Is there jain ramayan
Yes, there is a Jain Ramayan (often called Jain Ramayana).
In Jain tradition, the story of Rama is told in a distinctly Jain way, mainly in texts like:
- Paumacariya / Paumachariyam (Prakrit) by Acharya Vimalasuri
- Padmapurana (Sanskrit) by Acharya Ravisena (Digambar tradition)
- Rama sections in Trishashti Shalaka Purush Charitra by Acharya Hemachandra (Shwetambar tradition)
Key Jain differences from the usual (Hindu) Ramayan:
- Rama is not an avatar of Vishnu
- He is known as Padma (Padmaja). - He is one of the 63 Shalaka Purush (great personages) in Jain universal history. - He is a great but ordinary soul bound by karma, who later walks on the path to moksha.
- Lakshmana kills Ravana, not Rama
- Because a future-liberated or highly pure soul (like Rama/Padma) should not be the direct killer. - This matches Jain stress on ahimsa and karmic responsibility.
- End of the story
- After the worldly story, Rama renounces, becomes a Jain muni, and finally attains liberation. - The focus is on non‑violence, renunciation, and karma, not on devotion to a god-incarnation.
- Digambar–Shwetambar
- Both accept Rama/Padma and Lakshmana in the Ramayan story and as Shalaka Purush. - Details and style may differ, but the main points above are common.
If you’d like to read more in simple language, you can see an explanation of Jain Ramayan here: