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INTRODUCTION
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preparations made by one Ksatriya prince called Marutha for the purpose of vedic sacrifice. The chapter is called Maruthayajñadhvarsa sarga. These preprations for the performance of yajña are made in the borders of Ravana's territory. Nárada who happens to pass by that way observes these elaborate preparations. According the Jainas, Närada is considered to be a champion of Ahimsā. He advised the Ksatriya prince Marutha not to perform the sacrifice. Narada's advice was rejected. He then goes to Rāvana straight and informs him of the vast preparations made by a Ksatriya prince quite in violation of Ahimsa. Ravana sends a few officers to stop these preparations. These officers were sent away unceremoniously by the prince Marutha. But Rāvana himself appears in person officially with his soldiers. Then Marutha confessed that he was instructed by the Vedic priests to perform this yāga though he was not very well informed about this. Then Rävana rebukes him, stops the preparations, releases all the animals intended for sacrifice and threatens the priests. Then Marutha was initiated to the practice of Ahimsa Dharma and he was made to give a solemn proinise that he would be no more a party to animal sacrifice or yajña. This story found in Jaina Rāmāyana clearly indicates that the Vidyadharas since they were followers of Ahimsā cult were sternly opposed to any performance of yāga within their borders. Perhaps that explains why according to the Valmiki Rāmāyaṇa, the Raksasas were always bent upon preventing the performance of yāgas and whenever an attempt is made to perform yāga the parties had to seek the aid of military protection before they could carry on the ceremony. This is illustrated in the Rāmāyana where Viśvamitra takes the military aid of the royal princes, Rama and Lakşmana before he starts the rituals. Thus the circumstantial evidence goes to support the theory that the people of the land were all followers of Rşabha cult and they were staunchly defending their cult of Ahimsa whenever there was an interference from outside. This theory implies that even before the advent of the Rgvedic Aryans, the people of the land had a higher form of religion. The Rşabha cult of Ahimsă is further borne out by an evidence supplied by the later Brāhmapas and the Upanişads. When the Aryans of the Rgvedic period prominently settled in Northern India, their vedic culture of Yagas, must have been prevalent side by side with the religious practice associa ted with the earlier Rşabha cult. The royal families representing the Ikşavākus clan and other clans must have been driven towards the East by the conquering hoards of the Rgvedic Aryans who came and settled in the Punjab. The earlier Aryan families who adopted the Ahimsă cult of Lord Rsabha must have been opposed to this new cult of the Āryans. Therefore we have a reference to the Prācyadeśa, the Eastern countries in the Brahmapas. The most important of these the Satapathabrāhmaṇa refers to the poeple of these Pracyadeśas which include, Kaśí, Kośala, Videha and Magadha as Āryabhraştas. The orthodox Brāhmins of Kurupañcaladeša are advised not to
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