A History of South India from Prehistoric Times to the Fall of Vijayanagar c20.5

c20.5

Till about the fifth century A.D., harmony and tolerance characterized the relations between the different religious sects. The worship of primitive godlings with offerings of blood and toddy went on side by side with the performance of elaborate Vedic sacrifices; the popular pantheon included many deities like Muruga, Śiva, Vishnu, Indra, Krishna, and others. Buddhists and Jains were found in considerable numbers in different parts of the country following their practices without let or hindrance. In the story of Maṇimēkalai, for instance, we find the heroine advised to study in Kāñchī the philosophical systems of the Veda, Śiva, Viṣṇu, Ājīvika, Jaina and of the Sāṅkhya, Vaiśeṣika and Lokāyata.