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It is clear that killing anything by paining body is himsa. That's why many people in Hinduism(especially Brahmins) generally do not prefer to eat animal food.

My doubt is whether killing an animal(any living thing) without paining its body is also a form of himsa or not?

Is separating soul from a body is himsa or separating the soul from the body by paining its body is himsa or both?

If separating the soul from the body without paining is also himsa, then how it can be justified? The soul takes another body and we applied no harm to it, how it can be ahimsa?

hanugm
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    If the victim or person getting killed is willing to leave body then also it is himsa because the body is given as gift by god but when the body is no longer in working state it can be thrown (this does not justifies sucicide or killing at all). – Yogi Dec 20 '15 at 15:33
  • I am using the body for my eating purpose, so I am killing with a reason, I am eating body and I killed without paining it also.

    So as per you, it is also himsa, but if we compare it with normal killing, is it relatively lesser himsa?

     – hanugm Dec 20 '15 at 15:42
  • himsa is himsa there is no less or big in it, but when there is no option to survive if you kill another body to fulfill your higher purpose to survive then it is okay. In case you are in hotel and eating non-veg when you have option for veg then it is not okay , and by the way if the question is in context of veg and non veg , it is addressed and answred here http://hinduism.stackexchange.com/questions/97/why-can-we-eat-living-plants-but-not-living-animals. To answer your question if you are killing it without or with its intention it is himsa – Yogi Dec 20 '15 at 15:52
  • I heard about story of Bhasmasur in Baghavatham, he asked for killing any one without pain, if it is himsa, then how siva accepted it after rejecting immortality? @Yogi – hanugm Dec 20 '15 at 15:56
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    Shiva just granted his wish, it will be his karma if he kills anybody forcibly without a good reason like destroyed or paralysed body. Shiva just accepted a justified request it is on the user how to use a boon and create moksha or hell out of it, btw Bhasmasura would have got moksha since he was killed by goddess parvati(indirectly) – Yogi Dec 20 '15 at 16:08
  • No. painless killing is not himsa. Killing is killing. Killing is only allowed under certain circumstances according to scripture. And as Krishna says in the GIta - 'and let scripture be your guide' – Swami Vishwananda Dec 21 '15 at 04:08
  • @Yogi - Which scripture says Parvati killed bhaumasura and how? –  Dec 23 '15 at 14:47

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If the Jiva still wants to enjoy with his body in any way(through love or hatred), then terminating its life in any form is a sin.

It's including suicide. Infact suicide and killing are one of the worst sins according to Hindu scriptures. According to Garuda Purana pretha kalpa the suicidee will not have new body till the end of that kalpa. And he has to roam on the earth like a pretha(ghost) till he gets a new body.

This is not the case with enlighten souls. They neither want to enjoy nor want suffer with the body. They look at the body a mere instrument or vehicle to attain the ultimate truth. As they already enlightend they no longer needs the body. Either it will be dropped as a dead leaf in samadhi or they will drop it with fastings or may by submerging in water which are allowed. Source: Regarding brahmins not eating meat, its not only because its involved with himsa but pure food only created pure mind and only pure mind can be controlled.

SrikanthMyakam
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  • A kalpa is not equivalent to 4 yugas , the cycle of 4 yugas is known as a mahayuga or chaturyuga cycle 71 such mahayuga cycles create a manvantara , 14 such manvantaras + 6 such maha yuga's create a kapla and so a kalapa has approximately 1000 mahayugas see this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu_units_of_time#For_Brahma – Yogi Dec 20 '15 at 20:07
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    @SrikanthMyakam the suicidee will not have new body till the end of that kalpa. Can you please cite the verse from Pretha Kalpa? – The Destroyer Dec 21 '15 at 06:00