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declined. Because for individual's mok a, there is no necessity for sacrifice, rituals, etc. As a result of these philosophies, criticisms began to emerge on the question of timelessness of the Vedas or about them being self created (Svayambh ). These thinkers used to spend their time observing silence and quietly reflecting over Brahma, the world, soul, and super-sensual matters living in quiet and remote places in forests, etc. Hence they got identified as sages (muni). These forest dwellers had committed their lives to penance, renunciation, simplicity and straight forwardness, non-violence and truth. According to the Gt such feelings are born directly from god ( vara ortmadeva). In that period while there was the kind of knowledge-oriented yaj a, on the other hand were yaj as held involving killing of animals in the name of sacrifice to please the gods openly. For the ordinary people it was difficult to decide which path was correct and beneficial. It was in this time in India that Lord Pr van tha emerged in Varanasi. At the appropriate time he vehemently opposed the violence in sacrifice and rituals and attracted people's attention to self-reflection and destruction of sensual inclinations. His compassionate, kind heart wanted to show the correct and expansive path to happiness and peace for all living beings.
Some historians imagine that on account of his opposing the violenceridden yaj as, those in favour of yaj as became his arch enemies, because of which Pr van tha had to leave his birthplace and make a place of rya's the land of his religious discourse. In fact this argument is unsubstantiated because the opposition to yaj as was far more aggressive in the time of Lord Mah v ra, but Mah v ra continued to propagate religion in and around his birthplace. Hence, it appears that the travels to non- rya places by Lord P r van tha were not on account of opposition but to propagate religion.
Past Life and Penance
No soul realizes it's potential fully all of a sudden. It is only after noble deeds and practice of right conduct through several births that one attains purity and a condition apt for mok a. In 'Cauvanna Mah purisa Cariyam' and 'Tri a i al k puru a caritra' the past ten lives of Lord Pr va are described as 'in the first birth as Marubh ti and Kama ha, second as an elephant, third as a Sahasr ra god, fourth as Vidy dhara Kira a Deva, fifth as the Acyuta god, sixth as Vajran bha, seventh as a
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