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INTRODUCTION
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pletely occupied the whole of the Northern India and the people of the land who are called Vidyadharas by the Jaina tradition had to be satisfied with the peninsula to the South of the Vindyas. These Vidyadharas are represented by two important dynasties of ruling families, one of which was more powerful to which Ravana the emperor of Lanka belonged The other group was represented by Valı, Sugriva and Hanuman. According to Jaina tradition, these Vidyadharas were highly cultured people, in fact more cultured than the rest and they were specially skilful in applied science, or Vidyas, on account of which they were called Vidyadharas They had the privilege of travelling in their air by some sort of aerial vehicles or vimanas which they were skilful enough to build for themselves Since they were skilful people of very high culture, the ruling chiefs of the Ikshavaku family very often entered into matrimonial alliances with these Vidhyadhara families, in fact, the Jaina tradition mentions that Lord Rishabha himself married a Vidyadhara princess by whom he had his son Bharata, the first ruler of the land and who gave his name to the land, Bharatavarsha These Vidyadhara rulers who were designated as Rakshasas by their political enemies, Aryans, are recognised to be highly cultured by the Aryans themselves. The Jaina tradition makes these Vidhyadharas followers of Rishabha cult, strictly practising Ahimsa Dharma and sternly opposed to Vedic Yagna. There is an interesting chapter in Jaina Ramayan, Padmapurana of the Jainas, which narrates the life story of Sri Rama The chapter refers to the elaborate preparations made by one Kshatriya prince called Marutha for the purpose of vedic sacrifice. The chapter is called Maruthayagnaduamsa sarga. These preparations for the performance of yagna are made in the borders of Ravan's territory. Narada who happens to pass by that way observes these elaborate preparations. According to the Jainas, Narada is considered to be a champion of Ahimsa. He advised the Kshatriya prince Marutha not to perform the sacrifice. Narada's advice was rejected. He then goes to Ravana straight and informs him of the vast preparations made by a Kshatriya prince quite in violation of Ahimsa. Ravana sends a few officers to stop these preparations. These officers
