Ahiṁsā and the ethical foundation
अहिंसा
Also written: ahimsa · yama niyama · hindu ethics · non violence hinduism · sadharana dharma · अहिंसा
Beneath every role-specific duty lies sāmānya dharma — the obligations that bind everyone, in every varṇa, at every stage, without exception. Ahiṁsā stands first among them.
अहिंसा परमो धर्मः।
ahiṁsā paramo dharmaḥ
Non-injury is the highest dharma.
The five yamas and five niyamas
| Yama — restraint | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ahiṁsā | Non-injury in act, speech and thought |
| Satya | Truth — and, the tradition adds, truth spoken so as not to injure |
| Asteya | Non-stealing, including of time, credit and attention |
| Brahmacarya | Continence; the conservation and right use of vital energy |
| Aparigraha | Non-possessiveness; taking no more than is needed |
| Niyama — observance | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Śauca | Purity of body, surroundings and motive |
| Santoṣa | Contentment with what is, while working for what should be |
| Tapas | Voluntary discipline; heat that refines |
| Svādhyāya | Study of scripture, and study of oneself |
| Īśvara-praṇidhāna | Surrender of the fruits of action to the Divine |
What ahiṁsā actually requires
It is not passivity, and the tradition is explicit about this. The Gītā is delivered to persuade a warrior to fight. Ahiṁsā prohibits injury from anger, greed, contempt or convenience; it does not prohibit the protection of the defenceless, which the kṣatriya's dharma requires. The Mahābhārata calls a ruler who fails to protect a greater sinner than the aggressor. The test is the motive and the necessity, not the absence of force.
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Last revised 2026-08-16. Corrections are welcome — see how this site is written.