Acharya Ravishen
Biographical Introduction:
Acharya Ravishen did not mention his monastic lineage (sangh, gana, or gaccha) in his writings. However, due to the suffix “sen” in his name, he is believed to have belonged to the Sen Sangha.
His spiritual lineage is described as follows:
Indraguru → Divakar Yati → Arhan Muni → Lakshmansen → Ravishen.
Apart from this, he provided no personal introduction.
His time period is estimated to be between the 8th and 9th centuries CE.
Literary Contribution:
Acharya Ravishen is credited with one major work:
1. Padmacharita (also known as Padmapurana)
- This is his only known composition, written in Sanskrit.
- It is a beautifully composed biographical epic, consisting of 123 chapters (parvas) and approximately 20,000 verses.
- The text narrates the life of the eighth Balabhadra, Ram, during the time of the 20th Tirthankara, Munisuvrata.
- It includes characters such as Narayana Lakshman, Bharat, Sita, Janaka, Anjana, Pavananjaya (Hanuman), Bhamandal, and from the Rakshasa dynasty, Ravana, Vibhishana, Sugriva, etc.
- The work also includes numerous sub-stories within its main narrative.
- Essentially, it is a Jain rendition of the Ramayana, blending epic storytelling with Jain philosophy and cosmology.