Shloka 3
Yoga’s Limbs and Dharma as the Ground of Liberation
हिंसाविरामको धर्मो ह्याहिंसा परमं सुखम् / विधिना या भवेद्धिंसा सा त्वहिंसा प्रकीर्तिता
hiṃsāvirāmako dharmo hyāhiṃsā paramaṃ sukham / vidhinā yā bhaveddhiṃsā sā tvahiṃsā prakīrtitā
Dharma is that which brings violence to a halt; indeed, non-violence (ahiṃsā) is the highest happiness. And any act that appears as violence when performed according to righteous rule is, in truth, declared to be non-violence.
Lord Vishnu (speaking to Garuda/Vinata-putra)
Concept: Ahimsa as paramasukha; dharma aims to end violence; apparent violence done ‘vidhina’ (by rightful rule) can be classified as ahimsa when it prevents greater harm and aligns with duty.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma as chitta-shuddhi: intention, context, and scriptural rule shape karmic imprint more than mere external form.
Application: Use least-harm principles: avoid injury; when coercion is unavoidable (e.g., protection, surgery, lawful restraint), act without hatred, within rules, and for prevention of greater harm.
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.238.2 (harmlessness toward all beings); Garuda Purana 1.238.5 (asteya as restraint from harm to others’ property)
FAQs
This verse places ahiṃsā as the highest source of peace and defines true dharma as the stopping of harm, making non-violence a central ethical benchmark.
The verse explains that actions done strictly by vidhi (righteous prescription and necessity) are not counted as hiṃsā in the moral sense, because their intention and framework are aligned with dharma rather than cruelty.
Choose the least harmful option, cultivate restraint, and evaluate actions by intent and ethical rule—avoiding cruelty while permitting only necessary, duty-bound acts under clear moral discipline.