Thread by @Jainismrevival

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)