Reconnecting with Nature: Lessons from Ancient India

                                         

Everyone is familiar with the term "environment." Alternatively, it may be claimed that everyone knows. The environment includes the vast sky, wind, water, lush woods, crop-producing soil, animals, insects, and creatures that surround us with maternal affection. Many people use the term Ecology instead of the phrase Nature, which supplies all of the logistics for human survival. However, the definition of the term ecological is vast. The term Ecology is formed from the combination of the Greek terms 'Oikos' and 'Logas,' and according to the data, it refers to the study of caring for living creatures' environments.

       Although environmental thought has been active since the first decade of the twentieth century, primitive people had the most active and close contact with Nature long before civilization began. However, from the birth of civilization, man has steadily come to rule and control the environment. Although environmental awareness is a relatively modern topic, the seeds of profound thinking may be found in our earliest literature, Vedic literature, Upanishads, and even epics such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata. We witness the expression and impact of this philosophy throughout post-Vedic Indian literature.

        The faster we move forward in the age of machine civilization, the more we harm the natural environment and risk destroying it. Our ancient literature contains the most prominent components of environmental effect, which precede current instrumental study. In the words of Dev Kumar Das, an environmentalist, "The sage poets of the Vedic period were engrossed in the joy of attaining the great joy of earth, but their higher thoughts about this time and the world also surprised everyone."

     

                                                 

                                                 

                                                  

      In India, Vedic sages felt that a higher power was responsible for all of Nature's operations and incredible effects. The sages devised this method to ensure that the average man continually strives for adequate environmental care. The primary goal of India's ancient literature was to provide a thorough philosophical explanation of man and Nature, as well as to raise environmental consciousness. According to the Nasdiyasukta of the Tenth Mandala of the Rigveda, the Supreme Soul existed before creation. The evolution of Nature's rhythm in the dark sea before creation is frequently depicted in the literary ideas of the time. These ancient sages taught regular people how to preserve Nature's beauty in the form of gods.

                 

                            

                             

       

           Our current scientists have proven that the planet is composed of several atomic combinations. The major five elements are Khiti, Apa, Tyeja, Marut, and Byom (Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Sky), and their proportions are extremely important in maintaining natural equilibrium. However, long before the proof of this finding in the contemporary era, ancient Indian sages warned of the far-reaching harmful implications of disrupting Nature's stability owing to differences in these components.

   

                                              

                                             

        When the entire world is concerned about the dire consequences of indiscriminate tree destruction caused by civilization's aggressive spread, if we look at our ancient literature, we will find that there is not only mention of the worship of trees as deities from ancient times, but also of tree planting as well as taking care of them, all Gurukuls were studying lessons about all these. The message of natural consciousness may be found everywhere in the sites or 'Tapobanas' where sages such as Augusta, Vasishtya, Kanva, and Marich taught.

 

        When it comes to post-Vedic culture and literature, Nature has dominated the works of many well-known poets and writers. The works of well-known poets like Kalidasa, Banabhatta, Bhavabhuti, and others demonstrate a knowledge of the need to safeguard Nature's resources. Whether it is about the coexistence and affinity of humans and animals in Maharishi Kanba's Tapobana, written in 'Avigyan Shakuntalam' by Kalidas, or the sensitivity towards Nature expressed through the description of the fearsome environment of 'Bindhatabir' written by Banbhatta, or the softness of 'Achhyoda Sarabar,' the message of nature conservation awareness is everywhere.

   

                                                       

                                                        

       As civilization advanced, the scriptures written for the monarchs who controlled the kingdoms under established monarchies frequently reiterated kingdom administration and natural resource conservation. For example, particular laws for preserving the natural norm may be found in the Samhitas produced by Manu, Parashara, Narada, and others, as well as in Kautilya's Arthashastra. During this period, frequent public awareness was raised by establishing ponds or conserving them, planting trees, properly maintaining livestock, prohibiting inappropriate slaughter of wild animals, and so on. Although the establishment of industries and manufacturing facilities and the associated pollution were unknown at the time, Kautilya's Arthasastras necessitated warnings against pollution in the gold, iron, and other sectors, as well as serious repercussions for those who broke the law.

 

                                                          

                                                          

        The Indus Civilization, which is a wonder to the whole world, has evidence of keeping the environment healthy and clean by adopting completely scientific methods. The scientific construction of houses, the manifestation of the latest thinking in water drainage systems, covered drains on both sides of large and wide roads, and specific places for garbage disposal, etc., prove how environmentally conscious the people of this civilization were.

 

 

        This conversation is only adequate if one additional point is added. Ayurvedic therapy techniques are currently gaining popularity due to the negative consequences of chemical treatment systems. Ayurveda practice was centered in ancient India. During the Charaka and Susruta Samhita periods, Jivaka and Nagarjuna's Ayurvedic therapy was at its zenith of success. All of these prominent Ayurvedic Shastrakars raised public knowledge of medicinal plants with unique therapeutic properties, as well as their protection and maintenance.

 

        In conclusion, while India showed evidence of environmental conservation consciousness in ancient times, the scientific relevance of such concerns is now a specific topic of debate for all people in the modern world. Observing "Yoga Day," or daily yoga practice, which has become the best method to keep fit, was initiated many years ago with the purpose of creating a healthy society across the world. The objective of yoga or meditation is to connect with Nature and receive beneficial energy from the five primary components of Nature in order to overcome our physical and mental crises.

                                             

                                            

Devadidev Mahadev of Hinduism has long been considered the first yogi. Many people today use "meditation," which was a regular practice among our ancient sages, to help them heal from their hectic and stressed lives. A healthy mind can only build a healthy body, and healthy men can create a healthy society. To make the current world more habitable, let the poet Rabindranath Tagore's words guide us: "Give back the forest to the city." May a pollution-free, clean planet be built in accordance with traditional Indian teachings.