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THE ORIENT
war. He tried his best to avert the Mahabharata war, but could not succeed. The war caused untold miseries to the people including the victorious party of the Pandavas. Even Krishna himself could not protect his own people. The destruction and suffering produced a new awakening. This reaction was marked by a change of attitude from violence to non-violence and from indulgence or wordly pleasure to renunciation and spiritual bliss. Ahimsa was regarded, thereafter, as the greatest dharma and the path of renunciation as the ideal way of life. The path of Ahimsa or non-violence was embraced not only by the Arhats and Sramanas, it formed the corner-stone of the philosophy of the Mahabharata. This is evident from the following verses of the Mahabharata.
अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्वा यश्चरते पुनः ।
न तस्य सर्वभूतेभ्यो भयमुत्पद्यते कचित् ॥
One who makes all creatures fearless has no cause of fear from anybody anywhere.
यथा नागपदे अन्यानि पदानि पदगाभिनाम् । सर्वाण्यवापिधीयन्ते पदजातानि कौंजरे ॥
- महा • अनु • पर्व ११४-६ एवं सर्व महिंसायां धर्मार्थमपिधीयते । सोऽमृतो नित्यं वसति यो न हिंसा प्रपद्यते ॥
Just as foot-prints of all animals can come in the foot-prints of Mahanaga elephant, even so Ahimsa can include all the Dharmas. One who does not cause injury to anyone lives in peace always, being immortal.
जीवितेयः स्वयं चैच्छेत् कथं सोऽन्यं प्रधातयेत् । यद् यदात्मनि चेच्छेत् तत् परस्यापि चिन्तयेत् ॥
How can one who wants to live oneself cause injury to others? Whatever one thinks for oneself, he should think the same for others also.
(Compare Sutrakritanga I, II, 9-10)
प्राणदनात् परं दानं न भूतं न भविष्यति । नहात्मनः प्रियतरं किविदस्तीह निश्चितम् ॥ - महा • अनु० पर्व ११६-१६
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There is no better there be any in future. world than life,
charity than to protect life, nor would There is no more precious thing in the
