Item 10 in Bhagavad Gita's Twenty-Six Divine Qualities

Nonviolence

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.

Position
10
Form
Mixed formulation
Obligation
Context-dependent
Wording status
Translation
Intended audience
Readers and practitioners cultivating disciplined and liberating character
Last reviewed
28 June 2027

Names and terminology

Canonical name: Ahiṃsā

Original term: Ahiṃsā

Transliteration: Ahiṃsā

Source wording

<p>Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.</p><p><em>Editorial paraphrase; consult the linked source for full wording and context.</em></p>

Translation

Literal meaning

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.

Broader interpretation

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.

Historical context

This principle belongs to Bhagavad Gita's Twenty-Six Divine Qualities and must be read within that framework's setting.

Practical meaning

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.

Ethical purpose

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings.

Exceptions and disputes

Translation and application vary; each quality should be applied with evidence, proportionality and attention to competing duties.

Variations across schools or traditions

Translations divide and render several Sanskrit terms differently; this catalogue follows the standard twenty-six-term enumeration.

Modern application

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings. Modern application should consider consent, evidence, proportionality, power and consequences.

Criticism and difficult cases

Translation and application vary; each quality should be applied with evidence, proportionality and attention to competing duties.

Truth By Reason analysis

Avoid injury and needless harm to living beings. Application should preserve the ethical purpose while avoiding coercion, discrimination and preventable harm.

Ethical themes

  • Nonviolence
  • Treatment of animals

Sources