For the past few months I have stopped killing any type of insects as killing it will cause bad karma but during the course of time I have accidentally killed few insects when I had no intentions of harming them like
1) While using touchscreen a tiny insect of few millimeters in length came between my screen & finger.
2) Accidental killing mosquito in sleep as they bite us.
3) Ants come under my feet whenever I am busy going from A to B (Here I mean totally immersed in work mode where you don't have time to think of anything else.

So is Karma different for such types of incidents because I never intent to harm such beings, forget about killing them or will I get the same punishment for intentional killing?

marked as duplicate by iammilind, The Destroyer, SwiftPushkar, AADHinduism, Triyugi Narayan Mani Oct 17 '16 at 5:20


  • No need to worry if you kill small insects. You can even kill mosquito intentionally as it harms you (as it damages your HUMAN BODY which is most evolved form of life.) – The Destroyer Oct 16 '16 at 4:51
  • @TheDestroyer I disagree with the intentional part. It's like saying if some human being harms us a little, then we have the right to kill that human. – Chinmay Sarupria Oct 16 '16 at 9:58
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    @ChinmaySarupria I think you read Autobiography of a Yogi. Yukteswara Giri supports killing Mosquitoes intentionally if they are harming you. Swadharma is more important than Paradharma. Self defense is not wrong. – The Destroyer Oct 16 '16 at 9:59
  • @TheDestroyer Yeah I have read it but we humans also harm other beings sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, doesn't the other being gets the right to kill us then? – Chinmay Sarupria Oct 17 '16 at 16:31
  • @ChinmaySarupria for unintentionally, we can't do anything (may be part of Karma) but we can kill insects or mosquitoes which harm us. Our survival is our greatest Dharma. Even Human body is obtained after many good virtues. We can't make it weak by allowing them to infect us with diseases. – The Destroyer Oct 17 '16 at 16:39

The act of determining the exact ratio viz: "Bad Karma created by accidental killing":"The same created by intentional killing" will require me to thoroughly study all Scriptures ,which ,unfortunately,i have not done.

However,accidental/unintentional killing is also a bad Karma.

For example:

Manu Smriti chapter 3,sloka 68 says:

A householder has 5 slaughter houses viz the hearth,the grinding stone,the broom,the pestle ,mortar & the water vessel,by using which he is bound.And in order to expiate these sins the sages recommended the 5 sacrifices(Pancha yajnas) for the householders.

In all these above mentioned 5 "slaughter houses" accidental or unintentional killing of several insects and microscopic beings are done on a regular basis.As an expiation(prayaschitta) for those sins,the householders are thus required to perform the 5 sacrifices daily(the Pancha Yajnas).

Similarly,Parashara Smriti,Chapter 2,Sloka 8 says:

What a sin a fisherman incurs in the course of one year is incurred by the ploughman with a iron plough within just one day.

So,the act of accidental killing is also bad Karma .In fact, if we go by the above Parashara Smriti verse, then the karma(of accidental killing)can sometimes be much worse than intentional killing(viz-fisherman killing fishes,which is intentional,but a plough man tilling soil and thereby killing several insects/microbes in it is unintentional or accidental).

The dire consequence of unintentional killings(of as "insignificant" as "mere" eggs of insects!) is well reflected in the following story of Kaurava mother Gandhari:

At the end of the war of Kurukshetra, she is supposed to have asked Lord Krishna, whom she(Queen Gandhari) blamed for the war and the death of her hundred sons, especially Duryodhan, as to what had been the reason for such a tragic life.


Now,the act of killing of the eggs was completely accidental yet the consequences were severe as far as Gandhari was concerned.

And,regarding intentional killing of harmful insects- What can be done?These are unavoidable acts.If a mosquito comes & sucks my blood can i sit back and enjoy?Of course not.

Even the Scriptures declare that Dharma Palana is to be postponed in situations when one's life is endangered.So,i see the cases of (intentional)killing of harmful insects as such unavoidable acts.


Karma only affects if you attach yourself to a particular action. If you attach yourself to a good action, you'll get good results and if you attach yourself to a bad action, you'll have to face bad results.

You have 2 choices - either you don't do any killing or you remain non-attached to everything, this is what Krishna preached in Gita and it is the true solution.

Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda/Volume 1/Karma Yoga/Non-Attachment:


  • @UdayKrishna Nope, if you read more of Swami ji's works, you'll realize that whatever he has said is applicable to all people, in fact, he has quoted from many scriptures including Gita which doesn't point out that a particular action is only for yogis and the other is for someone else etc.. Also, we are living in Dwapara Yuga not Kali Yuga so that point doesn't arise at all. – Chinmay Sarupria Oct 16 '16 at 10:46
  • @UdayKrishna Well Swami Vivekananda said Kshatriyas have given knowledge, they have given it to everyone and for everyone. He specifically mentioned everything in Gita is for everyone. – Chinmay Sarupria Oct 17 '16 at 14:40

First of all, it is very satvik guna that you decided to stop killing insects, so keep it up.

Next, Dharma Shastras are aware of all possible sins (intentional or unintentional), and they prescribe prayaschittam (atonement) for both.

In daily life, small insects & microbes are killed in five places - under knife (when cutting vegetables), in pestle (when grinding spices), in fire (when cooking), under broom (when sweeping), and in water pot (drowning).

To counter this daily sin, we are asked to do sandhya-vandanam (where previous day/night sins are absolved by chanting mantras), and ijya (offering food as neivedyam to lord to forgive transgressions). When Lord Krishna says in Gita :

यज्ञशिष्टाशिन: सन्तो मुच्यन्ते सर्वकिल्बिषै:
भुञ्जते ते त्वघं पापा ये पचन्त्यात्मकारणात्

"Those who eat food without offering in sacrifice first eat only sin"

You might ask, what about non-brahmins who do not know about rituals/sacrifice etc. for them their duty is the sacrifice, as in, eating after earning. But everyone has to offer the food to God mentally.. simply saying 'Govinda' once before eating is good.

There are stages of ahimsa for everyone. The utmost ones - Aja-gara vriddhi sanyasis, do not even move from a place. Whatever food happens to fall in their mouth they eat. Us normal folks can try to minimize harm as best according to our line of work and conscience.

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    Offering the food to GOD is no use in this answer. OP wants to know what karma will he get if he kills insects unintentionally. And, also you should cite sources. – The Destroyer Oct 16 '16 at 4:55
  • OP asked about unintentional killing in daily-life and gave some examples, I mentioned additional examples where it happens (while cooking, sweeping etc.). When somebody asks about what punishment/karma they'll get, they are also indirectly asking how to avoid that punishment, so I mentioned prayaschittam (neivedyam). Finally, I'm currently unable to find source for the 5 places where insects are killed unintentionally and associated punishment. I'd be happy if someone find/could link to it. – ram Oct 16 '16 at 5:00

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