Ahimsa

The word Ahimsa means ‘not to injure.’

- Swati Chitalia

It is derived from the Sanskrit root ‘Hims’ – injury or harm. Ahimsa is the opposite of ‘Hims’ and the meaning is “do not cause any injury or do any harm.” It is a key virtue in Indian Religion and applies to all living beings. All living beings have a spark of divine spiritual energy and if we hurt another being, we are hurting ourselves also. Ahimsa refers to total abstinence from inflicting pain or harm to all living creatures, by thoughts, words or deeds. Hence, a constant vigilance of ourselves is needed while interacting with others, taking note of our intentions.