Ahimsa

noun (uncountable)

/ʌˈhɪm.sɑː/

The ancient Indian ethical principle of non-violence and non-injury toward all living beings, central to Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism, and adopted by Gandhi as the moral foundation of the independence movement.

✍️ Usage in a UPSC answer

Gandhiji elevated ahimsa from a personal virtue into a potent instrument of mass politics, demonstrating that a colonised people could confront imperial power through moral force rather than bloodshed.

Synonyms

non-violencenon-injuryharmlessnesspacifismnon-aggression

Antonyms

himsa (violence)aggressionbrutalitycruelty

🌱 Word Family

ahimsa (n); related Sanskrit: hiṃsā (n, violence), hiṃsaka (adj, violent), ahiṃsaka (adj, non-violent)

🔡 Root

Sanskrit a- = not/without (privative) + hiṃsā = injury/harm (from root hiṃs- = to strike)

📜 Etymology

From Sanskrit ahiṃsā (अहिंसा), combining the privative prefix a- ("not, without") and hiṃsā ("injury, harm," from the root hiṃs-, "to strike"); literally "non-harming."

🧠 Memory Hook

Root-based: A-HIMSA = "a-" (not) + "himsa" (harm) — literally "no harm"; picture Gandhi's charkha spinning peace instead of conflict.

🏛️ History & Culture 📖 Seen in: Gandhi's Early Movements (1915–1922)

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