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.

You can read more here