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JAIN JOURNAL
a well-organized human society of eastern India with a distinct language, culture, civilization, customs and behaviour which were, different from those of the Vedic Aryans. They were the non-Vedic people having their own religion and philosophy. The religious sect of the Vratyas might have been related to the Indus Valley Civilization73 as is suggested by some archaeological evidences, such as seals having the image of a god seated in an attitude of yoga and with urdhva medhra ;74 it is come across that the ancient people was unfamiliar with the Agnihotra cult of the Vedic tradition when the Brahmanas used to practise this cult prior to the sunrise every day.75
It is known from all works on the Vratyas that they were entirely inexperiended in the observance of the Agnihotra cult.76
The Vratyas were the opposers of Vedic customs of religion, etc. and were the renouncers of the rules of violent sacrificial performances of the Vedic followers as is indicated in the Atharvaveda.77 In the prasnopanişad78 the Vratyas have no doubt been praised. As pointed out, the Vratyas were uninitiated and unreformed by the Vedic customs, for they had no Brahmanical discipline.79
In the beginning the Vratyas had no Vaisya class among them as is suggested by the reference to two groups of them, viz. Arhant and Yaudha. But later on it appears that they were divided as Vratya Brahmana Vratya Ksatriya, and Vratya Vaisya80 and they appeared to have mixed up with different elements of the society.
73 Ibid, p. 44.; Pamcavimsa Brahmana (XVII, 4.1.) mentions sama-nica-medhra
as one of the sect of the Vratyas. 74 Atharvaveda, 15. 2. 76 athatah sayamannam pratardanamantaramagnihotramityacaksate yavadvai puruso
bhasate na tatvat pranitum saknoti pranain tada vaci juhoti yavadvai purusah
praniti....purve vidvamso agnihotram juhavamcakruh-Kausitaki Upanisad, 2.5. 76 JBORS, XXIV, Pt. 3, pp.107-8. Vide Vratyas in Ancient India, p. 27. 77 Atharvaveda, 15th Kanda. 78 vratyastvam pranaikarsiratta visvasya satpatih, Prasnopanisad, 2. 11. 78 vijatayah suvarnasu janayannavratamstuyan tansavitriparibhrastan vratyaniti
vinirdiseta, Manusamhita, X-20. savarnasu ca esam (varnesam) acaritayratebhyo jata vratya iti anulomah. Cf Kautilya. Vide Vratyas in Ancient India p. 29. vratya tu jayate vipratpapatma bhujakantakah avantya vatadhanauca pursapayah saika eva ca—Manu X. 21. vaisya tu jayate vratyastudhanvacarya eva ca karusasca vijanma ca maitrah satvata eva ca—Manu X. 23. atah..urdhve trayo'apyete yathakalam samskrtah savitri patita vratya bhavantyarya vigashitah --Manu II 39.
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