218. Non-Violence

 


Krishna says, “Ahimsa (non-violence), Satyam (truthfulness), Akrodh (freedom from anger), Renunciation, Peacefulness, Non-slanderousness, Compassion for all creatures, Absence of greed, Gentleness, Modesty, Lack of restlessness” (16.2) - are divine qualities. While ahimsa is a divine quality, the violent Kurukshetra battle presents a major barrier that one needs to cross to understand the Bhagavad Gita.

Firstly, the answer to this paradox was given by Krishna earlier when he told Arjuna that he would incur no sin if he fought the battle by maintaining the inner balance between pleasure-pain; gain-losses; and victory-defeat (2.38). While defining yoga, Krishna clarified that samatva or inner balance is nothing but yoga. This inner balance or samatva is nothing but ahimsa. Akrodh (freedom from anger), is another divine quality which is also a result of this inner balance. On the other hand, any action that comes out of imbalance is violence and anger.

Secondly, when we become attached to a person, object, or experience, the possibility of its loss creates fear, resistance, and conflict. These are subtle forms of violence. In that sense, the very idea of “mine” is rooted in violence. Both attachment and ahankaar arise from this sense of ownership. As they dissolve, unconditional love and genuine non-violence naturally emerge.

Krishna says that the best yogi is he who feels for others, whether in grief or pleasure, even as he feels for himself (6.32). It is sharing others’ happiness as our happiness without jealousy; it is feeling others’ pain as our pain without sadism or sarcasm. This feeling for others is ahimsa. Slander is also a form of violence that we inflict on others by making false and defamatory statements, which is why Krishna includes non-slanderousness as a divine quality. Another divine quality of renunciation is nothing but dropping hatred (5.3).

Satyam (truthfulness) is about being unconditionally truthful in both favourable and adverse situations. Once again, this stems from our inner balance.

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