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Article: Añjanāsundarī

Pavanañjay returns

When Pavanañjay returned, he was devastated to hear that his wife had been thrown out of the house. He looked for her everywhere but in vain.

He gave up the search and went to burn himself to death on a funeral pyre, as atonement for sending Añjanā to her death.

At the last second, his father came and told him that Añjanā was living with her uncle and they went to fetch her.

Once they found Añjanā she immediately forgave everyone, saying that all this suffering was on account of her past karma.

Pavanañjay and Añjanā lived happily ever after, renounced at the end of their lives and reached liberation.

References in Jain writings

A Jain lay woman holds up her hands and bows her head in devotion. Jains do not ask for things when they pray. For Jains praying is always joyful and means reverencing the qualities and example of the Jinas

Woman praying
Image by Chandu Shah © Chandu Shah

Añjanā is a major figure in the Jain Rāmāyaṇa tradition. The tale of Añjanā is also found in numerous other sources, some dating back hundreds of years, while modern accounts remain popular.

The initial source of Añjanā's story is the Hindu Rāmāyaṇa story though the Jain version has some major differences from the Hindu account. The oldest Jain telling of Añjanā is part of the fourth-century Paūmicariyam.

The story's main theme of marital devotion in an unhappy marriage means it is popular as an example of marital fidelity in a bad marriage. This fits in with the tales of the satīs, whose loyalty to their husbands, virtuous behaviour and religious piety are key to their roles as model women. Although she is not one of the 16 satīs – soḷ satī – Añjanā is listed in the Āvaśyaka-sūtra as a sati.

Añjana in the Jain 'Ramayaṇa'

The most significant Jain telling of Añjanā's story is found in the poem Paūmicariyam. Composed by Vimala-sūri in the fourth century, the Paūmicariyam tells the story of Añjanāsundarī in cantos 15 to 18.

For both Jains and Hindus Añjanāsundarī is the mother of Hanumān but the Jain version is quite different. Two examples clearly demonstrate this.

Firstly, Hindus know Hanumān as the king of the monkeys who helps Rāma rescue his wife Sītā from the demon-king Rāvaṇa. In the Jain versions of the Rāmāyaṇa neither Añjanā nor Hanumān is a monkey. In the Jain telling Añjanā is human while Pavanañjay is a demi-god – vidhyā-dhara – and so is Hanumān.

Secondly, in Vālmīki's Rāmāyaṇa in Kiskindha Kāṇḍa 66, Añjanā is married to the monkey Kesarin. She is grabbed by Vāyu, the god of the wind. He seduces her with promises of a semi-divine son and thus Hanumān is conceived. In the Hindu story, it is therefore Añjanā's infidelity that blesses her with her son, Hanumān. However, in some Jain versions Hanumān's god-like strength is attributed to the power of his mother's śakti rather than his father or his half demi-god parentage.

Thus the emphasis in the Jain account is on Jain values, in which practising celibacy and fidelity leads to great spiritual power, and it is Añjanā who displays the greatest virtue.

Glossary

Celibacy

Avoiding or stopping sexual relations, often after taking a religious vow. A celibate practises celibacy.

Deity

A god or divine figure, often with physical powers beyond those of a human and with superhuman abilities.

Fast

Giving up or limiting food or specified foods for a period of time, usually as part of a religious practice. Fasting is a key part of Jainism, chiefly because it is believed to:

help destroy karmas that bind to the soul
gain merit – puṇya.

Hindu

Follower of the majority faith in India and an adjective describing something belonging to Hinduism. Hindus have numerous gods and diverse beliefs and practices, though many believe in the soul, karma, the cycle of births and liberation. Roughly a billion Hindus comprise the third largest religion in the world.

Jain

Follower of the 24 Jinas or an adjective describing Jain teachings or practices. The term 'Jaina' is also used although 'Jain' is more common.

Penance

A voluntary action undertaken to make up for a sin or breach of a religious principle, frequently an act of self-punishment or physical hardship.

Pyre

A pile or heap of wood or similar that has been collected together to be burned, especially when used to cremate a dead body.

Rāma

An avatar of Viṣṇu, the preserver or protector who is one of the three major Hindu gods. Rāma is a prince of Ayodhyā and is often shown with blue skin, holding a bow and arrow. The epic poem Rāmāyaṇa recounts his adventures as he searches for his wife Sītā, who has been kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. Blending Jain values into the story, the Jain Rāmāyaṇas cast him and other figures in the tale as some of the 'great men' of Jain Universal History.

Rāmāyaṇa

One of the fundamental works of Indian literature, the Rāmāyaṇa is an epic poem recounting the adventures of Prince Rāma as he searches for his wife Sītā, who has been kidnapped by Rāvaṇa. Blending Jain values into the story, the Jain Rāmāyaṇas present him and other figures in the tale as some of the 'great men' of Jain Universal History.

Satī

'Virtuous woman', who is worshipped for her admirable qualities. Satīs demonstrate religious devotion and loyalty to husbands and family, especially in difficult times. Some satīs renounce to become nuns while others remain householders. There are many satīs but there is a group of Sol Satī or 16 satī who are particularly venerated by Śvetāmbara Jains.

Tapas

Austerity or asceticism in general. A tapas is an act of austerity or self-discipline that produces bodily heat – tapas – that burns up karma. Austerities may be internal – mental – or external – physical. Both lay and mendicant Jains practise austerities. Fasting is the most common external austerity for lay people these days.

Universal History

A Western academic term used for the largely medieval texts that hold the Jain legendary history of the world. Recounting the life stories of the '63 Great or Illustrious Men', the writings are intended to provide role-models for later Jains. The main texts of Jain Universal History are the:

Śvetāmbara monk Hemacandra's Triṣaṣti-śalākā-puruṣa-caritra – Life Stories of 63 Great Men
Mahā-purāṇa – Great Ancient Tale – of the Digambara writers Jinasena and Guṇabhadra.

Themes

People

Principles

Practices

Places

Related Manuscript Images

The fourfold community

Wellcome Trust Library. Gamma 3. Unknown author. 1503
Women celebrating Mahāvīra's birth

Victoria and Albert Museum. IS 46-1959. Unknown author. Late 15th to 16th centuries

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