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The Origin of the Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
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invent highly extraordinary variations in an established legend, especially if the legend had a religous significance. Gunabhadra must, therefore, have had some authority for the version of the story that he gave. However, of the alternatives (iii) and (iv) it is difficult to say which is more probable. It is quite likely that he embodied in his Purana the story of Rāma as it came to him through Acarya-Paramparā. We have some reason to believe, however, that Gunabhadra may have been indebted to Kavi Paramesthi or Parameśvara. He is said to have composed a Purāņa glorifying 63 Salākāpuruṣas, celebrities of the Jain faith. Gunabhadra himself says that it was a Gadya-kathā and that it was used by Jinasena for Adi-Purăņa.23 Jinasena calls it Vägartha-sangraha. 24 Now if Jinasena followed Kavi Parameśvara in composing his Adi-Purāna it is not unlikely that Jinasena's pupil, who completed his teacher's unfinished Maha-Purana by adding to it his Uttara-Puråna, too, based his Rama-story on that of Kavi Parameśvara.25
Let us now turn to the views of Pt. Premi and Dr. Narasimhachar regarding the sources of Gunabhadra.
9. The relation of Guņabhadra's version with the Daśaratha Jātaka and the Adbhuta
Rāmāyana
In his paper on 'Padma-Carita Aura Pauma-Cariya' Pt. Premi suggests that Gunabhadra describes the birth of Sitā as Rāvana's daughter after the AdbhutaRāmayana, whereas the Kingship of Dasaratha over Vārāṇasi and the absence of the incidents such as Sitā's abandonment, the birth of Lava and Kusa, the twin sons of Sita, can be traced to the Buddhistic Jätaka.26 Dr. Narasimhachar, referring to the elements in the story such as Sita's birth, her abduction in the precincts of Váránasi, the intensely ascetic nature ascribed to the character of Rama, and the golden deer incident, remarks that "it seems to be a conglomeration of various legends pertaining to Rama" and that "it has no unitary source. "27
23.
24.
Kaviparameśvaranigaditagadyakathā mātīka.ṁ puroscaritaiṁ
U. Prasasti 17. Sa Pujyah ........... Parameśvaraḥ Vägarthasargratham ......... Purāņam yaḥ samagrahs:
Ādi-Purana 1.60. Cāvundarāya (978 A.D.) in his Adipurāņa declares that the Mahāpurāņa was composed formerly (even before Jinasena and Guņabhadra) by Kuci Bhattāraka and Srinandi Muni. See Jain Sahitya aura Itihāsa, p. 280. He suggests the sources possible, viz., Adbhuta-Rāmāyana, Dasaratha Jātaka and VālmikiRāmāyana.
25.
26. 27.
