Studies in Jain Literature

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

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STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE
cannot allow such atmosphere to colour his poem. He simply omits all these legends and avatāra-kathās that have no essential connection with the story of Rāma. In certain cases he modifies the legends to suit Jain atmosphere, e.g., the story of Sagara and his 60000 sons. He speaks of the Vedas and animal sacrifices but only to criticise them. (f) Creating of Jain atmosphere in its place :
Having purged the Rāma-story of its Brahmanical atmosphere, he sets himself to create Jain atmosphere by introducing various upākhyānas such as those of Vajrakarna, Kapila etc., which show the importance of Jainism, by adding at appropriate places the sermons of Jain munis, by explaining the duties of a Jain householder and a monk, by making the main characters of the stories devout followers of Jainism, by describing the existence of Jina shrines at almost all the places and their worship, eulogising the Tirthankaras etc., by giving the stories of the previous existences of the heroes as is done in all the narrative poems of the Jains, by describing Jain festivals such as Astāhnika-Pūjā, by emphasizing the Law of Karma and denouncing the entertaining of nidāna, by portraying the kings as pious Jains who in their old age retire from the world and become Jain monks, and so on. (g) Propagagation of the special doctrines of Jainism.
"The Rāmāyana in India is not—and never will be, let us hope-a dead mythology. It is full of the noblest examples of virtue and truth, of devotion and self-sacrifice. Its characters have been for centuries, and still are, living forces moulding the actions and aspirations of the men and women of India20". Now long before Vimala flourished, the Rāma story of Vālmīki was immensely popular. Vimala thought that this story would provide an excellent means for reaching the popular thought and propagating Jain views, ideals and doctrines. With this thought he modified the story of Rāma to suit the Jain view of life. Through this story he teaches the Jain ethics, especially emphasizing the doctrine of ahimsā, and recommends the reader to take up to asceticism as a sovereign remedy against all ills of saṁsāra. He exhorts his reader or hearer to keep moksa as his highest goal. He fully explains the working of the all-powerful and inexorable law of karma and illustrates it with a number of stories. He incidentally points out to us how nidāna, a special phase of the law of Karma, is a cause of bondage in this samsāra. He sings the glory of virtues like nonviolence, truthfulness etc., and depicts the evil consequences of harassing or molesting a Jain monk or nun. In one word, Vimala presses into service this popular story of Rāma for propagating the tenets of Jainism.