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Story of Ráma in Jain Literature
identical with that of Gunabhadra.
Puspadanta's contribution to the story of Rama : He criticises the Rāma-versions of Valmiki and Vyása--in the manner of Ravisena and Vimala, and adds to the list of incredible incidents and statements (found in the Rāmāyana of Vālmīki) as given by his predecessors, the following three:
(a) Indrajit, though a son of Rāvana, was older in age than Rāvana, his father. (b) Vibhişana is a 'Ciranjivin'. (c) The arms of Lakşmana were long and unbending.
Further, he names Rāvana's sister as Candra-nakhá instead of Sūrpanakha. Of course, Vimala and Ravisena too give her name as Candranakhă. But all this hardly means any real contribution to the story of Rāma as these changes do not help the progress or action of the story.
He has, however, we might say, contributed considerably towards the form of the story, which is made more poetic. If Gunabhadra's version is rather less poetic and more prosaic, Puşpadanta's Rāmāyana is written in a grand poetic style. Unlike Gunabhadra, he divides his Rāmāyana into eleven Sandhis or Cantos and gives them titles which are sufficiently eloquent of their respective subject matter.
(x) Kahāvalt of Bhadresvara (11th century A.D.): Bhadresvara's version of the Ramayana is based on the Paumacariya. For the motif of the picture of Rāvana drawn by Sita which is not found in the Paümacariya, Bhadresvara seems to be indebted to Haribhadrasűri.
Hemacandra adopts this highly important feature in the Rama legend which he gives in the Trişaşu-Salakäpurusa-Carita.
(x) Yogaśāstra-Suopjña-Vrtti and (xii) Trişasti-Salákápurusa-Carita of Hemacandra (12th century A.D.): In spite of the fact that the two versions are by one and the same author, they betray some remarkable diversions which we have already noted. The Ys version is in general agreement with the Paümacariya; it shows acquaintance also with the Padmapurāņa, and the version of Sanghadása.
(a) In his TSPC version (based on the Paümacariya and the Padmapurana) Hemacandra follows Vālmiki in relating the episode of the fight between Valin and Rävana and the latter's humiliation.
(b) Dasaratha, after his marriage with Kaikeyi, does not return to Ayodhyå but goes to Rājagpha, conquers the king of Magadha, stays there, gets his family there, and lives there for a long time, out of fear of Rāvaņa. It is there that Rama and Laksmana are born. And when he feels himself invincible on account of his powerful sons, he goes to Ayodhya with his whole family, and it is at Ayodhya that Bharata and Satrughna are born.
