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The Origin of the Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
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although he gives them different personal names. (iv) The tendency of the human mind to find fault with fanciful and highly
exaggerated and coloured descriptions as absurd and unreasonable found in the Jain works speaks of their modernism'. The Jain version idealizes the characters of Kaikeyi, Ravana and Välin. If their representation of these characters were more faithful to the original legend, it would be difficult to understand how Vālmiki could distort the idealism of the original, and give touches of realism in representing the part played by Kaikeyi in bringing about Rama's exile, Rāma's slaying of Valin in a manner unbefitting a superhuman hero. In view of Vālmīki's intense desire to idealize the character of Rama and represent him as an ideal warrior, an ideal son, an ideal husband and an ideal king, it is dimicult to understand Vālmīki's motives in slightly degrading the character of Rāma in the episode of his fight with Välin, as also in some others such as his killing of Tataka and Khara, his rather unchivalrous treatment of Surpanakhă, etc., unless we assume that Vālmiki had felt compelled
to retain these incidents because he found them as part of the popular tradition. (vi) The divergences which the Jain Rāmāyanas show from the Valmiki-Rāmāyana
are easily accounted for, as proceeding from artistic, or religious or ethical motives thus dispensing with the hypothesis that the Jain versions preserve
more faithfully the ancient Rämastory that was prevalent prior to Välmlki. Establishing thus firmly that Valmiki's Rāmāyaṇa is the fountain source of the Jain versions of the story of Rama we now turn to the development of the story of Rāma in Jain literature.
