Studies in Jain Literature

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

Page 45

ORIGIN OF THE STORY OF RĀMA IN JAIN LITERATURE
I. THE DIFFERENT JAIN FORMS OF THE STORY OF RĀMA : THEIR
INTERRELATION
Among the various Jain adaptations of the Rāma legend Vimala's Paümacariya stands, chronologically speaking, first. The study of the different Jain Rāmāyaṇas clearly reveals that Ravişeņa, Svayambhū, śīlācārya, Bhadreśvara, Hemacandra and Dhaneśvara, follow Vimala. Ravisena does not state that his Padmapurāna is based on Vimala's Paümacariya. A comparative study of the two versions establishes firmly that Ravisena is heavily indebted to Vimala. Svayambhū expressly states to have followed Ravisena in composing his Paümacariya. At the end of his version of the Rāma story Silācārya states : "Thus is narrated in brief the life history of Rāma and Laksmana which is described at length in works like the Paümacariya”. From this statement it follows that he has used Vimala's work in preparing his abridged version. Bhadreśvara does not indicate his source but the study of his Rāmāyana version proves beyond any shadow of doubt that he adopts the story of Rāma as given by Vimala and frequently also borrows phrases and lines from him. Hemacandra does not care to mention his source for his two Rāmāyana versions-one found in his Yogaśästra-svopajña-vrtti and the other in his Trisastiśalākāpurusacarita. We have already established by undertaking a comparative study that Hemacandra has based his version mainly on Vimala. Dhaneśvara's version too closely follows the tradition represented by Vimala. Incidentally, we also find that Devavijaya himself says that he is following Hemacandra. Meghavijaya's Laghu-Trişasti is an abridged version of Hemacandra's Trisastiśalākāpurusacarita.
Guņabhadra's version which is largely dependent on Vālmīki contains some features which have their parallels in the Daśaratha-Jātaka and the version of Sanghadāsa, and some traits peculiar to the Jaina forms of the Rāma legend, and this conglomeration of different elements gives Guņabhadra's version a new