Collected Research Papers in Prakrit and Jainology Vol 02

SR No.: 007665
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Nalini Joshi
Publisher: University of Pune
Publication Year: 2013
Total Pages: 170
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 2 MB

Page 27

(1) Daśaratha and his sons
According to Paumacariya, Dasaratha was a king of Säketa or Ayodhyä. He has four sons.
Padma from Aparājitā, Laksmana from Sumitrā and Bharata - Strughna from Kaikeyi.22 According to Uttarapurāna, at first, Dasaratha was ruling at Vāranasi. Rāma or Balabhadra was born in Vārāṇasī. Rāma's mother was Subālā. Afterwards Dasaratha transferred his capital to Ayodhyā.
One of his queen gave birth to Laksmana and the other to Satrughna.43 Trisastismrtiśāstra
mentions four queens and four sons of Dasaratha. 24 In Dasaratha Jātaka, Dasaratha was ruling at Vārāṇasi. He has 16,000 queens. His chief queen gave birth to Rāma-pandita, Laksmana-kumāra
and Sītā-devi.29 There is no mention of Bharata - Satrughna.
(2) Birth of Sīta Paumacariya mentions that king Janaka's wife Videhā gave birth to a twin, Sītā and Bhāmandala. A Vidyadhara abducted Bhāmandala. In course of time he was infatuated with Sītā. After knowing
the reality, he became a monk.20 According to Uttarapurāņa, Sītā was an offspring of Rāvana and Mandodari. A fortune-teller declares the female child as unlucky and Rāvana abandons Sītā. Mārica keeps her in a box and buries underground at Mithilā, with ample wealth in the box. Some
farmers find her and handover the child to Janaka and Vasudha.
(3) Svayamvara of Sītā
In Paumacariya, Janaka seeks help of Padma and Laksmana against Mlecchas. He
decides to give Sītā to Padma, a valiant warrior. Afterwards he arranges the Svayamvara. 20 We do not find reference of Rāvana in this context. In Uttarapurāņa the episode of Svayamvara is totally dropped.
(4) Kaikeyi and her demands
In Paumacariya, Dasaratha declares his decision of renunciation and decision of the consecration of Padma. Bharata decides to follow the path of Liberation. Kaikeyi demands her boon which was kept previously with Dasaratha. She wants her son to be a king for engaging him in worldly life. Padma spontaneously declares his decision to go in forest. The span of fourteen years is not mentioned. 29
The account of Kaikeyi's demands is totally dropped in Uttarapurāna. Dasaratha sends
Rāma and Laksmana to Vārāṇasi. Rāma became king and Laksmana, a crowned prince.
However, It is very surprising that in Vasudevahindi, (6 Century A.D.) Samghadāsagani follows Vālmīki in this whole account of fourteen-years' forest-wanderings of Rāma.
In Dasaratha Jātaka, Kaikeyi demands royal throne for Bharata. Dasaratha accepts her demands, but comments on the deceitful and jealous nature of women and sends Rāma to forest.