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168
JAIN RAMAYAN
air-ship in the garden near Rajpur. Hearing the news of Ravan's arrival, King Maruth came to the garden. He saluted Ravan; and received him with due honour. But Ravan was not pleased. How could he be ? On one hand he was carrying out a Yajna contrary to his doctrines; and on the other, he was receiving him with honour to please him. No one would be pleased with such a man. In order to please anyone one must act according to his principles.
"And Maruth. What enterprise have you undertaken ? What do you want to achieve by this Yajna involving violence? Please understand it well. Just as you love your life, other innocent creatures also love their life. Can you attain heavenly state of existence by this kind of heartless violence ? Even if heaven can be attained by this method, fie upon it! Such a heaven is certainly contemptible. The Paramatma has expounded the Dharma of non-violence. But you are ruining yourself in this world and in the other world by committing this terrible violence. Whether you attain heaven or not; here in this world, you get ready to suffer hellish torment in my prison".
The words of Ravan, the King of Lanka which were the words of the supreme commander were not to be broken or disobeyed. Anyone who opposed Ravan had to be ready to be cast into the jaws of death. On hearing about the arrival of Ravan the others were greatly frightened. They were stunned and stupefied. Poor fellows! They ran away quietly from the sacrificial pavilion. They went away so quietly that nobody noticed them. A commotion arose everywhere in this confusion. Seeing people running away, Kumbhakarna and Vibhishan entered the pavilion. Seeing them running away from there, they challenged them, saying:
“Stop there! Where are you running away ? Stay awhile. We will make a sacrifice of you at the altar of the Yajna. Are you killing these dumb animals! You mad monsters ? Stay awhile!”
At the same time, they lifted some and threw them away; and grasped some by their necks and cast them away. Indrajit
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