________________
The Nature of Himsā : — Hiṁsā, in its popular meaning, may be defined as the committing of injury to the Dravya-prāṇasy and the Bhāva-prāṇas through the operation of intense-passion-infected Yoga (activity of mind, body and speech). Suicide, homicide, and killing of any other life whatsoever aptly sum up the nature of Hirsā, inasmuch as these villainous actions are rendered conceivable only when the Dravya prāṇas and the Bhāva-prānas pertaining to oneself and to others are injured. The minimum number of Dravy.prāṇas has been enumerated to be four, and the maximum has been known to be ten; and the Bhāva-prāņas are the very attributes of Jiva. The amount of injury will thus be commensurate with the number of Prāņas injured at a particular time and occasion. If the bodily movements etc. are performed with circumspection, nevertheless if any living being is oppressed, it cannot be called Hirnsā, for the infecting element of intense-passion is missing. On the contrary even if, by careless bodily movements, no animate body is oppressed, the actions are not free from Hissā. Here though the soul has not injured others, yet it has injured itself by defiling its own natural constitution. He who employs his mind, body, and speech in injuring others commits Hirsā on account of actually indulging in it. Thus, wherever there is inadvertence of mind, body or speech, Himsā is inevitable.?
Kinds of Hiṁsā : – Hiṁsā is of two kinds; namely, intentional and non-intentional. The latter has been again subdivided into Udyamī, Arambhi, and Virodhi. The intentional perpetrator of Hiṁsā engages himself in the commitment of the acts of Himsā by his own mind, speech and action; provokes others to commit them; and endorses such acts of others. Besides, Hiṁsā which is unavoidably committed (1) by reason of one's own profession, (2) by the
Spiritual Awakening (Samyagdarśana) and Other Essays
81
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org
