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GLIMPSES ALONG LIFE'S JOURNEY
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Svayam Prabha's soul, too, descended from heaven and was born in Puşkalāvati. She became the daughter of the Emperor Bajradanta, who called her Srimati. She had a brother, Amitateja.
Srimati was a very beautiful girl. Her face was like the full moon in brightness. Her manners were very engaging. She received a good education, and grew up into a very charming young lady, the daughter of the greatest king of her times.
People did not marry their children at an early age in those ancient days. This practice grew up under the stress of necessity when the non-Aryans came and established themselves and their slaughter houses and bloody' altars all over the land. To raise man-power it was found desirable to allow no capable female to remain unproductive. It was then that people said:
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If your daughter is unmarried at the time when the flow of blood appears you will go to hell with the whole of your kinsmen and clan.' This was literally true. For if the ranks of the fighting men were not filled up, and the people were carried off captives and slaves of war, what else was to be expected? They would be forced to abandon their faith; kill poor innocent living beings for their master's table, and be forced to eat flesh
