The Ramayana Culture in Karnataka Jainism
Summary
In **The Ramayana Culture in Karnataka Jainism** the author explores how Jain communities in Karnataka adopted the *Ramayana* story and transformed it within their religious framework. In Jain cosmology Rama is one of the *Baladeva* heroes; he attains liberation, while his brother Lakṣmaṇa is the violent hero and kills Ravana. Early Jain versions include Vimala Sūri’s *Paumacariya* (1st century AD) and Guṇabhadra’s *Uttarapurāṇa* (10th century), which situate the story during the era of Tīrthankara Munisuvrata and depict Sītā as the daughter of Ravana and Mandodari. Chamundaraya’s Kannada *Triṣaṣṭi‑lakṣaṇa mahāpurāṇa* follows this tradition and recounts that Ravana is slain by Lakṣmaṇa’s discus, not by Rama. Later Kannada adaptations reflect diverse emphases: Punyāśrava’s *Sītādevī‑kathe* (1331 AD) narrates the banishment of Sītā, depicts Rama as a polygamist and describes Sītā entering asceticism after the fire ordeal. Abhinava Pampa (Nagacandra) wrote *Rāmacandra‑carita‑Purāṇa* around 1140 AD; he diverges from Chamundaraya by naming Aparājita as Rama’s mother and portraying Ravana as a devout Jain who forbids the killing of animals and makes peace with Rama on condition that his palace be spared. Later works by Kumudendu and Devacandra retain Jain motifs but modify details such as the names of Rama’s mothers; Candrasāgara Varni’s *Sri Rāmāyaṇa* reintroduces the classical names like Kauśalyā. The article also examines how Jain inscriptions and eulogies compare medieval rulers to Ramayana characters: Ganga kings Didiga and Mahadeva are likened to Rama and Lakṣmaṇa; Hoysala queens Santala and Echiya are praised as equal or superior to Sītā. Jain tradition holds that Rama attained nirvana at Mangi‑Tungi hill in Maharashtra; sculptures of Rama, Hanuman and Sugriva in meditative posture have been found there and are mentioned in hymns by Kundakunda and Pujyapada. Yet the author observes that, despite this mythic association, Ramayana worship never gained traction in Karnataka: Jain temples lack icons of Rama and Sītā, and poets rarely composed stotras in their praise. The Ramayana thus influenced Jain literature mainly as myth and moral allegory rather than as an object of devotion.
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Conclusion
By tracing Jain Ramayana narratives from Vimala Sūri to later Kannada poets, this essay shows how Jains reinterpreted the epic to align with their doctrine of non‑violence and the cosmological role of Baladevas. Lakṣmaṇa, not Rama, defeats Ravana; Sītā’s parentage, marriage and ascetic renunciation vary across texts. Inscriptions and literary analogies reveal that the Ramayana served as a cultural touchstone for praising rulers and queens rather than as a basis for temple worship. The article concludes that the Ramayana’s impact on Karnataka Jainism was primarily literary and moral, with little devotional expression.