Igniting Hanuman’s Tail: Hindu and Indian Secular Views on Animal Experimentation

Contemporary Indian identification with Hindu traditions (whether more narrowly or broadly conceived) among champions of animal protection often invokes the well-known concept of ahiṁsā (nonviolence) as the moral basis for the position against violence toward nonhuman animals. To foster a more informed comprehension of this notion, this article discusses the complex character of religious practice as presented in the Bhagavad-gītā, the Hindu scripture, to explore how its tenets might meaningfully apply to the practice of animal experimentation.