Book Title: Most Ancient Aryan Society
Author(s): Ram Chandra Jain
Publisher: Institute of Bharatalogical Research Sriganganagar Rajasthan

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Page 205
________________ ( 178 ) 86 culture in that new fold. The obnoxious practice of Puruşamedha was largely abundant and substituted by Aśvamedha. Whatever lingering vestiges of Puruşamedha were retained, were in the ritualistic form. Instead of the sacrifice of Ganapati, the sacrifice of a purchased Brāhmaṇa or Ksatriya could also do. The head of a man along with the heads of horse, ox, sheep and goat continued to be placed on the bottom layer of the brick-altar to impart stability. The state of promiscuity was reflected in the enactment of the obscene ceremonial and the attending dialogues. We find performance of Puruşamedha, in its ritual form, in Bharata Circa 200 B.C. which is conclusively proved by the excavations at Kausambi.38 King Pusya Mitra performed this Puruşamedha in historical times. Puruşamedha, in its original form, was the social activity of a tribal collective. This social aspect of the Yajña, the Gaṇa-activity, clearly proves, firstly, that the whole society believed in and acted upon the utility of promiscuous sex-relationship; secondly, it acted as a self-acting armed organisation to establish its supremacy over the known neighbouring surroundings. This age depicts the life of a Gana as an ever-growing and ever-developing institution. This social state of Gana promiscuity during the ancient times gets further corroboration from Mahabharata. Some legends throw startling light over it. and Kunti Surya proposes to Kunti to have sexual intercourse with him in her maiden state. She objects to it on the Legend of Surya ground that it may not be against Dharma but if it was religious, she was prepared to cohabit with him during her menstruation period and she was prepared to satisfy his desire. Surya, removes her objection by tracing her maiden state, Kanya to Kan 'to Jain Education International For Private & Personal Use Only www.jainelibrary.org

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