Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

Author(s): Bansidhar Bhatt
Publisher: B J Institute

Page 36

AHMSA, ASCETICISM
the smrti texts. We mention here some of the rules covering the concept of ahimsa for the brahmin class as a whole.
Generally a brahmin has to avoid injury to the living beings: adrohenaiva bhatanam..../
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says the MS (4.2). A brahmin adopting his livelihood by means of agriculture should be careful so that no living being is injured. But such a profession should be avoided even if he is passing his life in poverty, since the living beings in the fields are injured by means of ploughing (cf.BDS 1.5.10.30; MS 10.83). A brahmin should not adopt a duty of a kṣatriya also as a warrior in the army, since such a duty involves injury to living beings (BDS 2.24.17). The brahmins are again instructed not to take any weapon in hand, even for the sake of its examination (ADS 1.10.29.6). Gautama lays much weight on the eight qualities, viz. daya sarva-bhūteṣu - compassion for the living beings, kṣanti (endurance), anasuya (non-envious), purity, anayasa (absence of weariness, exertion ?), auspicisouness, akarpaṇya (absence of greed, magnanimity), aspṛha (absence of covetousness) by means of which a brahmin can be united with the brahman (n.), irrespective of the other forty sacraments he is expected to possess (GDS. 8.22-25). Here the terms such as daya, abhaya, adroha, etc. may be considered as synonyms of the ahimsa (cf. Schreiner. p.305). The brahmins can attain heaven and also the highest bliss by means of ahimsa, says the MS (4.246, 12.83). Quite often in some smrti texts, non-injury to living beings ahimsa - is mentioned as one among the many rules laid down for a brahmin snataka (student ready to enter the householder's mode of life; for such rules, see e.g. MS 4.164, 246, etc.; for details, see Schmidt-1 pp.633-635).
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(i) The entire society :
People of the other classes, viz. ksatriyas (the warrior class), vaisyas (merchants, farmers, etc.), and sadras (the lower class) in the society followed in course of time the precedent of the brahmins, and adopted the ahimsa-doctrine. The MS mentions ahimsa among the other duties of persons of all the four classes, viz.
ahimsa satyam asteyam saucam indriya-nigrahaḥ / etam samasikam dharmam caturvarṇye 'bravin Manuḥ // (MS 10.63)
"Non-injury, truth, non-stealing, purity, control upon the senseorgans: Manu declared this law in short for the four classes." For Private & Personal Use Only