jain ramayan by shri priyadarshan
“Jain Ramayan” by Shri Priyadarshan is a Jain retelling of the Ramayan story in line with authentic Jain śāsan.
Key points in very simple form:
- “Shri Priyadarshan” is the literary name of
Āchārya Vijay Bhadraguptsurishwarji Maharaj (a Jain Āchārya).
- The work is based on
Trishashti-śalākā-puruṣa-charitra of Āchārya Hemachandrasuriji, where Rām is known as
Padma and counted among the
63 śalākā-puruṣ.
- It is written in
English.
- It comes in
three parts: Jain Ramayan Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
- What is special / Jain viewpoint
- This is
not a story of Viṣṇu’s avatār, but of
Padma (Rām) as a great human soul in Jain universal history.
-
Lakshman (not Rām) is generally described as the one who kills Rāvaṇ, to keep Rām away from direct hiṁsā and protect the ideal of
ahiṁsā.
- In the end, Rām/Padma
renounces the world, becomes a
Jain muni, and attains
moksha – this is the core Jain emphasis.
- The whole novel highlights Jain values:
ahiṁsā (non‑violence), satya, brahmacharya, aparigraha, karma theory, and renunciation.
- How it differs from the popular (Hindu) Ramayan
- No concept of God’s “incarnation”; all are
souls bound by karma.
- Strong stress on
vairāgya (detachment) and
sādhanā leading to liberation.
- The story of Sītā, Rām and Rāvaṇ is used mainly to teach
moral and spiritual lessons in Jain dṛṣṭi.
- Commonly found in
Jain sangh libraries and
Jain study circles (especially English sections).
- Many Jain bookshops and trusts (especially in Gujarat and Mumbai) keep the three‑part English set.
- You can also ask your local Jain temple library for “Jain Ramayan – Part 1/2/3 – Shri Priyadarshan (English)”.
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