Para-hiṃsā — The Prohibition of Harm
Para-hiṃsā — harming, injuring, or causing pain to another being — is among the categories of akṛtya (what must not be done) most clearly prohibited in the śāstric framework for a Śrī Vaiṣṇava. The prohibition arises from multiple converging theological grounds.
First and most fundamentally: in Viśiṣṭādvaita, all living beings are jīvātmās clothed in bodies, and all of them are eternal servants of Bhagavān (śeṣas). To harm a fellow śeṣa is implicitly to harm what belongs to the śeṣī (Bhagavān). The Bhāgavata Purāṇa captures this when Prahlāda teaches: 'See Bhagavān in all beings and all beings in Bhagavān.' Striking a Bhāgavata — one dear to Bhagavān — is considered the most severe form of para-hiṃsā and is classified as asahya-apacāra (an intolerable offense).
Second, the entire Vaiṣṇava ethical framework rests on ahiṃsā (non-violence) as a foundational principle. The Gītā (16.2) lists 'dayā bhūteṣu' (compassion to all beings) among the divine qualities (daivasampat) a spiritual aspirant must cultivate. The Śrī Vaiṣṇava tradition, particularly in the Teṅkalai school, places deep emphasis on compassion (kāruṇya) as both an attribute of Bhagavān and an aspiration for all devotees.
Third, within the context of the three categories of forbidden conduct — akṛtya-karaṇa (doing what is forbidden), kṛtya-akaraṇa (omitting what is enjoined), and asatya-kathana (lying) — para-hiṃsā falls squarely in the first category. One who has taken refuge in Bhagavān bears the responsibility of treating all beings with the reverence owed to Bhagavān's property.
The dietary dimension of para-hiṃsā is also significant: the Śrī Vaiṣṇava dietary discipline (āhāra-niyama) strongly favors sāttvika āhāra (pure vegetarian food), which minimizes harm to living beings. While this is not framed only in terms of non-violence, the principle of minimizing hiṃsā underlies the preference for non-violent food sources.