The story of Ramayana has been dominating the Indian religious scene from the time immemorial. After the composition of the story by the great sage Valmiki in the form of Ramayana, there had been a great boost in its popularity, which very much impressed the masses in general. Soon the story was patronized in regional languages by the local authors but there was no dearth of the literature in Prakrt as well. In due course of time the story was patronoised in Jainism. The first creation of the story in Jainism was in Prakrt by Vimala Suri under the title of Paumacarya by about the 1st century A.D., flowed by Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa in the start of the seventh century A.D. While avisenacarya composed Padma Purana also known as Padmacarita in Sanskrit by about the close of the seventh century A.D. thereafter several works on the Ramayana were created in Jainism. The present Padma Purana of Ravisenacarya is the unique work of its kind and comes under the category of the mahakavyas. It has the style of its own and is beyond comparison, though there are several deviations in the story as compared to the story of Valmiki. In this work Rama, Laksmana and Sita besides other characters have been projected as the followers of Jina dharma, who perform vratas prescribed in Jainism, adiore the Jina ascetics, Jina images, Jina temples and even build the Jina temples and finally achieve Jina-diksa. More than the story of Rama, the work lays emphasis on following the Jina dharma and highlights the merits one earns by doing so. Though Rama and Laksmana are claimed to have all the virtues, but they are not devoted to one wife. Both Rama and Laksmana are said to have thousands of wives and so is the case with Hanuman. Though the poet has all praise for Rama, Laksmana, Hanuman and others, but their innumerable marriages place them at a lower pedestal in the matter of glory as compared to their portrayal by the sage Valmiki. But in spite of all this, the work is of excellent nature and it appears that the poet has minutely analysed event the smallest events quite lively and gracefully. The English version of the work has been produced with utmost care and is likely to interest the readers. Inspite of the best efforts made in maintaining the true spirit of the composer of the work by its Author, in rendering it into English, but same omissions and commissions can not be completely ruled out. I believe that the learned readers will kindly ignore such omissions. |
