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200
JAIN RAMAYAN
are the subjects". The people of the country took the example of their king and organized Yajnas. Without any fears or doubts, all began to perform Yajnas publicly. On every auspicious occcasion, festival or celebration, King Sagar raja arranged and carried out Yajnas, as a matter of routine. The people followed his example. Thus, began the tradition of sacrificing animals on the sacrificial altar.
"Oh King ! all this was disgusting ... all this was detestable and from the human point of view, it was despicable. When I heard this I was greatly shocked. I felt that all this was unbearable and horrid; therefore, in order to save the lives of the animals that were being killed on the sacrificial altar, I invited a friend of mine, a Vidyadhar by name, Divakar and I asked him to help me in preventing these animal sacrifices. Divakar agreed to my suggestion and promised to help me whenever necessary. Accordingly, wherever animals were collected to be offered as a sacrifice at a Yajna, Divakar, the Vidyadhar appeared there and by virtue of his miraculous powers took away those animals. In the beginning, we were fully successful in carrying out our plans. But when the animals at every Yajna began to disappear Mahakal the monster was shocked. He in his endeavour to discover the secret cause for the mysterious disappearance of the sacrificial animals employed his power of seeing called Vibhangajnan and found out our plan. He saw Divakar, the Vidyadhar taking away the animals and he became careful and cautious in his activity. He found out a way of taking revenge against Divakar, the Vidyadhar and to counteract and defeat his powers. In accordance with his plan, he installed the image of Lord Rishabhdev in every place before the commencement of the Yajna. As a result of this, Divakar, the Vidyadhar though he possessed extraordinary powers became powerless and his attempts failed. Day by day, Divakar's powers became more and more ineffectual. I was unable to do anything and helplessly I gave up my plans to save the lives of animals."
Mahakal, the monster got various kinds of Yajnas carried out by Sagar raja and thus prepared the way to throw him into the jaws of Death.
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