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Jainism : The Cosmic Vision touches, will turn to ashes. Bhasmasur wanted to test the efficacy of the boon and thought to test it on Bhagwan Shiv. Shiv, realising the consequence, was on the run to avoid getting reduced to ashes. Well, the moral is that violence engulfs one and all, spreading its tentacles far and wide. The Bhasmasur story has the same message. At last Bhagwan Vishnu assumes the form of Mohini – feme fatale – and Bhasmasur, attracted by the seductive charm began to dance and placed his hand on his head. This resulted in his own destruction. Violence is like Bhasmasur, which ultimately consumes its perpetrator.
Bhagwan Mahavira taught the lesson of non-violence more than two millennium ago and which was the key to turn man into a superman. That lesson of non-violence preached by him was not confined to 'live and let live' for the human beings, but it encompassed all the living organisms such as birds and animals and the entire world of nature. Bhagwan Mahavira had said :
तुंगं न मंदराओ, आगासाओ किसाभयं नत्थि ।
जह तह जयंमि जाणसु, धम्ममहिंसासमं नस्थि ।। (There is nothing in this world higher than Mountain Meru. Similarly there is no religion greater than non-violence.)
During Mahavira's time, animals were sacrificed in performing yagna (sacrificial fire) and mute animals were, thus, subjected to cruelty and torture at the altar. This was done in order to achieve moksha or a place in heaven. The kings would not hesitate to fight and kill to safisfy their greed for more lands and to realise their inordinate ambitions. It was believed that those, who died fighting on a battlefield, would earn a place in heaven and enjoy the proximity of devkanyas (divine women).
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