete substitute for the Hindu epic". cannot allow such atmosphere to colour his poem. He simply omits all these legends and Avatāra-Kathās that have no essential connection with the story of Rāma. In certain cases he modifies the legends to suit Jaina atmosphere, e.g., the story of Sagara and his 60000 sons. He speaks of the Vedas and animal sacrifices but only to criticise them.
(1) Creating of Jain atmosphere in its place :
Having purged the Rāma-story of its Brahmanical atmosphere, he sets himself to create Jain atmosphere by introducing various Upåkhyānas such as those of Vajrakarna, Kapila etc., which show the importance of Jainism, by adding at appropriate places the sermons of Jain munis, by explaining the duties of a Jain householder and a monk, by making the main characters of the stories devout followers of Jainism, by describing the existence of Jina shrines at almost all the places and their worship,
