Vratya

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Vratya. One bound by a vow. Vratyas appeared as groups of people (bound perhaps by common vows) in NE India, perhaps the first of the Aryan invaders. They had their own distinct beliefs and customs which they took with them as they migrated east to Magadha. Their religion was assimilated into the Atharva Veda. They persisted as groups of religious functionaries.

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