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some barbaric age. Even today such cruel sacrifices are done before images of deities. The general appearance of these gods is also aweinspiring - wide open angry red eyes, drooping and dangling tongue, a skeleton in one hand, a skull in the second, weapons in the other two, a garland of skulls on the neck, and feet pressing on a corpse or a buffalo. Before such deities millions of animals are offered every year.
The form of yajñas described in the Vedas and Brāhmaṇa scriptures is not in vogue anymore. According to Lokmanya Bala Gangadhara Tilak the overpowering influence of the last Jain Tirthankara Bhagavāna Mahāvīra and his logical and highly effective propagation of ahimsa caused this. But the convention of animal sacrifice before images of deities still prevails. It would be proper to mention here that such rituals are especially popular among lower caste people, aborigines, and forest tribes who are grossly uneducated, ignorant, and superstitious. It would not be improper to infer from this that the origin of the custom of sacrifice before deities in yajña can be attributed to ignorant, superstitious and rustic castes or individuals and it is a part of the remnants or legacy of our primitive barbaric past.
It is necessary to understand that if violence is merit what is demerit? If gods get satiated only by consuming flesh and blood of their progeny than where is the difference between gods and demons. In fact, ahimsa is life and himsā is destruction. Where life is destroyed, ahimsa is violated and merit or religion is destroyed. A religion that cannot eliminate cruelty from human mind, inspire love and friendship for other beings looses its worth. I believe that religion is purity of soul and mind; therefore, its path should also be pure. Purity of soul can be achieved only through purity of thought and conduct, and not through impure means like violence and cruelty.
Some religions have accepted not only killing other beings but self-destruction also as religion. They believe that one goes to heaven if he dies by drowning in a particular river, stream or well or by falling from a particular hilltop. Driven by their desire to reach heaven uncountable number of people must have embraced death by drowning in the Ganges in Kāśī and by jumping from Mandhātā Omkāreśvara hill. With the incentive of passage to heaven women were advised to self immolate on death of husband with his body. This lead to an era when young widowed women, not desirous of heaven, were pushed
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