________________
Ecological Awareness in Indian Tradition
(Specially as Reflected in Sanskrit literature)
Leela Arjunwadkar
Ecology is a relatively new science that concerns itself with the interrelationship of organisms and their environments. Paradoxically enough, it owes its existence to the amazing progress man has made in certain branches of science during the last 50 years. The span and stride of this progress is so great that it is threatening the very survival of man. And hence an awareness for ecological balance gained momentum all over the world. So ecological awareness, per se, is of very recent origin. Put an end to the destructive progress and use of science. Love and nurture, not loot and plunder, nature'is the motto of this new branch of science.
In this ambit I have tried to see the relation between man and Nature as it existed in Indian tradition. My conclusions would be the ancient Indian attitude as reflected in Sanskrit literature (which is the most important source of information in this context) has never been anthropocentric and relationship between man and nature has always been that of love, harmony, and peaceful inter-dependence.
In the end, however, I have posed some questions that are very pertinent to the present situation.
Nature means 'the external world in its entirety, the creative and controlling force in the universe.' In that sense man is also a part, and a very important one, of nature. But we list him apart because he is intellectually the most gifted and developed species in nature. So much so, that he is able to pose serious threats even to nature. The present situation is so grave that man and nature could very well be a dichotomical division.
