Studies in Jain Literature

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

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STUDIES IN JAIN LITERATURE
century B. C., when Vālmīki is said to have composed his epic, mixed by the ballad-mongers, who invented the story of the abduction of Sītā, or somehow linked the broken chain of a story of some princess who was abducted, fancying her to be Sītā, and thus bridged the gulf betwen the two legends now presented as a homogeneous story, and Vālmīki came latterly as the most eloquent exponent of this mixed story.” We confine our discussion to the so-called Southern Dravidian legend-especially the Jain Rāmāyana of Hemacandra.
Sen holds that "Hemacandra's version of Rāma's story, though comparatively modern, gives us a historical clue to the traditions that were extant in the Deccan in the olden times. At the time when this Jain Rāmāyana was written, Vālmīki's Epic was known and read all over India. So it is but natural that the story as given in the latter is found incorporated in the Jain work. But the striking feature of this book is the elaborate description to be found in it of the dynasties of Raksasas and apes. The story of Rāma is rather short. The descriptions of the Rāksasas and monkeys occupy a very considerable space, and many legends and stories about them are found in it which are not mentioned in the great epic. This shows that in the Dravidian traditions the Rāksasas and monkeys had a far greater hold on popular fancy than the story of Rāma himself. The character of Rāvana as given in this book rises to heights not scaled by the Rāvana of our national magnum opus. The tapasyā or the austerities...undergone by Rāvana show his high character and a majestic command over passions, worthy of a sage, which unmistakably prove him to be the real hero of the Dravidian legend.” Again, "the Jain Rāmāyana begins with the description of the Raksasas and monkeys and introduces Rāma only in the later chapters. This is quite unlike what we find in the great epic. The Rāmāyana, as a matter of course, should give the story of Rāma first. The supposition naturally grows strong that in Southern India the story of Rāvana and of the monkeys had been widely known, and the Northern legend was introduced, later on, as a supplementary story.” Further, Sen corroborates his stand by adducing evidence from the Lankāvatāra-Sūtra, a Buddhist text composed in the second or third century A. D. and the statement of Dharmakīrti who flourished in the 6th Century A. D.
We have quoted the words of Sen in extenso so that the reader should get a complete idea of Sen's view in the matter in his own words. 7. Sen's view regarding the Southern independent Rāvana legend examined
(a) The narrative method : Jain Rāmāyana begins with the description of the Rāksasas and Vānaras and introduces Rāma only in the later chapter; and