An Old Version of the Jaina Rāmāyaṇa

Introduction The narration of the well-known Rama story which is given in the Vasudevahind (VH), the Kathasaritsägara (KSS), and the Brhatkathamanjar (BKM) shows that the tale was also included in the original Brhat katha of Gunadha which unfortunately no longer exists as an extant work but which was used as source and model for much

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जे. सी. जैन का मत है कि वसुदेवहिण्डी में जैन राम-कथा का प्राचीनतम रूप सुरक्षित है, जो कथासरित्सागर तथा बृहत्कथामंजरी के रूपों से पुराना है और उनके साथ गुणाढ्य की लुप्त बृहत्कथा से निकला है। वे विद्याधर-तत्त्व और वाल्मीकि कथा के रूपान्तरों की चर्चा करते हैं। Jain argues that the Vasudevahindi preserves the oldest Jaina Rama story, older than the versions in the Kathasaritsagara and Brhatkathamanjari and derived with them from Gunadhya's lost Brhatkatha. He traces the vidyadhara machinery and the transformations the Valmiki narrative undergoes in that retelling.

Written by the archive’s cataloguers, not by the author.