History of Classical Sanskrit Literature c19.s6.4

c19.s6.4

"Padmapurāṇa is the earliest complete Jain version of the Rāmāyaṇa unless the Prakrit work Paumachariya of Vimala Suri and another work of the same name by Svayambhūdeva which are said to bear on the same subject, really prove to be works of an earlier date, as is alleged. Later writers have all based their works dealing with this subject, on the book of Ravisenacharya. The incidents related in Padma-purana are said to have occurred during the period (Tirtha) of Santinatha, the 16th Tirthamkara. The story of Rama as narrated here differs in many material points from that of the Ramayana of Valmiki. Rama and Ravana are both claimed here to have followed Jain religion. Lakshmana is stated not to have been a full brother of Satrughna, but son of a fourth wife of Dasaratha, Suprabha by name. Sita was born from the human womb of the queen of Videha, Dasaratha did not die on account of the banishment of Rama; he is represented to have become disgusted with the ways of the world and he retired to the forest to practise penance. Bali, Sugriva and Hanuman were not of any monkey race, but were powerful rulers of the forest regions. Rama never killed Bali. The latter of his free will relinquished the throne in favour of his younger brother Sugriva and himself became an ascetic. Ravana was not a Brahmana, but a Kshatriya, and met his death not at the hands of Rama but those of his younger brother Lakshmana. The latter recovered from the effects of Ravana's Sakti not by life giving drug but by the presence of a virtuous lady Visalya, who afterwards became his wife. These are some of the points of difference. A comparative and critical study of the whole will be interesting."¹