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Kartikeya sent Veerabahu, one of heroes, to search for Narada's goat.
There was no sign of that goat anywhere in the world. Then Veerabahu went to
Vaikunta, the world of Mahavishnu, and found it there. He learnt that as ordered by Vishnu, his men had taken the goat there to protect its life. Veerabahu brought the goat to Kartikeya. But Kartikeya kept quiet, without immediately handing over the goat to Narada.
Thereupon Narada requested again and said, "Lord, please get me my goat. I will make a sacrificial offering of it and complete my yajna."
"Look, the killing of any animal," Kartikeya told him, "is not correct, for performing
any Yajna (sacrifice). The Vedas, which are our ancient religious texts, do not prescribe it. Any yajna has to beperformed in a non-violent manner. The word 'Aja', which stands for a goat, also means that which is not born, meaning rice. So 'Ajamedha' is the Yajna wherein boiled rice is offered to the fire-god, Agni. So complete your Yajna eschewing violence. Then you will get the full credit and profit from the sacrifice."
Narada accepted this learned exposition of the Yajna. He took the goat with Kartikeya's permission, but did not kill it, and brought it up. He performed his Yajna in a non-violent manner and set an ideal for the future generations.
"Look, the killing of any animal," Kartikeya told him, "is not correct, for performing
any Yajna (sacrifice). The Vedas, which are our ancient religious texts, do not prescribe it. Any yajna has to beperformed in a non-violent manner. The word 'Aja', which stands for a goat, also means that which is not born, meaning rice. So 'Ajamedha' is the Yajna wherein boiled rice is offered to the fire-god, Agni. So complete your Yajna eschewing violence. Then you will get the full credit and profit from the sacrifice."
Narada accepted this learned exposition of the Yajna. He took the goat with Kartikeya's permission, but did not kill it, and brought it up. He performed his Yajna in a non-violent manner and set an ideal for the future generations.
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