Book Title: Studies in Jainism
Author(s): Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta
Publisher: Ramkrishna Mission Institute of Culture Culcutta

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Page 171
________________ 162 STUDIES IN JAINISM him.21 On account of the meritorious deeds of Rāvana in his previous births, he is now enjoying great fame and riches. Vimalasūri sums up the greatness of Rāvana in one word viz., Pravarapuruşa or best of men. We need not grudge him the epithet and all its implications. I have briefly indicated the attitude of Vimalasūri in conceiving the character of Rāvana. He has made him ti noblest of men, a Jaina, and an ideal king. But ever mighty man must die. Here it is that Destiny com play. Vimalasūri makes Rāvana a prativāsudeva, one of the 63 Salaka-purusas. He is doomed to die at the hands of the Vasudeva, his contemporary. In this case Laksmana is the Vasudeva. There must be some cause of embitterment between them. Rāvana's abducting Sita is the incident that brings about his downfall. This was a fact that Rāvana knew full well through the sage Nārada. There was a prophecy, which Vimalasūri has deftly indicated just after descrbing the greatness of Rāvana and his prowess, that Rāvana was fated to die at the hands of Dāśarathi on account of the daughter of Janaka. Rāvana tried to avoid such a death by killing Janaka and Daśaratha before the birth of the persons concerned. But, as his ill-luck would have it, both of them escaped from the hands of Vibhişaņa who had gone to kill them, out of anxiety for his brother's safety. Vibhiş cutting the heads of their waxen images, thought he had actually killed them. Here Destiny deceived Rāvana and was for some time working secretly but surely. There is another point to be noted in this connection. Rāvana died on account of his passion for Sītā. Vimalasūri wanted to illustrate, by means of his characterisation of Rāvana, the disastrous consequences of an unchaste life. One of the five vows of Jainism is Brahmacarya-i.e. chastity. However, good and great a man may be, his life is sure to end in disgrace and misery, if he becomes unchaste at any time. There is no cause for pity in the death of a man habitually unchaste. So Vimalasūri takes care to instil the idea of Rāvana's chastity before he met Sitā. In addition to Mandodari, Rāvana has numerous wives, all legally married. Once, he happened to come in his march over the world as a warrior, to the city of Nalakūbara. Nalakūbara's wife

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