Book Review – The Illustrated Manuscript of Jaina Ramayana

Summary

The article is a book review of "The Illustrated Manuscript of Jaina Ramayana" by Muni Kesaraj and Shri Dev Kumar (Arrah, 1991). It provides background about the figure of Rama, his origin in the Solar race of ancient Indian Kshatriyas, and his qualities, as recorded in the Valmiki Ramayana. The review notes that Rama's story is part of multiple religious traditions; he is revered not only in the Brahmanical tradition but also in Sramanic traditions, including Jainism. Over two millennia, Rama's story spread throughout India and into Southeast Asia, influencing art, literature and folklore. In the Brahmanical tradition, the growth of Vaishnavism led to Rama being regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu. Jain and Buddhist versions also exist; the Buddhist version depicts Rama as a Bodhisattva and Sita as his sister. Jainism has a long literary tradition around Rama; the earliest Jaina version is Vimala-suri’s Pauma-cariu (c. 3rd century CE), written to present a true account from the Jaina perspective and to correct misconceptions caused by the Brahmanical Ramayana. Later Jaina works, such as Gunabhadra’s Uttara-purana and Apabhramsa, Kannada and Sanskrit Mahapuranas by Puṣpadanta, Camuṇḍaraya and Mallisena, drew on this tradition. The review lists distinctive features of the Jaina Ramayana: Rama is a descendant of Rishabha, all major characters are Jains, Rama avoids hunting and meat-eating, and Ravana and his followers are depicted as civilized vidyadharas rather than demons. Lakshmana, not Rama, kills Ravana; Sita is portrayed as Ravana's daughter raised by Janaka; and Lakshmana and Rama both marry multiple women during exile. The Jaina version includes episodes like the Candrahāsa sword, the killing of Sambuka and Sita’s asceticism. The article notes that these elements influenced many regional Ramayanas in India and Southeast Asia. The review stresses that a vast corpus of Jaina literature (over 250 works) on the Rama story exists across Prakrit, Sanskrit, Apabhramsa, Hindi, Kannada, Tamil, Gujarati, Marathi and Urdu, enabling comparative studies. The book under review contains illustrations from a 19th-century Marwar school manuscript and is praised for its vivid colour schemes and variety of artistic influences, including elements from Jaipur, Mughal and Western art. Some figures are vivid, others wooden, but the paintings enhance the publication and offer material for specialised study. The review emphasises that the Jaina Ramayana presents a non-violent, ascetic ethos and stands as a unique narrative that shaped broader Indian and Southeast Asian Ramayana traditions.