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spiritual facet of the equality of beings. To understand and follow these was the central theme of that revolution.
There was a popular belief about language that almost turned into a dogma. Sanskrit language was considered compulsory for religious literature and the so-called cultured upper class of the society. This prejudice had created an atmosphere of hatred against women and lower classes (sūdras). It had also restricted the progress of other languages. Using the common man's language, Ardhamagadhi, for his teachings, Mahāvīra shattered this linguistic dogma favouring a particular language. He established that the importance of a language is restricted only to expressing thoughts and not an iota more. In the same way there was a popular dogma about truth. People of a particular class believed that what they knew was the only truth, all else was false. Truth was made stagnant by stifling it in individual beliefs. Truth is available only in some specific scriptures; such beliefs had left no scope for any exploration of or research about truth. Mahāvīra said - “Truth is wide spread and relative and can be found beyond those established beliefs. This was the vision of exploration of truth, nonabsolutism, and Syādvāda. The theistic beliefs had made people fatalists or psychologically dependent on fate. Mahāvīra said - "Every being has infinite latent energy. Activating it depends on individual endeavour. If he becomes aware of his potential and his resolve to progress towards ultimate development becomes strong, then he can change the fruits or consequences of karmas and even destroy karmas.
Only two hundred fifty years had passed since the nirvana of Bhagavāna Parşvanātha. But during this period the Vedic sages had promoted violence based yajñas with all resources at their command. As a result yajñas became common place and innumerable animals were sacrificed in the rituals. Sacrifices were made in name of deities and animals were butchered for normal guests and even departed souls of parental ancestors. The yajña platforms and portals of deities were filled with pitiful moaning of animals and splattered with drops of their blood. The poisonous fumes of yajña pyres polluted air and stifled people. The evil prevailed so much that even human sacrifice was made before deities.
This was the period when Mahāvīra was born. He pronounced -- “Ahimsā is religion, not violence. If violence is religion what is sin?” It
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