Essay name: Paumacariya (critical study)
Author:
K. R. Chandra
Affiliation: Research institute of Prakrit, Jainology and Ahimsa Vaishali
This is a critical study of the Paumacariya: the earliest Jain version of Rama's life story, written in Prakrit by Vimalasuri dating to the 4th century AD. In this text, Rama (referred to as Padma) is depicted with lotus-like eyes and a blooming face. The Paumacariya places emphasis on the human aspects of characters rooted in Jain values, contrasting with the divine portrayal in Valmiki鈥檚 version.
Page 177 of: Paumacariya (critical study)
177 (of 671)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
148
A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYA峁�
Sagara (the cousin brother of Ajitasv膩min and the second
Cakravartin) had sixty-four thousand wives and sixty thousand sons.
Once his sons went to the A峁ａ弓膩pada mountain on a pilgrimage and on
being advised by the ministers, they dug a ditch around the mountain
and got it filled up with the waters of the Ganges for the protection
of the shrines situated on the mountain. At this the lord of the
N膩gas bit all of them except Bhima and Bhagiratha. When their
brothers were dead, Bhima and Bhagiratha returned to S膩ketapuri.
The ministers prevented them from reporting the news to Sagara and
themselves first explained to Sagara the ephemeral nature of the
world and then broke the sad news. At this Sagara bewailed and
after having enthroned Bhagiratha, the son of Jahnav墨, he renounced
the world and in due course attained emancipation.
The Uttaradhyayana (18.35), and the Tiloyapa峁囜箛atti (4. 515) refer
to Sagara as the second Cakravartin.
The PCR (5. 247-283) mentions 96000 wives of Sagara. There is
no reference to the advice of the ministers to dig the ditch. The
HVPJ (13. 27-30) merely refers to the burning of the sons of Sagara.
The PCS (5. 10-14) states that Bhagiratha took intiative in digging
the moat.
The Vasudevahi峁囜笉墨 (I. 300-305) and the commentary of Devendra-
ga峁嚹� on the Uttar膩dhyayana mention that at the advice of Jahnu, the
moat was dug. At that time the N膩gar膩ja was pacified. Then the
Ganges was diverted to the moat. This caused hostility with the
N膩gar膩ja ferocious sight burnt the sons of Sagara to ashes. A Br膩h min
is said to have tried to save Sagara from being afflicted with grief.
He went to Sagara with the corpse of his son and requested him to
cure his deceased son. Sagara called for a physician who demanded
the ash from such a house where no one had died so far. At this
Instantly the news of the
demand Sagara realised the law of Karma.
death of his sons was disclosed to him. Further it is stated that the
waters of the Ganges over-flew the ditch and caused peril to the people.
Bhagiratha, the grandson of Sagara then diverted the Ganges towards
the eastern ocean. Thus the river was first called as Jahnavi and
afterwards as Bh膩g墨rathi. The TSP (II p. 33f) agrees with this
account except that the Brahmin went to Sagara with a corpse and
asked him to bring, as promised by a deity, the fire from a house where
no one had died so far so that the dead could be revitalised.
The Uttarapur膩峁嘺 (ch. 48) and the MP (39) narrate that Mah膩-
bala and Manicula (as celestial beings) had decided mutually to enligh-
ten one another whoever was born first in the mortal world. Mah膩-
bala was born as Sagara. Manicula then twice tried to enlighten
