ahimsa

[uh-him-sah, uh-hing-]

noun

Hinduism.

1. the principle of noninjury to living beings.

ahimsa

/ ɑːˈhɪmsɑː /

noun

1. (in Hindu, Buddhist, and Jainist philosophy) the law of reverence for, and nonviolence to, every form of life

Word History and Origins

Origin of ahimsa¹

First recorded in 1830–35; from Sanskrit ahiṁsā “noninjury,” equivalent to a- privative suffix (cognate with Greek a- ) + hiṁsā injury, derivative of hánti “(he) slays,” Greek phónos “murder”; a- ⁶

Word History and Origins

Origin of ahimsa¹

Sanskrit, from _a- ¹ + himsā injury

Example Sentences

“He was a colossus, a true votary of ahimsa,” Lal wrote, “and a very compassionate man.”

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Modi hopes to reach more people with the Jain teachings of ahimsa, or nonviolence in thought, word, and deed; nonpossessiveness; and acceptance of multiple viewpoints.

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Kulkarni — who is Hindu — appealed to the shared Jain, Hindu and Buddhist belief in ahimsa, nonviolence and respect for others.

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A core tenet of Jainism, a small but influential religion in India, is ahimsa, the practice of nonviolence and compassion toward all forms of life.

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According to Raich, yoga class guidelines are undergirded by the concept of ahimsa, one of the five yamas, or moral values, of yoga.

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