Sanatan Dharma | 2. Ahimsa (Non-violence) | Sri Vinod Babaji Maharaj

Ahimsa means non-violence. It is an indispensable part of Dharma. Where there is violence, animosity, jealousy or malice, Dharma cannot exist.

Historically and contemporarily, we see different religions and different sects within the religions battling with each other to prove their superiority over the others. If the cosmos is created by one God, how can one harm or kill other creatures created by the same God? Even in religions based on Polytheism, how can harming and killing others be considered a part of spirituality at all?? In reality, these things are only maniacal behaviour of people who have no understanding of spirituality.

In Sanatan Dharma, God does not say to kill those who do not worship Him. All creatures are made of the 24 elements (as already explained earlier in Jiva tattva) and the soul, which is a part and parcel of God. Therefore, for God, there is no difference between a worshiper and an atheist. He provides air, water, food through plants and trees, etc for everyone, regardless of the person's level of spirituality. But His devotee contemplates on Him and purifies his heart through devotion. Hence, he is able to experience the divine bliss, love and peace that is his eternal nature. One who doesn’t purify his heart suffers in this world due to his ignorance.

“Samo ’haṁ sarva-bhūteṣhu na me dveṣhyo ’sti na priyaḥ,
Ye bhajanti tu māṁ bhaktyā mayi te teṣhu chāpyaham.”
(Bhagavat Geeta 9.29)

Meaning: I am equally disposed to all living beings; I am neither adverse nor biased to anyone. But the devotees who worship Me with love, reside in Me and I reside in them.

Further, Sanatan Dharma teaches us to respect all beings since God resides in every heart. No scripture (of Sanatan Dharma) ever said that one must force one's ideology on those who don't have faith in it. Also, the different paths to Godhead (like Gyanayoga, Karmayoga, Tantra, etc) are not “differences” to be debated about. Each path is unique and leads to the same Godhead, although the form of God can be different for different devotees (for example, some like the grave and compassionate nature of Rama, while some like the naughty and assertive love of Krishna and so on.)

But, instead, people want to hurt, defame and punish each other to prove the superiority of their ideology. This kind of ignorance and false dedication to their respective ideologies is tearing the integrity of Sanatan Dharma apart. Don’t labour under the illusion that the followers of other sects or religions are the reason for the deterioration of Sanatan Dharma. Every person who engages in violence, malice and discrimination is the reason for this unfortunate situation of the followers of Sanatan Dharma. Ask such a person, is this what their scriptures teach them?

“Manasaitāni bhutāni pranamet bahu mānayan,
Ishwaro jiva-kalayā pravisto Bhagawāniti.”
(Srimad Bhagavatam 3.29.34)

Meaning: A devotee offers respect to every living entity because he firmly believes that the Supreme Personality of Godhead has entered the body of every living entity as the controller.

“Aham ātmā guḍākeśha sarva-bhūtāśhaya-sthitaḥ
Aham ādiśh cha madhyaṁ cha bhūtānām anta eva cha.”
(Bhagavat Geeta 10.20)

Meaning: O Arjun, I am seated in the heart of all living entities. I am the beginning, middle, and end of all beings.

This is what Sanatan Dharma teaches us. Let us understand what Krishna says in Bhagavat Geeta about non-violence:

“Adveṣhṭā sarva-bhūtānāṁ maitraḥ karuṇa eva cha,
Nirmamo nirahankāraḥ sama-duḥkha-sukhaḥ kṣhamī
Santuṣhṭaḥ satataṁ yogī yatātmā dṛiḍha-niśhchayaḥ,
Mayy arpita-mano-buddhir yo mad-bhaktaḥ sa me priyaḥ.”
(Bhagavat Geeta 12.13-14)

Meaning: Those devotees are very dear to Me who are free from malice toward all living beings, who are friendly, and compassionate. They are free from attachment to possessions and egotism, unfazed by happiness and distress, and ever-forgiving. They are ever-content, steadily united with Me through devotion, self-controlled, of firm resolve, and dedicated to Me in mind and intellect.

• “Advesta” means the devotee must have no malice for any living being.
•  “Maitra” means he must become happy in other's happiness and sad in other's miseries. This is the true meaning of being friendly towards all living beings. (Here, being happy and sad doesn’t mean he must enjoy or weep with others. It simply means that when he hears something good happen with a person, he appreciates it and prays to God for keeping the situation that way. And when he hears something bad happens to a person, he prays to God to alleviate his miseries.)
• But for himself - “sama dukha-sukhah” - he always accepts situations of happiness & sadness as the results of his past actions and remains unfazed by them.
• “Karuna” means he must wish to alleviate others’ miseries. This should not be limited to people dear to him but equally for all living beings.
• “Nirmamo” means he must not be possessive about anything in the world.
• “Nirahankārah” means he must be free from pride and ego.
• “Kshami” means he must forgive even those who do wrong unto him.
• “Santusto” means he must be content with whatever he receives in life as the result of his past actions.
• “Mayi arpita manor-buddhih” means he must engage his mind and body in Me (God) at all times.

This is how a person can become dear to God. He didn’t mention the devotee must visit temples, worship Him with a variety of things, or force others who don’t have faith in God to follow his ideology at all. In fact, He says one must forgive the ignorant and follow his own Dharma with determination. There is no place for any kind of violence.

Ahimsa (Non-violence) can be three-fold: Kayik (physical), Vachik (verbal) and Manasik (mental).

1. Kayik Ahimsa: Physical non-violence includes not killing, beating or injuring any living being in any way. This is not limited to hurting people. Killing, beating or injuring birds and animals without a legitimate reason are also forbidden and sinful.

For those who have a violent nature (which is considered Tamasik in nature), Lord Shiva has prescribed the path of Tantra which includes the Vyabhicāri (a digression from Vedic way) path of worship of God using five-fold sadhana: eating meat, eating fish, drinking alcohol, yogic postures and sex. Each of these sadhanas are limited by Vedic rules, mantras and do not let the practitioner indulge in them freely. There are also some Tamasik Yajnas (sacrifices) mentioned in the Vedas which involve eating the meat of sacrificial animals after purification by Vedic mantras. But all of these practices are intended to gradually reduce the Tamasik nature of a person and bring him to proper Vedic path by purifying his heart. Manu Maharaj says in his Manu Smriti:

“Yagnāya jagdhir-mansasya ityesa daivo vidhih smritah,

Ato anaytha pravrittim tu vidhiruchyate.”

(Many Smriti 5.31)

Meaning: ‘The consumption of meat (is befitting) for sacrifices,’ that is a rule declared by the demi-gods. But to persist (in using it) on other occasions is said to be a proceeding worthy of the Rakshasas (demons).

“Na adyād avidhinā mānsam vidhijno anāpadi dvijah,

Jagdvā hyavidhinā mānsam pretastair adyate avasah.”

(Manu Smriti 5.33)

Meaning: A twice-born (Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Vaishyas) who knows the law must not eat meat except in conformity with the law. If he eats meat unlawfully, he will be unable to save himself and be eaten by his victims after death (in hell).

But in the path of Bhakti, this purification of heart takes place (infinitely faster) through Harinaam itself. Therefore, there is no place for eating meat for Vaishnavas.

Regarding following non-violence in difficult times, Krishna says in Bhagavat Geeta (12.15):

“Yasmān nodvijate loko lokān nodvijate cha yaḥ,

Harṣhāmarṣha-bhayodvegair mukto yaḥ sa cha me priyaḥ.”

Meaning: Those who are not a source of harm to anyone and who in turn are not agitated by anyone, who are equal in pleasure and pain, and free from fear and anxiety, such devotees of Mine are very dear to Me.

Therefore, one must strive to forgive others for causing harm and never cause harm to others himself. If someone causes harm to a devotee (a Vaishnav), he does not get disturbed by it as he considers those circumstances as the mercy of God, i.e., God is depleting the results of his previous bad actions in the form of harm caused by other people. But there are situations in which violence is allowed in our scriptures.

“Shastram dvijātibhir grāhyam dharmo yatra uparudhyate,

Dvijatinām cha varnānām viplave kālkārite.”

(Manu Smriti 8.348)

Meaning: Twice-born men can take up weapons when they are hindered in the fulfilment of their duties and destruction threatens the duties of respective castes in evil times.

“Ātmanascha paritrāne dakshinānām cha sangare,

Stri-Viprābhyupapattau cha ghnan dharmena na dushyati.”

(Manu Smriti 8.349)

Meaning: In their own defence, in strife when a Brahmin's rightful fee is seized from them, in order to protect women and Brahmins; he who kills an evil person to preserve Dharma, commits no sin.

“Gurum vā bāla-vriddhau vā Brāhmanam vā bahu shrutam,

Ātatāyinam āyāntam hanyād eva avichārayan.”

(Manu Smriti 8.350)

Meaning: One may slay without hesitation an assassin who approaches (with murderous intention), whether he be his teacher, elder, child, an aged man or a Brahmin deeply versed in the Vedas.

One must note that the situations of violence exempted to be sinful are either cases of extreme danger or threat to Samāj Dharma (social duty). This is why, one must carefully determine whether he is acting out of ego or preserving Dharma as described in our scriptures.

2. Vachik Ahimsa: One must not cause pain to a person using harsh and insolent words. This is called Vachik Ahimsa or verbal violence. One should always try to speak truthful but kind words. Sometimes, people do not hurt physically but speak such words that pierce the heart of another. Sometimes, people even commit suicide due to intolerably harsh words.

“Anudvega-karaṁ vākyaṁ satyaṁ priya-hitaṁ cha yat,

Svādhyāyābhyasanaṁ chaiva vāṅ-mayaṁ tapa uchyate.”

(Bhagavat Geeta 17.15)

Meaning: Words that do not cause distress, are truthful, sweet, and beneficial, as well as regular recitation of the Vedic scriptures—these are called as the verbal austerities.

3. Manasik Ahimsa: One should not desire or relish others' suffering. This is called Manasik Ahimsa or mental non-violence. Even if the person concerned has wronged you, is sinful or has a narrow perspective on Dharma, one must think that he is ignorant and forgive him. A teacher or Acharya, parents and elders can show anger to a child or student. However, that anger should not be born of ego, but only to educate the child.

One who strives to follow Kayik, Vachik and Manasik Ahimsa is called a non-violent person. Violence and Dharma cannot exist together. Violence is darkness and Dharma is light. Where there is light (Dharma), darkness (violence) cannot exist.

Sanatan Dharma teaches the founding principles of world peace. It teaches us to embrace everyone as integral to a worldwide family. But due to misconceptions, ignorance and narrow-mindedness, it is interpreted in various incorrect ways. As followers of Sanatan Dharma, regardless of which sect or path one belongs to, we must understand and follow the five basic principles of Sanatan Dharma in our lives.