Is non-violence - अहिंसा meant for everyone?

 Anushasana Parva of Mahabharata contains this statement.

अहिंसा परमो धर्मस्तथाहिंसा परं तपः ।

Non-violence is the highest duty, and non-violence is the highest penance.

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We have to remember that adhering to Non-violence is not prescribed to everyone in any text, be it in Rig Veda or Mahabharata, etc.

Adhering to non-violence - अहिंसा is prescribed only to those people, who are engaged in purifying themselves and spiritual practices.

I will quote 2 examples, one from Rig veda and another from Mahabharata.

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Rig Veda 8.101.15

माता रुद्राणां दुहिता वसूनां स्वसादित्यानाममृतस्य नाभिः । प्र नु वोचं चिकितुषे जनाय मा गामनागामदितिं वधिष्ट ॥
mātā rudrāṇāṃ duhitā vasūnāṃ svasādityānām amṛtasya nābhiḥ | pra nu vocaṃ cikituṣe janāya mā gām anāgām aditiṃ vadhiṣṭa ||

English translation:

Mother of the Rudras, daughter of the Vasus, sister of the Ādityas, navel of immortality—I now proclaim to observant people: do not smite the blameless cow—Aditi.

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mā gām anāgām aditiṃ vadhiṣṭa - do not smite the blameless cow—Aditi

This can be understood in two ways: 

• As cow is equivalent to Aditi, the mother of Gods, do not kill a cow. This is general meaning.
• Aditi indicates the pure consciousness, the ultimate TRUTH - ṛtam itself. If the spiritual practitioner wishes to progress, one needs to adhere to the path of TRUTH. If one deviates from the path of TRUTH, then one is deviating from Aditi. This was mentioned by the rishi in esoteric sense as not to kill Aditi or cow - do not deviate from the path of TRUTH.

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Anushasana Parva of Mahabharata says:

मनोवाचि तथास्वादे दोषा ह्येषु प्रतिष्ठिताः ।

न भक्षयन्त्यतो मांसं तपोयुक्ता मनीषिणः ॥

Faults indeed reside in these—in thought, speech, and taste. The sages devoted to austerities therefore do not eat meat.

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Either Rig Veda or Mahabharata, the message is clear - अहिंसा or non-violence is meant only for the persons pursuing the SPIRITUAL PATH.