Acharya Prashant explains that to understand violence, one must first understand the mind. When we do not understand a subtle matter related to the mind, we are forced to depend on its gross symbols. Violence is a state of mind, but because we lack self-knowledge (Atma-gyan), we do not truly know what violence or non-violence is. Instead, we rely on gross definitions, such as calling a slap an act of violence. Society and law also focus on these gross activities, punishing a slap but not the thought of murder. This is because we have no education, inspiration, or practice in looking at the subtle events within us. Going within, which is self-knowledge, means honestly observing and accepting our inner thoughts, feelings, and identities, not imagining some divine world. The root of all violence is the fundamental duality (dwait) of seeing oneself as a separate, incomplete 'I' and the world as something other. This incomplete 'I' views the world as both an opportunity and a threat, leading to a relationship based on greed, fear, selfishness, and exploitation. This relationship of incompleteness with the world is violence, and it arises from the inner ignorance of identifying with the ego. In this state, we are either like wolves trying to loot the world or like lambs being looted by it. This dynamic is not limited to business or politics but is also present in our closest relationships, which are often based on what we can get from the other person. Therefore, violence is fundamentally ignorance, and non-violence is self-knowledge. An act of bloodshed is not an essential characteristic of violence. For instance, the bloodshed in the Mahabharata, which happened after the self-knowledge of the Gita was imparted, was an act of non-violence. Conversely, avoiding conflict out of fear for one's body is an act of violence, as it stems from ignorance and body-identification. The harsh words of saints like Kabir Saheb, which may seem violent, are acts of compassion and non-violence because they aim to destroy the listener's ego. The true meaning of 'sweet words' is not flattery but speech that brings about the cooling of the ego, which is true peace. Any religious teaching that does not revolve around the ego, the Self, and Nature is not truly religious but merely a story.