 Alternative Conceptualizations in International RelationsSanchi Rai International Studies, 2013, vol. 50, issue 3, 209-225 Abstract: India is perceived as the land that gave the concept of non-violence ( ahimsa ) to the world through M.K. Gandhi. In 2007, the United Nations General Assembly voted to institute 2 October as the International Day of Non-violence. But what does non-violence entail? In its true essence, non-violence was never to be used as an excuse for non-action. For Gandhi, in a choice between cowardice and violence, violence was advisable. Interestingly and somewhat counter intuitively, the Mahabharata recognizes the virtues and importance of peace but it does not see absolute non-violence as an achievable goal, even if it may be desirable. What it then professes is the concept of Ä nÅ—Å›amsya or non-cruelty, a golden mean between violence and non-violence. The supreme duty in the Mahabharata was not ahimsa but Ä nÅ—Å›amsya . Hence, fighting was not necessarily considered good or desirable, but for a greater good and justice, fighting a war was expected and furthermore, to ensure victory in it was absolutely essential. However, what had to be ensured was adherence to non-cruelty. The aim of this article is to understand and discuss the implications of the concept of aÄ nÅ—Å›amsya as given in the Mahabharata . Keywords: Non-cruelty; non-violence; violence; Mahabharata; dharma; ethics; non-Western; mythology (search for similar items in EconPapers) Downloads: (external link) Related works: Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:sae:intstu:v:50:y:2013:i:3:p:209-225 Access Statistics for this article More articles in International Studies |
Is your work missing from RePEc? Here is how to contribute.
Questions or problems? Check the EconPapers FAQ or send mail to .
EconPapers is hosted by the
School of Business at Örebro University.