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What was Jain ramayana
Jain Ramayana is the Jain version of the Rama story, told in Jain scriptures rather than the Hindu Ramayana. In Jain texts, Rama (often called Padma or Padmaja) is a noble soul who follows ahimsa (non-violence) and ultimately renounces worldly life to attain moksha (liberation). A key feature is that Lakshmana, not Rama, kills Ravana, aligning with Jain ethics and karma. Rama then becomes a muni (ascetic) and reaches liberation. The characters are understood as great souls within Jain cosmology, not as avatars of a god.
Main Jain works that tell the Ramayana tale
- Paumacariya (Paumacariu by Vimalasuri) in Prakrit, the early Jain Ramayana.
- Padmapurana (Padma Purana) in Sanskrit by Raviṣeṇa, a major Digambara retelling.
- Rama cycle is also included in Hemachandra’s Trishashti Shalaka Purusha Charitra (Shvetambara tradition).
Key points to remember
- Rama is a Baladeva (gentle hero) and later becomes a Jain monk.
- Lakshmana defeats Ravana in the Jain versions.
- Sita is portrayed within the Jain ethical framework, with emphasis on spiritual unfoldment rather than divinity.
- These stories appear across Digambara and Śvetāmbara traditions, with some stylistic differences but the same core message of renunciation, right conduct, and ultimate liberation.
