History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c96.s1.77

v7.c96.s1.77

VIII. Another important doctrine is that of *ahiṃsā*. So far as the Upaniṣads, Mahābhārata, Dharmaśāstras and Purāṇas are concerned the subject of *ahiṃsā* has been dealt with above in pp 941-947 and in Vol. II. p. 10. A few matters are briefly mentioned here. The words *kratu* and *yajña* occur hundreds of times in the Ṛgveda. The difference sometimes made is this that the word *yajña* is very general (including the five daily religious duties laid down in Manu III. 70), while *kratu* is confined to solemn Vedic sacrifices like Somayāga Pāṇini mentions the two separately (IV. 3. 68) and the Gītā IX 16 (ahaṃ kraturahaṃ yajñaḥ) also does the same. Animals were offered in some of these, though not in all. Gradually it came to be thought even in the Ṛgveda times that worshipping Agni with fuel sticks or with an oblation of cooked food or ghee or with Veda study or obeisances or with a solemn sacrifice is on the same level and the worshipper is rewarded with swift horses (dashing against enemies) and with highest glory and no trouble whether divine or due to men, reaches him (Ṛg. VIII. 19. 5-6) Some Brāhmaṇa texts are couched in the same strain. The Ait 2626 Br. (VI. 9) remarks 'he who offers a cake performs a sacrifice equal to the offering of all sacrificial animals'. The Tai. Br. provides that the forest sacrificial animals, after a firebrand is carried around them, are let off for the sake of ahiṃsā. Dr. A. Schweitzer in his 'Indian thought and its development' (tr. into English by Mrs Russell, 1936) tries hard to establish a contrast between the attitude of what he calls 'world and life negation' in Hindu thought and 'world and life affirmation' characteristic of Christianity and as a side issue remarks (on p. 80) that 'the ahimsā commandment does not arise from a feeling of compassion but from a feeling of keeping a person undefiled'. The learned author ignores several things; firstly,²⁶²⁷ not a word is said about purity (śauca) in the Chāndogya and other passages about ahiṁsā. Secondly, the injunction about not giving pain to any being (in Chān. Up.) is immediately preceded by the words 'having concentrated all his senses on the Self'. That shows that one who knows and has come to realize that all is *brahma* should give no pain to others as all those also are brahma and not on the ground of purity or defilement. Further, in the Mahābhārata and Smṛtis some of which at least are not far removed in time from the Upanisads both ahiṁsā and śauca (purity) are separately mentioned along with other duties (dharmas) common to all varnas. Gaut. (8. 23-24) lays down eight qualities of the soul for every dvija viz. compassion towards all beings, forbearance, freedom from jealousy, freedom from excessive harm (to himself), doing auspicious acts, absence of abjectness (or miserliness), absence of discontent'. The same eight are specified in the Matsyapurāṇa 52 8-10, Atrismṛti 34-41. Manu V. 46 (= Visnu Dh. S 51. 69) provides 'he who does not desire to cage or kill or cause pain to living beings, thus desirous of doing good to all, secures highest (or never ending) happiness'. Śauca is external (of the body) and internal (of the mind). Manu V. 106 expressly says that he who is pure as to money matters is really pure and not one who washes himself with sand or water. Vide above pp. 1421-22 notes 2331 and 2333. It is worthy of note that the Śāntiparve (chapter 162. 4-5 = Cr. ed. 156. 4-5) contains an apotheosis of *Satya* as the ancient Dharma and brahman itself and then in verses 7-9 Satya is stated to appear in thirteen aspects such as *tyāga* (renunciation of attachment and pleasures), *samatā* (being the same to all), *dama* (restraint of senses), *kṣamā* (forbearance), *hrī* (being ashamed to boast of one's good deeds), *anasūyā* (absence of jealousy), *dayā* (compassion) and so on, *ahiṁsā* being the 13th aspect of Satya.