Studies in Jain Literature

Author(s): V M Kulkarni
Publisher: Shardaben Chimanbhai Educational Research Centre

Page 33

SOME ASPECTS OF PAUMACARIYA
Kulakaras, the Kalpa-Vrkṣas the duties of a Jain monk, the horrors of hell, the joys of heavenly worlds, the jina-pūjā, the jinābhiṣeka, the jinavandanabhakti, the origin of the four castes, the condemnation of Vedic sacrifice and of the Brāhmaṇas, the dreadful consequences of killing and of the eating of meat. Most of these topics are generally found to be dealt with in all the Jain Purāņas. None of the definitions of a Purana or Mahāpurāna given above covers fully these various topics. The Adipurana attempts to cover some of these topics when it lays down that a Purana ought to deal with the eight topics or subjects given below:
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(1) The universe, (2) the country with its mountains, sea etc., (3) the city or capital, (4) the kingdom, (5) the life of a Jina which acts as a ford for crossing the ocean of samsara, (6) liberality, munificence and austerities, (7) the four conditions of existence such as hells, etc., and (8) the fruit of Punya and Papa (meritorious deeds and sinful deeds)".
Although the Paümacariya is undoubtedly a Purāṇa, it answers some of the salient features of a mahākāvya. The subject-matter is the lives of great figures of antiquity. The work is composed in Cantos (uddeśa, samuddeśa or parvan); it is chiefly in the Arya metre but as the definition of an epic requires, the concluding stanzas of each canto are composed in a variety of metres. He interweaves his name (nāmamudra) in the closing verse of every canto. It contains many descriptions of towns, mountains, seasons, the rising and setting of the sun and moon, water-sports, love-sports, separation, marriage, battles and the triumphs of the hero. It is embellished with figures of speech such as Upamā, Rūpaka, Utprekṣā, Arthāntaranyāsa, etc. in the poetic portion of the work. The principal sentiment is that of renunciation and quietude, although in some cantos the sentiments of Śṛngāra, Vīra, Karuna, Hasya, Bībhatsa and Adbhuta, are portrayed. The style of the work is, on the whole, fluent and in descriptive passages only reveals long compounds. In short, the Paümacariya may be rightly and justly described as partly exhibiting the features of a Purana and partly of a mahākāvya. A modern scholar describes it as a 'Dharmakavya'. (ii) THE TITLE PAÜMACARIYA
The present work is known as Paümacariya. The poet mentions this title in his work, not always but frequently10. The title means 'The Life of Padma' (another name for Rama). Rāma was so called because he was 'Paümuppaladalaccho' (possessed of eyes as the petals of a lotus) and "Viyasiya-vara-paumasarisamuham' (having a face like an excellent blooming lotus)". In the course of the work the poet often refers to Paüma as Rāma, Rāhava, Rāmadeva, Sīri, Halahara, etc. It is, therefore, obvious that the various names Rāhavacariya,