Ecology: A Holistic Vision

By

Bhama Nagaratnam

Our planet is in crisis – there is the threat of global warming; there are worldwide climatic changes; the glaciers are melting; atmospheric pollution is endangering human health; the ozone layer is being depleted ... The list is getting longer by the day. The cause for this situation is not too far to seek. Humanity has brought this on itself not only by discarding its physical and mental health, but also by polluting the atmospheric health around by its sheer carelessness, callousness and insensitivity, by abusing, misusing and underestimating the power of nature. As a consequence, the forces of nature are turning aggressive now and hitting back at humanity.

Our ancient Rishis envisaged such a situation in their wisdom and being perfect psychologists, cherished and advocated the worship of the Lord in His universal form – technically called “Virat Upasana”. They judiciously wooed nature with devotion, reverence and gratitude, which is evidenced in the numerous prayers to Mother Earth in the form of the five elements and the elementals, thereby seeking her manifold and bountiful blessings.

The entire phenomenal world, with the five elements, the rivers, mountains, forests, the countless trees, oceans and glaciers, the sun, the moon and stars, even the lightning, the morning and evening, are all visualised in our scriptures, not only as inert, insentient, geographical material entities, but also as animated with divinity, compassion and grace. This dual aspect is part and parcel of the vision of our ancient seers.

Special prayers are offered in Hinduism to trees and plants as they are considered to have special divine and efficacious powers. Festivals and fasts are associated with these divine trees and plants and also with some birds and animals. A quick look at a few of the countless prayers and descriptions voiced in our scriptures and literature will bear testimony to this holistic vision.

Valmiki Ramayana

Brahma says to Sri Rama (6.117.20-220):

Sahasracharanah sreemaan, Sahasraseershah sahasradruk

Tvam dhaarayasi bhootaani , Prithvim sarvaparvataan

You are the Supreme Lord, endowed with thousands of feet, thousands of heads, thousands of eyes, sustain all beings, the earth and all the mountains.

Drusyase sarvabhooteshu, braahmaneshu cha goshu cha

Dikshu sarvaasu gagane, parvateshu nadeeshu cha

Thou art manifest in all creatures, in the animals as well as in the holy men. Thou art manifest in all directions, in the sky as well as in the rivers and mountains.

Mahabharata (Shanti Parva, 47.84)

Yasmin sarvam yatah sarvam, yah sarvam sarvatascha yah

Yascha sarvamayo nityam, tasmai sarvaatmane namaha

In HIM all things exist; from Him all originate; He has become all; He exists on every side; He is verily the all. Salutations to Him who is the substratum of everything!

Thus the interdependence of man and Nature was fully realised and appreciated by our seers who advocated rain harvesting, the promotion, construction and maintenance of ponds, lakes and reservoirs, and also emphasised the need for afforestation.

Meaning of a few more references from Anushashana parva:

“That earth which manifests beauty, fertility, variety and richness of mineral ores, and is a suitable habitat of all beings, is considered as the best and most benevolent place.” (58.2)

“The earth as described above, which is also beautified with ponds and lakes, is a real asset as it is a means of attaining both the spiritual and the material goals of human life.” (58.6)

“A person who takes to rain-harvesting and water-storing during the rainy season is truly blessed, as he has thereby safeguarded the life of people throughout the year and provided teh best resort for animals, birds and human beings.” (58.10)

Vedic Prayers:

The five elements are deified and invoked thus:

Tanno vaato mayobhuvaatu bhesajam,

Tanmaataa prithvi tat pitaadyauh

May that Wind God, Mother Earth and Father Firmament bless us with medicines that confer joy.

In another Vedic Prayer, the seer supplicates to the five elements fervently thus:

“Let the winds blow sweetly. May the rivers flow agreeably. May the herbs confer health on us. May night and day be pleasant to us. May the dust of the earth yield us happiness. May the Heavens, our Father, send us happiness. May the trees be benevolent to us. May the sun endow us with happiness. May the cows be beneficial to us”. (Rigveda, 1.90.6-8)

The various Shanti Mantras (Peace chants), seeking the grace of the Almighty to bless the world in its manifold aspects to be at peace with human beings and vice versa, present the same holistic idea thus:

Om dyauh santirantariksham santih

Prithvi santiraapah santirosadhuyah

Santiravanaspatayah santih,visvedevah santih brahma santih

Sarvam santih santireva santih

Saa maa saantiradhi

(Shulka Yajurveda, 36.17)

May the heaven be at peace. May the sky and the earth be at peace. May the waters be at peace let the herbs and the trees be at peace. May all the gods be at peace unto Brahman and unto all be peace, peace. May that peace be unto me.

A few samples from the wonderful Bhumi (Prithvi) Sukta of Atharvana Veda:

“Oh Mother Earth! Whatever lies concealed in you, whatever lies in your mid-region (navel-region) and whatever food variety manifests from your body, may you confer them on us. Purify us. Bless us. My Mother is the Earth; I am her son; let my Father, the Cloud, also confer prosperity on us.” (Atharvana Veda, 12.1.4)

“Let the transgression of stepping on you with my right and left feet, while getting up, sitting down, standing or while walking be pardoned.” (Atharvana Veda 12.1.5).

Yat te bhoome vikhanaami, kshpram tadapi rohatu

Maa te marma vimrugvari, ma ate hridayamarpipam

(Atharvana Vedam, 12.1.6)

Oh Mother Earth, whatever I sow digging (your bosom) may all that grow quickly. Oh you who purify! May we not hurt your vital parts or the heart (central) regions.

In conclusion, we can confidently say that if we contribute to the safe-keeping of Mother Nature, she, being benevolent, will safeguard our happiness. If, on the contrary, we indulge in indiscriminate exploitation of natural resources, then it will not be long before Mother Nature withdraws her bounties in her own catastrophic way. Even a mother’s patience has a limit! Let us wake up to the fact that our spiritual, material and ecological bond with Mother Nature is eternal and enduring and cannot be disregarded except at the cost of wiping out our very existence.

(Taken from the monthly magazine “Tapovan Prasad” of Chinmaya Mission, November 2010)