Parmo Dharma

[Ravi Khangai]

Esteemed Scholars

Can 'Ahimsa Parmo Dharma' be translated as ' Non-violence is the greatest duty'?

thanks.

ॐ सर्वे भवन्तु सुखिनः
सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः ।
सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् ।
ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः ॥
Om Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinah
Sarve Santu Nir-Aamayaah |
Sarve Bhadraanni Pashyantu
Maa Kashcid-Duhkha-Bhaag-Bhavet |
Om Shaantih Shaantih Shaantih ||

-Dr. Ravi Khangai, Assistant Professor, P.G.T.D. History, RTM Nagpur University, Nagpur, Maharashtra, India-440033

Adjunct Faculty

Hindu University of America

5200 Vineland Road, Suite 120, Orlando, FL 32811, USA.

Mo- 918446000912, 919665575896

https://nagpuruniversity.academia.edu/ravikhangai

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[Subrahmanyam Korada]

नमो विद्वद्भ्यः

No

धन्यो’स्मि

Dr.Korada Subrahmanyam
Professor of Sanskrit, CALTS,
University of Hyderabad,
Ph:09866110741(M),91-40-23010741(R),040-23133660(O)

Skype Id: Subrahmanyam Korada

Blog: Koradeeyam.blogspot.in 

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[Ravi Khangai]

Sir if possible kindly give the right translation.

Dhanyvad

[Jsr Prasad]

Dr. Ravi ji,

Alternatively, why not we popularize our own terms (rather concepts!) in English? This is not to discourage from your current requirement. The word अहिंसा has Yogic connotations and धर्म has Dharmashastra connotations. I would rather prefer to translate it as 'Ahimsa is the highest Dharma.

Thanks

J.S.R. Anjaneya Prasad,
Professor, Dept. of Sanskrit Studies,
School of Humanities, University of Hyderabad,
Prof. C.R. Rao Road, Hyderabad - 500 046
Tel: +91-40-2313 3803

।। पुरुषोऽयं लोकसम्मितः ।।

[Ravi Khangai]

Sri Prasad Mahashaya,

that is in line with what I am thinking. Thank you for reinforcing it.

Dhanyavad

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[Subrahmanyam Korada]

नमो विद्वद्भ्यः

if possible kindly give the right translation

                                              --- Vidvan Ravi Khangal

अहिंसा परमो धर्मः तथाहिंसा परं तपः ।

अहिंसा परमं ज्ञानम् अहिंसा परमार्जवम् ॥  --- महाभारतम्

There is no translation at all for certain terms like शब्दः , कर्म , धर्मः , दानम् , पुण्यम् , योगः , अहिंसा , यमः , 

नियमः , विवाहः , उपनयनम्  etc

Such terms have to be used as they are and some explanation in parenthesis / footnotes / endnotes .

What is the problem ?

These terms  that are  mostly culture specific , are pregnant with meaning ,

In fact , some of such terms have already entered  Oxford etc Dictionaries - मन्त्र , योग ।

We have accepted rough translations of some terms --

व्याकरणम् = grammar -- व्याकरणम् is an instrument that is used to separate शब्दाः from अपशब्दाः and 

it includes grammar ( parts of speech etc ) .

अहिंसा is translated as non-violence . 

मनसा वाचा कर्मणा  भूतानाम् अविरोधेन वर्तनम् अहिंसा ।

In सन्ध्यावन्दनम् we say एतेषाम् अविरोधेन ब्रह्म कर्म समारभे  ( i e without causing any disturbance to any प्राणी ) .

But how to decide as to whether someone is following अहिंसा or not ?

Here is Patanjali in योगानुशासनम् ( 2-35) ---

अहिंसाप्रतिष्ठायां तत्सन्निधौ वैरत्यागः

अहिनकुलम् , काकोलूकम् , सर्पदर्दुरम् , मार्जालमूषिकम्  ( ’ येषां च विरोधः शाश्वतिकः ’  पा सू 2-4-9 , एकवद्भावः )

If the pairs  with natural hostility or otherwise give up their द्वेषभाव in the presence of a person 

then we can say he / she is following अहिंसा ( सर्वप्राणिनां भवति - व्यासभाष्यम् ) .

Although वेद says - मा हिंस्यात् सर्वा भूतानि , it also says वायव्यं श्वेतम् आलभेत भूतिकामः -- so वैधहिंसा

(यागीयहिंसा ) is not for पापम् , but other kind of हिंसा is for पापम् - this aspect is discussed in many

systems /schools  of Indian Philosophy .

धर्मः -  this term is wrongly translated as religion - the back translation fails -- religion = मतम्

( इष्टम् , i e liked by some people ) .

Religion is limited to some people whereas धर्म is universal --

सत्यं वद , अहिंसा परमो धर्मः etc are universals .

शमो दमो धृतिः क्षमा शौचमिन्द्रियनिग्रहः ।

धीर्विद्या सत्यमक्रोधो दशकं धर्मलक्षणम् ॥ मनुस्मृतिः , 6-92

(धृतिः धारणधैर्ययोः - कोशः )

वेदो’खिलो धर्ममूलम् स्म्रुतिशीले च तद्विदाम् ।

आचारस्चैव साधूनाम् आत्मनस्तुष्टिरेव च ॥ मनु , 2-6

There are आपद्धर्मs in उद्योगपर्व , महाभारतम् ।

Sometimes , what is अधर्म  in general becomes धर्म in certain circumstances , such as प्राणहानि (IPC 100) .

The concept of धर्म is explained differently by differently systemists - सांख्याः , सौगताः , काणादाः,

मीमांसकाः etc .

So , since it is a vast subject you better explain rather than try for a single-word-rendering .

अहिंसा is the best धर्म ।

धर्मस्य तत्त्वं निहितं गुहायाम्

धन्यो’स्मि

[Nagaraj Paturi]

The sentence 'अहिंसा परमो धर्मः' occurs several times in several different contexts in Mahabharata.

The word परमः, as explained by Prof. Korada, is used in a comparative sense  to indicate superlative degree, to mean 'among various Dharmas , ahimsaa is the highest.'

Dharma = duty is only one of many meanings of Dharma.

Dharma = nature, feature, property, principle of nature, quality;

But that does not suit here. 

Dharma = which holds (everything together), which sustains (everything), etymologically.

Even that does not suit here.

Dharma = ethical norm, 

Dharma = principle of ethics,

Dharma = basis of ethical judgement 

अहिंसा परमो धर्मः goes well with meanings like 

Dharma = duty

Dharma = ethical norm, 

Dharma = principle of ethics,

Dharma = basis of ethical judgement .

So one may translate अहिंसा परमो धर्मः as 

(when faced with a choice among various duties, ethical norms and/or bases of ethical judgement ), ahimsaa = non-violence is the most fundamental/ultimate of all the duties, ethical norms and/or bases of ethical judgement. All other duties, ethical norms and/or bases of ethical judgement are to be evaluated on the touch-stone of ahimsaa.

Our ancient literature gives such a status to each of other aspects of dharma like satyam etc. depending on the context. 

 

Nagaraj Paturi

 

Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.

BoS, MIT School of Vedic Sciences, Pune, Maharashtra

BoS, Chinmaya Vishwavidyapeeth, Veliyanad, Kerala

Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies

 

FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,

 

(Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )