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Story of Rama in Jain Literature
above would not be quite intelligible. In his commentary on the Upadesapada composed in V.S. 1174 Municandra adds a short story of Rama in thirty verses to explain the Sangraha-gāthā. His version agrees with that of Vimalasuri except in two details: (i) Municandra speaks of three principal queens of Dasaratha, viz., Kausalya, Sumitra and Kaikeyi, and their three sons, Rāma, Lakṣmana and Bharata respectively and (i) he elucidates the picture motif alluded to in the Gāthā.
The particular version which existed before and was utilised by Haribhadrasuri has not come down to us. The fact, however, remains that the credit of introducing the picture-motif in the story of Räma for the first time goes to an unknown writer who must have flourished before Haribhadrasüri and not to Bhadreśvara30 as I had claimed elsewhere.
(v) Paumacariu of Svayambhudeva (middle of the 8th century A.D. ?): Svayambhú himself states that he is presenting the story of Rama as given by Ravisena. He, however, does not slavishly imitate his predecessor. He is perhaps the first Jain poet to divide the poem into Kandas. Of his five Kandas four have titles common with Välmlki's poem-only instead of Bala-kända he speaks of Vidyadharakända. He does not have the two titles Aranya-kanda and Kişkindhå-kända. He effects omissions, abridgements, additions and alterations with a view to presenting the story in a more attractive and poetic form. His changes, however, do not relate to the principal story of Rama but to such topics as Kṣetravaranana, Kalavarnana, Pürvabhavakathana, Upåkhyānas and descriptions. His work certainly gains by these changes in its poetic value.
(vi) Cauppannamahāpuriṣa-cariya of Silacarya (868 A.D.): Silácarya declares: "Thus is narrated in brief the life-history of Ráma and Laksmana, which is described at length in works like Pauma-cariya." From this statement of his it is obvious that Vimala's work was in his mind when he prepared this abridged version. He has, however, introduced some remarkable features from Valmiki's version directly possibly because of their popularity in his days or indirectly through Sanghadása whose version always shares. these features. These features include the golden stag incident and the Väli-episode. It deserves our notice that Silacarya's Rāvana is after Valmiki's as he speaks of him in such भुवणतावणो, 'बलवमकज्जायरणेण दूसिओ कलुसियचरितो' विज्जागव्विओ, खल and क्रूर.
terms as
Vimala's Ravana is nearly a perfect hero with one defect only, viz.. his passion for Sitä. He does not count the Prativasudevas, such as Ravana, among the 'Uttama'.. or 'Maha' or 'Saläkä--purusas. Naturally, the name Ravana does not find place in the
title.
Silacarya's Influence on Hemacandra?
Winternitz observes in connection with Hemacandra's work--Trisastisalakapurusa-carita--that the Cauppannamahapurisa-cariya of Silacárya must be taken.
30.
Vide Chapter X: "The Ramayana of Bhadresvara (p. 184, f.n. 7) supra.
