Various versions of Jain Ramayana give new insights into the epic, writes Sonal

Srivastava

Sita is Ravana’s daughter according to one version of the Jain Ramayana,” says
Professor Jeevandhar Hotapeti, an expert on Jain philosophy, while addressing a
group of students and young professionals on an interfaith tour organised by the
Foundation for Universal Responsibility of His Holiness The Dalai Lama in
Sravanabelagola.

“In Jain Ramayana, all characters are the same as Valmiki’s Ramayana, but the focus
is on their good qualities,” he adds. Ravana was a Jain bhakta; he didn’t know that
Sita was his daughter when he abducted her. “He got to know of that later from a
rishi,” adds Hotapeti.

There are many versions of Jain Ramayana. The narratives mirror the philosophy and
values held dear by the followers of the religion. They also reflect subtle
philosophical and theological differences between Swetambara and Digambara sects.
Sometimes, the characters transform, exhibiting attributes different from their
depiction in the older narratives dominated by the Vedic-brahminical order. The
poet monks add to the epic — the richness of existing folklore giving new insights
into one of the world’s best classics.

Many Versions
Interestingly, in Jain versions, Rama, Lakshmana and Ravana are followers of
Jainism. Those who have faith in tirthankaras don’t believe in the concept of a
creator and creation, preservation or destruction. Since there isn’t a God who
creates the universe, preserves it and later destroys it, the concept of Rama as an
avatar also doesn’t exist in the Jain versions of the epic.

So, Rama is as human as any other hero in any work of fiction. He renounces his
kingdom to become a monk. In Vimla Suri’s Ramayana, Rama when in exile, married
thrice and Lakshmana 11 times. In the poet’s narrative, Sita eventually becomes a
Jain and goes to heaven.

In Harisena’s Ramayana, Rama asks Sita to go through fire. As Sita enters the fire,
it turns into a placid lake. A hermit appears on the scene and initiates Sita into
Jainism. Also Kaikeyi, one of the villains, is depicted as a generous and
affectionate mother in one version. She wanted to stop Bharata from becoming a
monk, so she wanted to give him the responsibility of running the kingdom. When
Rama got to know of it, he willingly went into exile. The rakshasas, too, are
different in Vimla Suri’s Ramayana; they are not the monsters they were made out to
be in the older versions of the epic. Instead, they are shown as civilised
vegetarians.

Time Cycles
Some Jain poets turn the conventional narrative upside down. For instance, in
Gunabhadra’s Ramayana, Sita was born out of wedlock to Ravana and Mandodari.
Ravana’s queen abandoned the baby in the fields where King Janaka found her and
named her Sita. In different versions of the epic, Ravana is killed by Lakshmana
and not by Rama. Some Jain texts say that Ravana will be one of the 24 tirthankaras
in the next cycle, expected to come around 84,000 years later. Jains believe that
time is divided into infinite, equal kalchakras or time cycles and that these
kalchakras are repeated.

“Whether good or bad, everything revolves around the karma theory,” says Hotapeti
as he leads the group up the stairs to the Bahubali statue. The karma theory is the
mainstay of Jain philosophy and is also reflected in the epic retold by them.