The famous epic #Ramayan is written by many authors, original believed to be written by Sage Valmiki. There are over 300 versions in India alone, apart from foreign versions. And there are differences in each. Lets have a look at what's in the #Jain Ramayan. #Thread
Ramayan is composed by dozens of Jain authors from all over India not just in Sanskrit, Prakrit & Apabhramsha but also in several vernacular languages such as Kannada, Gujarati & Hindi. The fascinating feature of the #Jain versions of Ramayana is the treatment of Ravan. (2)
Ravan was a very powerful Vidhyadhar (humans who possesed extraordinary powers) king. He was an Ardha Chakri, one who ruled the 3 khands of Bharat kshetra. His capital was at Lanka located on Triktuchal mountain on Rakshas island in Lavan ocean of Jambudweep. (3)
Ravan belonged to the "Rakshas" varna (lineage) which did not mean that he was a demon, he was rather a shalaka purush one of the most handsome & powerful king of this Avsarpini era. He was a king of the Rakshas dynasty, a kingdom of civilized & vegetarian people. (4)
Sita is the daughter of Ravan & Mandodari. Vanaras were humans not monkeys, belonging to a dynasty whose emblem was monkey. Ravan is to be reborn as one of the 24 future Tirthankars. Ramayana happened appx 9 lakh years ago during the time of 20th Tirthankar Munisuvrat Swami. (5)
Ram the hero of Ramayan is described in #Jain scriptures as one of 63 illustrious persons, known as Trishasti Salakapurusa which includes 9 sets of Balabhadra,Vasudev & Prati-Vasudev. Ram was the 8th Balabhadra with Lakshman as Vasudev & Ravan as his counterpart Prati-Vasudev (6)
This detail is important because it is meant to present Ram as the ideal #Jain hero, who has forsaken violence & at the end of his life, becomes a Jain monk & attains Moksh. He is the evolved soul who has conquered his passions in what is his last birth. (7)
Ravan is killed by Lakshman,not Ram and both go to hell. They don’t attain liberation until they have undergone many more births & deaths. Ram on the other hand becomes a Jain monk, attains Kevalgyan & attains Moksh. Sita becomes a Jain nun & is reborn into Devlok as an Indra (8)
1st century AD 'Paumacharia' written by Acharya Vimalsuri in Prakrit is the earliest extant non-canonical #Jain literary work and one of the most important & influential #Jain stories of Ram. Vimalasuri ji claims Ramayana of Valmiki is filled with illogical & false stories. (9)
He says at that time when the kingdom was ruled by King Shrenik (Bimbisara) who doubted the authenticity of the existing version of the Ramayan & asked for the correct version, Lord Mahavir retold the story of the real Ramayan which eventually became the 'Paumachariya'. (10)
'Padmapurana' was written in 7th century by Acharya Ravisena in Sanskrit. He belonged to the Digambara sect of #Jainism and hence removes almost every Shwetambara elements that was present in the tale. (11)
The Classical Kannada versions of the Ramayana - 'Pampa Ramayan' or 'Ramachandra Charitra Purana' written by Poet Nagachandra ie Abhinava Pampa in 12th century. 'Kumudendu Ramayana' was written in 13th or 16th century. 'Kumara-Valmiki Torave Ramayana' written in 16th century (12)
The story of Rama in #Jainism can be broadly classified into 3 groups
- Vimalsuri's version
- Samghadasa's version
- Gunabhadra's version (13)
VIMALSURI VERSION
In Prakrit:
▫️Paumchariya by Vimalsuri
▫️Chaupannamahapurusa by Shilankacharya
▫️Dhurtakhyana by Haribhadra
Khavali by Bhadreshvara
In Sanskrit:
▫️Padmapurana by Ravisena
▫️Trishashtisalakapurush by Hemachandra
In Apabhramsha:
▫️Paumachariya by Svayambhu (14)
GUNABHADRA VERSION:
▫️ Uttarapurana (9th CE) by Gunabhadra in Sanskrit
▫️ Punyachandrodaya by Krishna in Sanskrit
▫️Mahapurana by Pushpadanta in Apabhramsha
SAMGHADASA VERSION
▫️Vasudevahindi (3rd CE) by Samghadasa Gani in Prakrit
▫️Kathakosha by Harisena in Prakrit (15)
Some of the later works mentioning the story of Ram -
🔹Ramayana of Jinadasa (15th century CE)
🔹Ramacharitra of Padmadevavijaya Gani (16th century CE)
🔹Ramacharitra of Somadeva Suri (16th century CE)
🔹Laghu-Trishashtisalakapurusha Charitra of Somaprabha (15th century CE) (16)
🔹Padmapurana of Raidhu in Apbhramsha (15th century CE)
🔹Padma-Ramayana of Nagchandra in Kannada (11th century CE)
🔹Ramacharita of Devavijayaganir (1596 CE)
🔹Laghu-Trishashtisakalapurusha Charitra of Meghvijaya (17th century CE) (17)
Rooted in #Jain values & its ethos of non-violence & Karma, versions of Jain Ramayan hv a different perspective or take on the great epic. It also underscores the draw of this great epic across faiths & across time. Whichever version, the moral is Victory of Good over Evil. (18)
As explained, there are different versions of #Jain Ramayan, oldest version Paumachariya mentions that Sita was the real daughter of King Janak. Ravan loved her but as his daughter. But later versions of Gunabhadra & Samghadasa mention her as daughter of Ravan & Mandodari. (19)
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A #Jain monk from #Gujarat Munishree Ajitchandra Sagar, just 34 years of age will attempt 'Sahastravdhaan' on 1st May 2024 at NSCI Stadium, Worli, Mumbai, #Maharashtra
What is Shahastravdhaan?
Shahastra (1000)+Avdhaan (memory)
#Thread
He will be asked 1,000 questions that he will attempt answering in sequence - from first to last!
The variety of questions will include tricky Maths & Science Q&A, passages from Jain scriptures, Bhagavad Gita, quotes, poems etc. (2)
Apart from this, 15 processes will happen simultaneously around him. Like, he will have to remember the times the bell rang for a specific Avdhaan, touch of cowries to his hand or leg, touching marbles in a basket without seeing it, photo memory etc (3)
All were Brahmins & took monk initiation under Lord Mahavir & followed Jain dharma
#Thread 👇🏼
All 11 were profound scholars of philosophy. All had their own secular beliefs regarding the soul, the divine, heaven, hell, salvation, sin, virtue etc. Hence before taking initiation they solved their doubts with Lord Mahavir & on being satisfied took initiation from him (2)
11 Ganadhars & their Doubts:
1) Indrabhuti: Existence of Soul? 2) Agnibhuti: On Karma? 3) Vayubhuti: The body is Jiva or different from Jiva? 4) Vyakta: Five material elements are real or unreal? 5) Sudharmā: If Jiva will be of the same kind or different in next birth? (3)
'Shree Vardhaman Shakrastav Stotra' is a collection of 273 Adjectives that emerged spontaneously from the heart of Shakrendra (Indra) Maharaja when he comes to know of Tirthankar's birth.
Sharing some interesting Adjectives in this #Thread 👇🏼
This stotra was virtually gifted by Shakrendra to Acharya Siddhasen Divakar Surishwarji in the 5th century CE for benefit of mankind. It was lost in the passage of time & rediscovered by Shri Chinubhai Ratilal Doshi from the Ancient Gyan Bhandar in Kavi #Jain Tirth, #Gujarat
3. The word SHAKRASTAV means 'Shakra' (Shakrendra, ruler of 64 Indras of Heaven)+'Stav' (Stavan/hymns) in praise of Lord. The 273 Adjectives are divided into 11 paragraphs known as ‘Alavas’
Who laid 78000 Gold coins to buy 4 yards of land to cremate the bodies of #Sikh Guru Gobind Singh's 2 sons & his mother in 1704 CE; who were executed & denied last rites as they refused to convert into #Islam
#Thread
Seth Todarmal was born in an Oswal #Jain Shwetambar family in Punjab (exact city vary in diff sources) & his ancestors were wealthy Traders. In 1630CE, Emperor Shah Jahan promoted him to the post of Diwan-cum-Faujdar in Sirhind, Punjab. (A biopic on him was released in 2023). (2)
In 1658, as soon as Aurangzeb got the throne, he replaced all the bureaucrats with Muslims. He dismissed Diwan Todarmal & appointed Wazir Khan. Hence, Todarmalji stayed in his Jahazi Haveli at Sirhind & continued his business. (3)
#Thread on #Saraswati mata - the Goddess of Knowledge
Also known as Shrut devi/Jinvani mata in #Jainism
Oldest idol of Saraswati (132CE) with an inscription was excavated from Jain Stupa @ Kankali Tila, Mathura #UP. Donated by a Jain metal worker. She holds Jinagam & a mala (1)
10th Century idol of #Jain Saraswati Devi with Tirthankar on top from Pallu, Bikaner, #Rajasthan. Currently on display at Ajmer Museum. The iconography shows Kamandal, mala and Jinagam in her hands (2)
#Jain Saraswati dated 1010CE discovered from excavation at Bir Chhabili Tila, Fatehpur Sikri, #UttarPradesh. The idol is in Tribhanga posture with 2 Jina idols sitting on both sides at the top (3)
He was born in 1782, to Seth Amin Chand & Roopa Bai at Bombay. Amin Chand had migrated from Khambat to Bombay in 1758 at the age of 13 where he started jewellery business. There he built a griha jinalay.
#Thread #SundaySpecial
But when he died, the family was left behind in a critical financial condition. His eldest son Nemi Chand started brokerage & paid off father's debts but died young at 31. Within 5 years Motichand developed business to great heights & became a millionaire (2)
His business ventures spread far & wide. He slowly acquired a fleet of 40 ships operating from China to Bahrain. He, thus, broke the monopoly of the British & became a shipping magnate. His reputation spread to Arab countries, to Java-Sumatra, China & Sri Lanka (3)