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Ahiṃsā
अहिंसास्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine) · अ (negation) + हिंसा (hiṃsā — violence, from √हिंस् hiṃs — to hurt) · नञ् तत्पुरुष समास
ahiṃsā
Ethics and Values
Non-violence — absence of intention to cause harm
Ahiṃsā is not simply physical non-violence — it is the absence of intention to cause harm in thought, word, and action. In Vedānta, ahiṃsā arises naturally from self-knowledge: one who recognizes ātman in all beings has no reason to cause harm. It is one of the universal values (sāmānya-dharma) listed in the Bhagavad Gītā.
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