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There was a king. Once he fell ill. Purohits advised him to sacrifice a goat to cure himself. The king had a vow and incidentally the king recovered. He sent for goat. The goat was given a red mark and some rice on the forehead. The red hand prints on the goat's back. A garland of red flowers was placed around the goat's neck. Thus the king was preparing goat to be sacrificed.
Suddenly the goat laughed. The king's astonishment was limitless. He asked, “ O goat ! why do you laugh for a moment, and why do you weep the next moment ? ”.
The king asked the goat merely out of curosity and astonishment but then the king realize that it was an animal, dumb and can not talk ” But Loa ! The goat spoke. The goat looked up a moment at the sky and began to speak; “ O king, I was also a king like you in my previous life. I had also taken vow like you to sacrifice a goat. And I completed. I had died only when my time of death came. After my death, I was reborn as a goat. I had to sacrifice my head not once but for seven times. This is my eighth rebirth. And it is the last Hence you are up to sacrifice me, I could recollect my life in previous births. I had thought of getting from animal life and would become human. This thought of mine gave me pleasure and I laughed.
The king heard all this spellbound. He said, “ But why did you weep ? ”. The goat said, “ I thought about you. I thought how generous this king is ! How kind he is in doing good to all. But all his good deeds would be a he-goat like me, and at every birth he would be continued to be sacrified. This thought made me unhappy and it made me weeping.” These words had great effects on the king. He immediatly ordered to loose the goat. It is not to be sacrificed. Henceforth, there shall not be violence in my kingdom.”
Saying thus, the king freed the goat. Purohits ( faily priests ) did not like this. They said, “ Maharaja, the goat tells a lie. He wants to save his life by telling a lie.” But the goat said, ” Maharaja you have already freed me. But my death is certain today.”
“ Don't worry. None shall slaughter you,” consoled the king. Saying thus the king ordered four guards to guard the goat. The guards followed wherever the goat went. The goat climbed up a rock and began to grass tiny green graze. Suddenly the climate changed. There was a cloud in the sky. There were thunders and lightening.
Before the guards could climb the goat down the hill, the lightening crashed on the rock. The rock burst and the goat was killed under the debries. The guard ran to the king and narrated the whole incident. Now the king told the Purohits, “ The goat has proved right. The story of different lives and births seen to be true, don't they ? ”. The Purohit was totally silent.
The commandment of the SHIKSHAPATRI ( 12,15,22,155 }
- Perform Non-violent YAGNAS where no killings of animals involved.
- None shall kill or harm the animals even for the sacrificial ceremonies because non-violence alone is the best form of the Dharma.
- Flesh, even though it is a remnant of offering, shall not be eaten in adverse times.
- None shall accept anything even vegetarian food offered of a deity whom offerings of wine, flesh, etc. are made and before whom animals like goats are slaughtered as a part of sacrifice.