जैन साहित्य में रामकथा
By Alok Kumar Mishra
Summary
This article examines the Ramayana narrative within Jain literature, highlighting its significance and distinct variations from the Valmiki Ramayana. It notes that while the Ramayana story is central to Indian culture, Jain traditions have also produced a vast and ancient body of Ramayana literature across languages like Prakrit, Sanskrit, Kannada, and Apabhramsha. Key Jain texts include Vimalasuri's Paumachariu, Ravishena's Padmapurana, and Gunabhadra's Uttarapurana. The article details several differences in the Jain version. For instance, in the Uttarapurana, Rama and Lakshmana are born in Varanasi to King Dasharatha and queens Subala and Kaikeyi, respectively, later moving to Ayodhya. Rama's mother is named Aparajita, not Kaushalya. The marriage of Rama and Sita is depicted as a strategic alliance to protect King Janaka's sacrifice from Ravana. The exile is prompted by Queen Kaikeyi's demand, which Rama accepts. Sita's abduction involves a magical deer and Ravana assuming Rama's form. Hanuman is a Vidhyadhara (a celestial being) who uses magic to assume a monkey form. The war concludes with Lakshmana, not Rama, killing Ravana using Ravana's own chakra. After his reign, Rama, grieving Lakshmana's death, renounces his kingdom, takes up asceticism, and attains liberation (moksha). The article concludes that while the core characters and story remain, Jain adaptations incorporate distinct theological and narrative elements.
Conclusion
This study confirms that the Ramayana narrative is not monolithic but has been adapted across India’s religious traditions, with Jain literature offering a distinct and equally rich version. The key implication is that Jain texts systematically recontextualize the epic to align with their own doctrinal principles, altering details of birth, marriage, and key events like Sita’s abduction and Ravana’s death. The outcome is a parallel Ramayana tradition that preserves the core story while asserting Jain ethical and philosophical values, demonstrating the narrative’s flexibility and deep cultural integration. This highlights the importance of including Jain sources in broader Ramayana studies to fully understand the epic’s diverse legacy.