Ahimsa Paramodharma, has been mentioned as a godly version in Bhagavad Gita.
Ahimsa means non-violence which is considered as the supreme religion and highest code of conduct.
How can non-violence be relevant and significant in the battle field of Mahabharata war, where it is shown as having been imparted? In the midst of war how can Ahims—the precept of cause no Injury, lead to success?
This precept clearly should be ‘Cause no Injury’ or violence to the self. This interpretation here is all about the stability of the mind—peaceful, focused and powerful.
Hence the version Ahimsa Paramodharma in Bhagavad Gita, the song of god, incorporated into the Mahabharata, emphasises the cardinal importance of Ahimsa in life, and it literally means Ahimsa is the highest virtue.
Ahimsa is the highest self-control, Ahimsa is the greatest gift, Ahimsa is the highest sacrifice, Ahimsa is the finest strength, Ahimsa is the greatest friend, Ahimsa is the greatest happiness, Ahimsa is the highest truth and Ahimsa is the greatest teaching, as Bhagavad Gita says.
The interpretation is about non-violence and the battle field, a metaphor explaining the internal war within each human being. The basic concept to understand is that when we are not stable, not peaceful, and not happy and when we are hurt, we hurt others.
Any act of violence has its own karmic consequences; hence the hurt to the self, hurts more and is deeper.
Violence is a self inflicted pain and it is manifested on others in the form of words and actions. Conflict with others and the outward war is actually a result of the inner conflict within oneself. Only by stopping this inner conflict can we stop the violence outside. Just like in a fruit, its bitterness lies merged in the seed beneath the ground, violence that erupts in words and actions has its seed at a very subtle level, in the form of thoughts. Beware! It has many disguises.
It is sown in the form of guilt, resentment and disappointments and it is due to low self esteem and disrespect for the self and discontent with the self. According to a recent statistics, globally violence claims the lives of more than 1.5 million people annually. Of this over 50 per cent is due to suicide, some 35 per cent due to homicide, and just over 12 per cent as a direct result of war or some other form of conflict.
This clearly shows that damage is due to violence within the self and the only antidote for this is peace.
Peace leads to non violence. The the normal belief is that if there is no violence there will be peace. But actually it is the other way around, when you are peaceful and not hurt yourself, you will not hurt others and there will be peace around you.
So the highest dharma, code of conduct is being non violent to the self. Ahimsa should be a faith and a lifestyle.
Truth and nonviolence are inseparable.
Meditation helps to realise our true nature and thereby help us to remain non-violent. In meditation, the one who connects with the supreme being, to allow him to take over and let his own mind take a back seat, is able to use godly wisdom, as the arrows of knowledge to destroy the very creation of ignorance, which is the progeny of blind faith, and thereby become winners of this non violent war.