Story Of Rama In Jain Literature

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

Page 75

Pauma-Cariya of Vimala Sari
In rega:d to the language of the Paumccoriya it is very surprising that Prof. Dhruva should describe it as 'modem'. Jaco ii notes the peculiarities of the language of the Parmacarija, "the oldest Kavya in Jain Mahārāştri that has come down to us" and observes that “It is therefore a primitive and not yet grammatically refined Prakrit.""? Dr. Ghatage, while discussing the relation between Ardhamāgadhi and Jain Mālārāștii, remaiks "Tlc verous N uis and narratii e works like Paumacariya, Vasudevahir di and others may be taken to present the archaic form of JM. (Jain Mālārāştii). the language of the non-canom el bocks of the Svetāmbara writers."2 3 The work does present a number of vulgais ms which foreshadow the Apabhraṁsa stage. Jacobi analyses and illustrates the arisms of various nature that appear in the Pa umacar ya.2He, however, does not rescribe the language of the Paümacariya as Modern on the strength of the Apabhi msa vulgarisnis. In this connection it is pertinent to reproduce Dr. Ghatago's obserwion:
"In this context, it must be clearly under 'ood that this so called Ap (Apabhramsa) influence originates from the spoken langua (in all probability the mother tongues of the writers) and traces of it can be de cfed even in the Amg. (Ardha-Māgadhi) caron (acchal m U. 22.16) and the older ths in JM. (Jain Māhālāștrī)."25 It is, therefore, ot legitimate to inter from thibsence oi' early Apabhramsa works and the fact of Apabhramsa not being moal by Bharata in his Nātpašāstru and of the Apabhu mśa language or dialect not be seated ci by Vararuci's Prakrit-Prakāśa, that works bowing Apabhrama infuence ti ust be late.
The hypothesis that the Paii macarija . an abridged edition in Prakrit of Ravisena's Padn acarita (-Purāna) in Sanskrit ..been refuted by Pandit Premi.26 He has advanced a number of arguments, soro! which are thoroughly sound and convincing, and established that the woik of Ra şena is an enlarged edition in Sanskrit of the Prekrit Paüm acariya A few more auments may be adduced here in support of Pandit Premi's view :
Ravişena clearly siаics that his work is based on a written Rāma-Kathā7 whereas Vimalasuri states that the Rāma-sty before him was handed down by oral
22 "Some Aicient Jain Works"- Modern Revie, December, 1924. 23 Introduction to Kahāņaya Tigain (p. 62), Ko hapur, 1951. 24 Introduction to Bliavisattakahā (Translate from the original German by Dr. Ghosal) :
Journal of the Oriental Institute, Baroda, Ju 55, Vol. IV- No. 4 (pp. 36-365). 25 Introduction to Kahanaya - Tigan, p. 63, Koihapur.
Many MSS o the Vikramor asiyaning ude Apabhrara verses in the 4th Act to be recited by King Pururavas, who is love-lors d'un matta'. There is a controversy regarding their feuineness as well as regarding the a c of Kalidasa. These Arabhramsa verses cannot,
therefore, be of any use in the present cont... 26 Jain Satya Aura Tuhasa (second edition, 6): Pada acarita Aura Paumacaria, pp. 89-91. 27 Alasare F: 15942f 1 555*1 R911: TH TNHH 11
998 mra: #få aalsezatan i fe 7 1 9114 suara: 11 I-vv.41-42