Story Of Rama In Jain Literature

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

Page 41

Pauma-Cariya of Vimala Suri
howsoever beautiful she might be nor his own if she be disinclined towards him, (Religious sermon by Anantavirya.)
23
CANTO XV;
This sermon is also responsible for the conversion of Hanumat, the son of Pava nañjaya who, in turn, is the son of Kirtimati and Prahlada, the king of Adityapura on Vaitaḍhya mountain. Mahendra, the Vidyadhara king of Mahendra-nagara had offered his beautiful daughter, Anjanasundari by name, to Pavanañjaya in marriage. (Wedding of Anjana-sundar! with Pavananjaya.)
CANTO XVI:
Pavananjaya abandons his wife suspecting that she secretly loved another youth Vidyut-prabha. The canto then tells of the fight between Ravana and Varuna. Kharadûşana is taken captive; Ravana seeks shelter in Fatala-Lanka; from there he sends. word to all his tributory princes and thus intends to mobilise his forces again. Pavanañjaya sets out to help Ravana. On his way he comes across a lake where he sees a female cakravaka bird suffering the terrible pangs of separation from her mate. Pavananjaya at once remembers the sad plight of his wife deserted for a period of twenty-two years. He puts his minister in charge of the army and with a friend of his returns to Añjana's mansion. There he tenders his apology to her and the two enjoy love sports. Next morning Pavanañjaya starts to join his party. Finding Añjana nervous as she fears conception, he hands over to her his signet-ring. (Enjoyment of pleasures by Pavanañjaya and Añjar..)
CANTO XVII :
Finding Anjana to be pregnant, her mother-in-law, who is not prepared to believe. her account drives her out of her house; the people at her paternal home too repudiate her. She enters a dense forest; meets a monk called Amitagati. He narrates the past lives of the soul in her womb and predicts that her son would be a great pious hero. He also tells of Anjana's past life. In that life she had thrown out of her house an idol of Jina and that this sin of hers is responsible for her present misery.30 In due course Añjana gives birth to a son. A Vidyadhara, who proves to be her maternal uncle meets her and consoles her. Then they all leave that forest and wander through the sky. The child falls on a mountain-slab but is unhurt. They, then, all enter Hanuruha city. The child's birth-day ceremony is celebrated with great pomp by the Vidyadharas. The child that broke the mountain-slab
29 जइ वि हु मुरुवयंता परमहिला तो वह न पत्येमि ।
नियया वि अप्पसण्णा विलया एवं वय मज्झ || Canto XIV. v. 153.
30 Such motifs are frequently made use of by Jain authors with a view to bringing out the greatness of Jainism.