Answer

In Paumachariyu also known as Paumacariya, the Jain Ramayana composed by Acharya Vimalasuri, the war with Ravana is described differently from the popular Hindu Ramayana tradition.

The most important difference is:

• Rama does not kill Ravana.
• Lakshmana kills Ravana.
• Rama remains closer to the Jain ideal of a noble, restrained, non-violent hero.
• Ravana is not shown as a simple demon, but as a powerful, learned, and complex Vidyadhara king who falls because of passion, pride, and attachment.

Explanation

In the Jain Paumachariyu, Rama is called Padma or Pauma. The story follows the broad structure of the Ramayana, but it is explained according to Jain values and Jain cosmology.

Background to the War

The war begins because Ravana abducts Sita. However, Jain tradition presents the characters in a more human and karmic way rather than as gods and demons.

• Ravana is the ruler of Lanka and belongs to the Vidyadhara world.
• He is powerful, proud, and skilled in many arts and sciences.
• His downfall comes from uncontrolled desire and ego.
• Rama and Lakshmana gather allies and march against Lanka to rescue Sita.

Nature of the War

The war is described as a large royal and heroic battle between the forces of Rama and Ravana.

Important features include:

• There are many warriors on both sides.
• Ravana’s side includes powerful Vidyadhara warriors.
• Rama’s allies are also powerful kings and heroes, not merely animals in the ordinary sense.
• The battle is not presented as a simple fight between divine good and demonic evil, but as a karmic conflict caused by passions.

In Jain retellings, many supernatural elements are reinterpreted in a way consistent with Jain worldview. The so-called vanaras are generally understood as powerful beings or clans associated with monkey emblems, not ordinary monkeys.

Who Kills Ravana?

The central Jain difference is that Lakshmana kills Ravana.

In Jain universal history, Rama, Lakshmana, and Ravana correspond to the triad:

• Rama – Baladeva or Balabhadra
• Lakshmana – Vasudeva
• Ravana – Prativasudeva

According to Jain tradition:

• The Vasudeva is the active warrior hero.
• The Prativasudeva is the opposing powerful ruler.
• The Vasudeva kills the Prativasudeva.

Therefore, Lakshmana, as the Vasudeva, kills Ravana. Rama, as the Baladeva, does not personally perform the violent act of killing Ravana.

Meaning of Ravana’s Defeat

Ravana’s defeat is not merely political. Spiritually, it shows the destruction caused by:

• Kāma – uncontrolled desire
• Māna – pride
• Moha – delusion and attachment
• Rāga – passionate attachment

Ravana is great in power and knowledge, but his inner passions defeat him before Lakshmana defeats him in battle.

After the War

After Ravana is killed:

• Sita is rescued.
• Rama’s honor is restored.
• The story continues with Jain ethical and karmic consequences.
• Eventually, Rama renounces worldly life and moves toward spiritual liberation.

A very important Jain teaching is that violence, even when done in a heroic or royal context, has karmic consequences. Since Lakshmana kills Ravana, he bears the karmic result of violence. Rama, who avoids the final act of killing, is spiritually different in destiny.

Spiritual Understanding

The Ravana war in Paumachariyu teaches that the real enemy is not only outside but inside.

Ravana represents the danger of allowing knowledge and power to be controlled by passion. Even a mighty ruler can fall when he loses self-restraint.

Rama represents dignity, restraint, and dharmic conduct. Lakshmana represents heroic action, but also shows that violent action binds karma, even when it appears justified in worldly terms.

Takeaway

In Paumachariyu, the Ravana war is not simply a tale of victory over an evil demon. It is a Jain teaching on karma, restraint, passion, violence, and spiritual responsibility. The key Jain distinction is that Lakshmana kills Ravana, not Rama, preserving Rama’s role as a noble Baladeva who ultimately moves toward renunciation and liberation.