Shloka 15
Īśvara-Gītā (continued): Twofold Yoga, Aṣṭāṅga Discipline, Pāśupata Meditation, and the Unity of Nārāyaṇa–Maheśvara
अहिंसायाः परो धर्मो नास्त्यहिंसा परं सुखम् / विधिना या भवेद्धिंसा त्वहिंसैव प्रकीर्तिता
ahiṃsāyāḥ paro dharmo nāstyahiṃsā paraṃ sukham / vidhinā yā bhaveddhiṃsā tvahiṃsaiva prakīrtitā
No hay dharma más alto que la no violencia (ahiṃsā), ni dicha más alta que la no violencia. Aun el acto que parece violencia, si se realiza conforme a la norma de las Escrituras y al recto procedimiento, es proclamado como no violencia en sí misma.
Lord Kurma (Vishnu) teaching in the Ishvara Gita
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: vira
FAQs
By placing ahiṃsā at the summit of dharma and sukha, the verse implies that inner realization is inseparable from compassion and restraint; the Atman is approached through purity of intention and non-injurious conduct aligned with dharma.
It highlights yama-like ethical discipline—especially ahiṃsā—as a foundation for Yoga. In the Ishvara Gita context, such restraint supports steadiness of mind (citta-prasāda) necessary for devotion, contemplation, and Pāśupata-oriented spiritual practice.
The Ishvara Gita presents a shared dharmic ethic that underlies both Shaiva and Vaishnava paths: non-violence as the highest principle, while recognizing that duty performed under śāstra-vidhi can be spiritually non-injurious—reflecting the Purana’s integrative, non-sectarian stance.