Story Of Rama In Jain Literature

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Saraswati Pustak Bhandar

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Story of Rāma in Jain Literature
with him (Rāvana ), he is able to take Nalakübara prisoner. Ravana exhorts Up2. rambhā to enjoy pleasures in her husband's company and thus keep up her chastity.23 He sets her husband free.
Rāvana then goes to Vaitādhya mountain. Then follows the description of a fight between Rāvana and Indra, the lord of the Vidyadharas. Ultimately Indra is defeated, taken captive and is brought in triumph to Lankā. 2 8
(Rāvana's march towards Vaitadhya mountain; Taking prisoner of Indra and his entrance in Lankā)
CANTO XIII :
Sahasrara, Indra's father, goes to Linkā and requests Rāvana to release Indra. Rāvana sets him free on condition that In Ira daily carries out the job of sweeping Lanka clean etc. Indra is not happy at his release. Once he meets a monk called Nirvāna-san zama. Indra requests him to tell him about his previous life. The monk narrate; to him his past births. In one of those births he was born as Taditprabha, the king of Sūryāyarta. There was then another king by name Anandamálin, who ruled over Candravarta. Once they attended the svayamvara of Ahalyā, who chose Anaadamālin as her husband. Taditprabha (i. e. your soul) entertained enmity towards Anandamālin for this reason. Later on Anandamalin became a monk. You recognized him and molested him. As a result of that you suffered this humiliation at Rāvana's hands. Indra, learning this, places Viryadatta, his son, on the throne and turns a monk. Destroying all Karman he attains to bliss. (Indra attains Nirvāņa)
CANTO XIV :
Rávaņa visits Jain shrines on the Meru mountain, where the gods are paying homage to Anantavirya, who has obtained perfect knowledge and he hears the sermon of the latter upon karman, dāna, the duties of monks and the duties of householders. Thereupon Rāvana takes the vow that he would not enjoy (lit. seek) another's wife,
25 Vide vv. 77-81. 26 Note : vv. 105-107 describ: Rāvana's handsome figure. This description of Ravana is in
sharp contrast to the one given by Valmiki.
vv. 108-110 show that Rāvana was a model king and at that a very popular one. 27. This incident of Uparambha shows Rāvana in favourable light. Although she offers herself
to him, he regards her as his Guru for she teaches him a wondrous Āsālikā lore. Note his words: ... aa qualeat fáa, 7 athai là qrafi | XII. 576
391141 HE TH' TE HTI XII. 69 a 28 Note that Rāvaņa defeats Indra, the overlord of the Vidyadharas and not that Indra, the
lord of gods !