Idea of Ahimsa and Asceticism in Ancient Indian Tradition

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

Page 39

3. LATER PHASES, SPREAD OF AHIMSA
AND ASCETIC IDEAS
(a) Inner values - himsa-ahima :
It is essential now to examine here in short at this stage the general situation prevailing in the contemporary ritualism and some new trends within the fold of Brahmanism or Hinduism, and then to evaluate the reform activities in this context, so far the theme of ahimsa is concerned. For this purpose we concentrate our attention on some passages of the MBH which alsdorf has specially selected for his study from this particular angle (Alsdorf-1 pp.29-41). Some passages contain debates on topics like ahimsa or vegetarianism versus animal sacrifices or meat-eating. The bulk of the present MBH contains considerable material of the type which can well be assigned to a period before Buddhism and Jainism came into existence (Alsdorf1 p.30; Oldenberg. op.cit. p.187).
Out of the earlier of such passages is an episode of DharmaVya dha - the holy-hunter in the MBH vana-parvan (3.191). The hunter living a religious life is satisfied with his strange means of livelihood, namely: hunting animals which though an evil karma by its very nature, but it is destined for him - for persons of his class, and therefore, he should not abandon it at any cost. But he fed the gods, the pitrs (the dead, fathers), guests, etc. from the meat of animals he hunted. He explains that there is hardly any person not committed to himsa - killing
living being in the world. The entire world is full of living beings, and the one devours the other. The only dharma that we have to observe earnestly, is to somehow lesser, or root out effects of the evil karmas fallen to our lot, by strictly observing religious duties or the dharma, namely; liberality, truthfulness, obedience, etc. We should strive after the ahimsa everyday which assists us in lessening injurious activities (Alsdorf-1 p.30).
The anusa sana-parvan (13.116.61) gives more weight to an abstinence from the meat-eating, and says, that to abstain from
meat-eating for one year equals to severe-most penances (tapas) for one hundred years. On another occasion it is stated that the ahimsa includes in itself all other dharmas, as a footprint of an elephant includes in it, footprints of all other in
(MBH 12.237.18), that means, a person observing the dharma of a hiņsa observes in fact all other dharmas !