अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधस्त्यागः शान्तिरपैशुनम् ।दया भूतेष्वलोलुप्त्वं मार्दवं ह्रीरचापलम् ॥
ahiṃsā satyam akrodhas tyāgaḥ śāntir apaiśunam |dayā bhūteṣv aloluptvaṃ mārdavaṃ hrīr acāpalam ||
- अहिंसा · ahiṃsā
- non-harming
- सत्यम् · satyam
- truthfulness
- अक्रोधः · akrodhaḥ
- freedom from anger
- त्यागः · tyāgaḥ
- renunciation, letting go
- शान्तिः · śāntiḥ
- peacefulness
- अपैशुनम् · apaiśunam
- absence of slander
- दया · dayā
- compassion
- भूतेषु · bhūteṣu
- toward beings
- अलोलुप्त्वम् · aloluptvam
- freedom from greed
- मार्दवम् · mārdavam
- gentleness
- ह्रीः · hrīḥ
- modesty, shame at wrongdoing
- अचापलम् · acāpalam
- steadiness, freedom from fickleness
“…non-harming, truthfulness, freedom from anger, letting go, peacefulness, no slander, compassion toward beings, freedom from greed, gentleness, modesty, and steadiness…”
— Original plain-language translation
The list moves from action to speech to heart: how we treat others, what we say about them, what we feel toward them. Ahimsa heads the verse as the foundation of all social virtue. Each quality quietly guards the others.
— Reader's notes (original)