*Ahimsa* — usually translated as "non-violence" — is one of the foundational principles of classical Indian thought, shared across Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism, though developed most rigorously by the Jains. The literal meaning is *a* (non) + *himsa* (harm) — non-harming. The principle is broader than the English word "non-violence" suggests; it covers the avoidance of harm in thought, word and deed.
✦ In Patanjali's Yoga
The *Yoga Sutras* (2.30) list five *yamas* (ethical restraints) as the first limb of yoga: ahimsa, satya (truth), asteya (non-stealing), brahmacharya (sexual restraint), aparigraha (non-possessiveness). Ahimsa is named first — and the order is meaningful. Patanjali holds that ahimsa is the foundation on which the other four rest; without it, any apparent virtue collapses on closer inspection.
The Sutras (2.35): *ahimsa-pratishthayam tat-sannidhau vaira-tyagah* — "in the presence of one established in ahimsa, hostility ceases." This is a remarkable claim: that non-harming, when fully internalised, has a measurable effect on others around the practitioner. Modern observers of figures like Gandhi, Vinoba Bhave and Ramana Maharshi have noted something resembling this effect.
✦ In Jainism
Jain tradition takes ahimsa to its logical conclusion. Jain *sadhus* sweep the path before walking to avoid stepping on insects; wear a cloth over the mouth to avoid inhaling small organisms; eat only vegetarian food, and within that excludes root vegetables (whose harvesting kills the plant). The Jain *Tattvartha Sutra* (5.21) gives the classical definition: *ahimsa is the destruction of attachment, aversion and delusion*; physical non-harming is its outer expression but not its essence.
✦ Three Levels
Most Hindu commentators recognise three levels of ahimsa:
Karma (action) — not committing physical harm. The most basic level, accessible to anyone.
Vacha (speech) — not committing harm through words. Harsh speech, slander, gossip and verbal abuse are violations of ahimsa even when no physical harm is done.
Manas (mind) — not harbouring violent thought, including ill-will, contempt, schadenfreude, or vengeful imagination. The hardest level; the *Mahabharata* repeatedly notes that mental ahimsa is what most practitioners ultimately fail to achieve, even when their outer conduct is impeccable.
✦ What Ahimsa Is Not
Ahimsa is not passivity. The Bhagavad Gita is, on one reading, a long argument that abandoning a justified battle in the name of non-violence is itself a form of violence — to one's dharma, to one's dependents, to the larger order. Krishna's argument to Arjuna does not abolish ahimsa but contextualises it: when dharma calls for action that involves harm, refusing the action is its own violation.
✦ Practical Application
For most householders, ahimsa is practiced through:
- ✦**Vegetarian or near-vegetarian diet** (debated across Hindu schools; Jainism and most Vaishnavism require it strictly).
- ✦**Cessation of harsh speech** at home and at work.
- ✦**Self-monitoring of ill-will** — noticing the rise of contempt, jealousy or vengeful thought, and choosing not to dwell on it.
- ✦**Active care** for those who cannot defend themselves — children, the elderly, the sick, animals, the environment.
The classical understanding is that ahimsa is a *cultivation*, not a switch. It is undertaken progressively, with awareness that perfect ahimsa is not initially possible but gradual reduction of harm is.