World Environment Day 2022: Significance of Environment in Indian Epics and Vedas.
Written By- Dr.Rashmi Vajpayee
The lockdowns imposed because of the COVID- 19 epidemic led to an outsized improvement in the environment of India. There is a considerable improvement in air quality, uniquely in urban areas. The foremost prominent outcomes are fresh air, cleaner water, lesser trash, extremely low noise levels, and therefore the wildlife that came out of hiding. The chief reason is reduced social activities. The main contributing factors of pollution are vehicles, factories, garbage burning, and so on.
The connection between humans and nature is inseparable. The environmental consciousness emerging today is a response to the environmental damage caused by technological developments. Still one can see that in ancient India people had shown much respect to the environment in which they survive.
Hinduism is a religion that has an ecologically sensible theory. The Vedas, Upanishads, Puranas, Ramayana, and Mahabharata are such ancient sacred texts that contain notes for keeping eco-friendly balance and the safety of the environment.
Man is guided to live in complete harmony with nature. Man is the creation of five components e.g. earth, water, fire, sky, and air. If all five elements are equally balanced the human body remains healthy. Any inequality creates a breakdown in the body. Despite it, man is influenced by other factors, for example, the kind of his diet, water, and climate.
Philosophy of Environment in the Vedas-
Vedas comprise many accounts and representations concerning the value of the environment. In the Vedic age, people adored nature and natural phenomena. In those times the range of forest was large and the field available for farming was less. Agriculture was not developed and the people were entirely reliant upon the natural resources nearby them to meet all their requirements. They were successful in connecting their life with the tangible surroundings and continuing patterns of the bonds with them. The Rgveda which is the oldest of the four Vedas comprises mantra addressed to gods and goddesses such as Indra, Agni, Varuna, Surya, Soma, Prithivi, Ushas, etc.
- Agni- Agni or fire holds an important position in man’s life. It provides heat and lightning. Agni is seen in nature and it could be formulated by man’s skill. It is through Agni that Gods receive the worship performed by the believers.
2) Indra- Indra is the God of Rain. His weapon is Vajra or thunderbolt. He is the strongest Vedic God. It is stated in Rig Veda that Indra crushes the clouds and delivers the rain for the growth of plants and other grounds on earth.
3) Varuna- Varuna is the god of waters. He is white as a raindrop. It is mentioned in Rig Veda that Varuna creates waters and regulates oceans. He released the waters in the environment and delivered it to the rivers.
4) Surya- Surya is a solar god. He is the son of heaven and Aditi, spouse of the dawn. He drives across the sky, moved in a cart by seven horses. To glow their skin people worship the Sun god, It is stated that the rays of the sun have the potential to heal dangerous skin diseases and heart disorders.
5) Ushas- In the Rig-Veda, the goddess Usas is associated with “The Dawn”. Ushas is usually a goddess combined with light and prosperity.
6) Prithivi and Aakash- The Goddess ‘Prithivi’ is related to the earth, the place where human beings live. Prithivi is always associated with “The Sky”. Earth is our mother and we are all her children. Earth is regarded as a ‘mother’ and Sky is the father of all.
7) Trees and Plants- Nature has been eternally adorable for Indians. Plants have been admired in Indian scriptures as living creatures with cognizance. Some several trees and plants attain admirable mention in the Indian scriptures. Some of them include Ashok, Kadamb, Bargad (Banyan tree) Paarijaata, Tulsi, and Peepal, etc.
The Rig-Veda and several old scriptures consider Tulsi as a lifesaving herb that favors longevity. Tulsi is regarded as Goddess Lakshmi; every believer of Lord Vishnu does worship using Tulsi leaves.
The Banyan tree is a holy tree, also recognized as Kalpavriksha, the tree that fulfills the desires of believers. According to ancient Indian scriptures, Lord Vishnu, Brahma, and Lord Shiva reside in the Banyan tree. The banyan tree is widely used in Ayurveda to heal skin diseases, Diabetes, digestive orders and it also increases immunity.
In the Mahabharata, Shri Krishna has said that he is the Peepal tree. The married lady praying for the longevity of her husband encircle Peepal tree, to get our desires fulfilled we tied the cotton threads around the trees. According to Ayurveda, the Peepal tree has cured many illnesses such as stomach pain, Asthma, skin diseases, liver diseases, etc.
In the Vedic age, people were aware of the significance of forests in maintaining the stability of nature. The Rig Veda urges “Do not cut trees because they remove pollution”.
Environment and Nature in the Ramayana-
In Ramayana, the largest portion of the tale is in the forest. The writer of Ramayana, Valmiki bestows us the beauty of forests, experiences of the animal world throughout this work. We can observe the peaceful world of the sages in forests. Shri Ram was pleased to reside in the forests of Chitrakuta and not worried about his kingdom.
In Ramayana, Ram, Lakshmana, and Sita while entering into his recently built hermitage at Chitrakut worshipped the entire nature, the forests, trees, and sacred Mandakini river.
According to Ramcharitmanas, In Arayankand, Lakshman left Sita under the shield of Nature and forest. Meanwhile, when Sita was kidnaped by the demon Ravan, Ram and Lakshman enquired from nature, diverse creatures, birds, trees, and forests about her in a painful tone.
Sage Valmiki describes the character of Ram as an adorable protagonist who is always willing to cooperate and live in harmony with other human beings. This characteristic of Ram benefits him in his hard journey of the forest where he has to survive like a forester. Ram and Lakshman encounter various aspects of nature like villages, dark and mysterious forests, rivers, ponds, hills, valleys, mountains, lakes, caves, sea, continent, seashore, island, sky, etc.
The depiction of forests appears frequently as Ram and Lakshman wander through the forest facing difficulties on every single track. Their companions in the forest were those who live in absolute harmony with nature like Hanuman, Sugreev, Jambavant, and Vultures like Jatayu, and Vibhishana, the youngest brother of Ravan. Ram and Lakshman make alliances with them and reach their purpose of searching Sita through them. In the entire tale of Ramayan, Sage Valmiki provides an example of how an exiled human being accomplishes his goal by peaceful and friendly behavior with distinctive energies of nature.
Environment and Nature in the Mahabharata-
Nature is an essential concern in the Mahabharata which includes several stories. After being cursed by Rishi, Pandu left the kingdom and went into the forest for penance along with his two wives Kunti and Madri. In the forest, he lived the life of a hermit. Their five children ‘Pandavas’ were born and brought up in the forest among hermits. King Pandu resided for many years in the forest with his wives and children. After some years the curse of the sage took into influence and Pandu collapsed and died in the forest.
The Pandavas were exiled to the forest by the conspiracy of their cousins Kauravas. They have to experience a troubled life in the forests. According to the Vana Parva, Pandavas, and Draupadi attended many hermits and sages of elevated status in the forest. The Pandavas and Draupadi lived in the forest for 12 years and 1 year in the incognito. Their adventures in the forest were incredible. The trees were having fruits, herbs, and flowers in every season.
In the forest, Arjun became involved in asceticism. As a result of Arjun’s hard penance, Lord Shiva appeared in front of him in the disguise of a hunter, and after a fierce battle with Arjun that crushed his pride; Lord Shiva granted him the Pashupatastra.
According to the Mahabharata, “the existence of an animal and the existence of a human are of equal value”. Mahabharata does not observe any individual is separate even for a bit and it suggests the wholeness.
In the Ramayana and Mahabharata, Environment and Nature are manifested as a unified and harmonious system of life. The two epics unitedly draw an ecological picture of India from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. Kalidasa has also adapted the technique of Sage Valmiki and Vyasa in portraying nature and social life in his dramas.
Today, people are facing problems such as pollution, population growth, and unevenness in the environmental cycles, etc. In Ancient India, people never worried about their surroundings and the need for ecology since they never faced environmental hazards. Therefore, we can follow their eco-friendly experiences from the impressions of the ancient manuscripts.
References-
Goel, Aruna. Environment and Ancient Sanskrit Literature. Deep & Deep Publications, 2003.
Stone, Lora. Religion and Environmentalism: Exploring the Issues. ABC-CLIO,2020,PP.6.
Sulphey, M. M. Introduction to Environment Management. PHI Learning Pvt. Ltd., 2014, pp.391.
Originally published at https://indianculturecivilization.blogspot.com on June 7, 2020.
