[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985) › c10.20 # The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c10.20 The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c10.20 - **Language:** English ### [c10.20](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10.20) In the epic, sacrifice has in fact already been overcome. As we saw, it belongs to the preceding world era, the \*dvāparayuga\*, which ends in the self-defeating paroxysm of the \*Mahābhārata\* war. In the following era, our present \*kaliyuga\*, animal sacrifice belongs to the \*kalivarjya\* institutions, which should not be put into practice in the \*kaliyuga\*. The men of our era are no longer deemed strong enough to cope with the heady excitement and terror of sacrifice.²⁵ In the \*dvāpara\* era, sacrifice was the foremost meritorious work, but in our age it has been replaced by the gift.²⁶ - [Previous: c10.19](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10.19) - [Next: c10.21](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10.21) - [Up: c10](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10) ## Linked texts (1) - [Mahābhārata](https://indike.org/pramana/in.lit.mahabharata.vyasa) — Vyāsa, Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10.20](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.heesterman-1985.c10.20) · Pramāṇa