Paumacariya (critical study)
by K. R. Chandra | 1970 | 238,015 words
This is an English 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, contrast...
4. Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara
[Full title: Informative stories; (A) Caritas of Eminent persons; (4) Lord Mahavira, the twenty-fourth Tirthankara]
After having given the contents of the text in the first chapter, the author narrates in brief in the following canto the life of Lord Mahavira and his sojourn at Vipulagiri where his chief disciple Gautama related the Rama-story to king Srenika (2.21-98). Trisala Siddhartha reigned Kundagramapura (also called Kundapura 20.50). His wife Trisala (also called Priyakarini 20.50) gave birth to a son. He was named Mahavira by the Surendras because he had, in his childhood, sportively shaken the Meru mountain with the strike of his toe. At the age of 30, he renounced the world and in due course he attained omniscience. He wandered from place to place delivering sermons in the Ardhamagadhi language (2.34). Once being accompained by the Ganadharas and the Samgha he sojourned on the Vipulagiri (at Rajagrha). On that occasion king Srenika of the Magadha country went there to pay homage to him. Next day the king approached Gautama the chief disciple of Lord Mahavira and requested him to clear off his doubts about the Rama-story. Then Gautama narrated the complete story of Rama to Srenika. At 20.50 it is mentioned that Mahavira attained deliverance at Pava. The Kalpasutra (19-20) refers to Siddhartha as a Jnatra Ksatriya (nayanam khattiyanam) and Trisala as his wife. It mentions Priyakarini and Videhadinna (Su. 109) as other names of Trisala. The Tiloyapannatti (4.549), the Uttara-purana (74.256; 75.8) the Mahapurana (96.6) and the Harivamsha-purana of Jinasenasuri (2.16) refer to the name of the mother of Mahavira as Priyakarini, The Satkhandagama (Vol. IX. p. 119ff) and the Harivamsha-purana of Jinasenasuri (2.18) name her as Trisala also,
INTERVENING STORIES 143 His birth place is mentioned as Khattiyakundaggamanayara in the Kalpasutra (19-20) and as Kundalanayara in the Tiloyapannatti (4.549). The Kalpasutra refers to the transfering of Mahavira's embryo from the womb of Devananda into that of Trisala and the marriage of Mahavira, but the Paumacariya does not refer to them.