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IMPACT OF RĀMĀYAŅA ON JAIN LITERATURE
Vālmīki's Rāmāyana (VR) has exercised profound influence on literature of India for more than 2000 years. This literature covers Purānas, Poetry, Drama, Campū, Kathās, etc; it also covers the Jain and the Buddhist literature in Sanskrit, Pali, Prakrit, Apabhraíśa or modern Indian languages in its different stages. This paper confines itself to a very general study of the various Jain versions in Sanskrit, Prakrit and Apabhraṁsa languages vis-a-vis Vālmīki's Rāmāyana.
In the canonical literature of the Jains we do not find the story of Rāma recorded anywhere although the story of Krsna who lived centuries after Rāma, according to the Jains themselves, occurs in one of the sacred texts (Amtagadadasāo by name). The Nandi and the Anyogadvāra Sūtra texts which form part of the Jain Canon, mention Bhārata and Rāmāyana but they refer to the great epics of the Hindus and not to any Jain Mahābhārata or Rāmāyana.
Having regard to the tremendous popularity of VR, Vimalasūri most probably thought of writing a poem of his own, which was to serve his coreligionists as a complete substitute for the great epic-(Rāmāyaṇa). He named his poem as Paümacariya (Padmacarita) (4th Century A. D.) It partly agrees with VR. He claims that he has followed the Jain tradition in narrating Rāma's story.
1. In the Paümacariya Vimala pointedly refers to some of the absurd and incredible elements in the popular Rāma stories (he has in mind mainly Vālmīki's Rāmāyana) “How is it possible that the demon heroes were defeated by the Vānaras (monkeys) ? And, how is it that Rävana and other demons, nobly born, are described as meat-eaters? And again, how is it that Kumbhakarna is said to have slept for half a year in spite of all the disturbances and then after waking up devoured elephants and the like and again slept for half a year ? And once again how is it that Indra, who rules over gods and men is described to have been taken captive to Lańkā by Rāvana ? At that rate we might as well aver that the lion is overcome by the deer, the elephant by the dog. These Rāmāyana stories are nothing but white lies !1"
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