Thread by @TheRawFact

#Thread
1/n

अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः is half/semi truth.

अहिंसा means non-violence in relative sense.

There are times when violence can also be considered अहिंसा if that violence is used to stop greater violence/EVIL.

-To kill a man who is taking away the lives of innocent is अहिंसा

2/n

If someone enters the house and molests a lady, a householder CANNOT keep quiet.

Similarly, in a war, a soldier cannot put down his weapons.

In either case, practicing अहिंसा would be adharma, NOT dharma.

3/n

Similarly, a king must protect his subjects even if it requires violence to punish criminals or going to war with neighboring kingdoms if they attack.

A king should always raise his rod of chastisement to keep peace and order in his country.

4/n

He will fail in the discharge of his duty if he does not punish the wicked, and his country will be in a state of utter chaos.

5/n

The phrase अहिंसा परमो धर्मः is mentioned several times in the Mahabharata. These instances are explained below:

Vana Parva -

अहिंसा सत्यवचनं सर्वभूतहितं परम
अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मः स च सत्ये परतिष्ठितः
सत्ये कृत्वा परतिष्ठां तु परवर्तन्ते परवृत्तयः

6/n

Virtuous men are always kind to all creatures.
They abstain from doing injury to any creature, and are never rude in speech.
Those good men who know well the consequences of the fruition of their good and evil deeds, are commended by virtuous men.

7/n

Anusasana Parva -

Bhishma "a person of cleansed soul should be compassionate to all living creatures..."

And the first of all dharma is “ahiṃsā” (non-violence) - this starts with FOOD.

(The idea that human being don’t KILL any life-forms for FOOD.)

8/n

अहिंसा परमॊ धर्मस तदाहिंसा परॊ थमः
अहिंसा परमं थानम अहिंसा परमस तपः
अहिंसा परमॊ यज्ञस तदाहिस्मा परं बलम
अहिंसा परमं मित्रम अहिंसा परमं सुखम
अहिंसा परमं सत्यम अहिंसा परमं शरुतम

9/n

सर्वयज्ञेषु वा थानं सर्वतीर्देषु चाप्लुतम
सर्वथानफलं वापि नैतत तुल्यम अहिंसया
अहिंस्रस्य तपॊ ऽकषय्यम अहिंस्रॊ यजते सथा
अहिंस्रः सर्वभूतानां यदा माता यदा पिता
एतत फलम अहिंसाया भूयश च कुरुपुंगव
न हि शक्या गुणा वक्तुम इह वर्षशतैर अपि

10/n

Abstention from cruelty is the highest Religion.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest self-control.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest gift.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest penance.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest sacrifice.

11/n

Abstention from cruelty is the highest puissance.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest friend.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest happiness.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest truth.
Abstention from cruelty is the highest Sruti.

12/n

Gifts made in all sacrifices, ablutions performed in all sacred waters, & the merit that one acquires from making all kinds of gifts mentioned in the scriptures, - all these do not come up to abstention from cruelty (in point of the merit that attaches to it).

13/n

The penances of a man that abstains from cruelty are inexhaustible.
The man that abstains from cruelty is regarded as always performing sacrifices.
The man that abstains from cruelty is the father and mother of all creatures.

14/n

Even these, O chief of Kuru's race, are some of the merits of abstention from cruelty.

Altogether, the merits that attach to it are so many that they are incapable of being exhausted even if one were to speak for a hundred years.

15/n

Here अहिंसा is translated as abstention from cruelty in relation to killing for the sake of eating the flesh of the killed animal for personal pleasure.

In essence
Bhishma is stating that it is very beneficial to be vegetarian because thereby there is NO cruelty to animals

वसुदेव सुतं देवं कंस चाणूरमर्दनं |
देवकी परमानंदं कृष्णं वंदे जगद्गुरुं || ||

Bhagwan Krishna always shower his blessings on you and every year #Janmastami bring lots of happiness for you and your Family...

Wishing you all a very Happy Janmashtami 🙏

#happyjanmashtami