Book Title: World of Philosophy
Author(s): Christopher Key Chapple, Intaj Malek, Dilip Charan, Sunanda Shastri, Prashant Dave
Publisher: Shanti Prakashan
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with it. Dr. Rādhā Krishnan rightly holds that “this worship of nature as such is the earliest form of Vedic religion."
According to them ‘Rita’10 is the natural principle of the governance and maintenance of all objects of the universe. Hence, they often call it as the father or maintainer or the harmony of universe and nature, which includes Gods as well because even the Gods can not transgress it. The whole universe is founded in 'Rital and moves in it and nothing can overstep its bounds.11 The world according to them is no more a chaos representing the blind fury of chance elements, but is the working of a harmonious purpose."12 This concept of 'Rita' can be safely regarded as the foundation of the modern concept of 'eco-system and the maintenance of its harmony. This reminds us of the concept of ‘Monads' and the principle of "Pre-established harmony" propounded by the modern Western Philospher Leibenitz latter on.
In the zeal of love towards nature, environment and eco-system, the Vedas show great reverence to them as devine objects and the forces of universe and worship them as God. The sun, stars, moon, earth, water, air, fire, earth, mountains, stones, animals, birds, rivers, oceans, grains etc. are given the status of God and Goddess. The earth’13 is regarded as the mother of Gods, 'fire'l4 as the God of creation, Varuna'15 as the God of sky, 'Sun'16 as a form of Lord Vishnu, which supports all the world as the author of all light and life in the world and the beholder of the conduct of man." It reminds us of the sun-worship of the Greeks and Plato's idealised concept of sun-worship as detailed in his famous work Republic'. God '
Mitral has been given the status of the companion of the Sky-god Varuna' and is regarded as the upholder of the natural law 'Rita!. The famous "Gayatrī hymn is addressed to the God 'Savitral Surya (Sun) and he has also been regarded as the form of God Vishnu, the sustainer of the universe, which latter on formed the basis of the sect of Vaishnavism that is often regarded as the true representative of 'Sanātana Dharmal of the Aryans. “Pūshana' is another solar God who is regarded as the pastoral God and the guardian of the cattles. 'Usha, the Goddess of dawn, is regarded as the bestower of light and life. The inseparable twins 'Ashvins' are the brothers of 'Ushā' who are the God of down and dusk and 'twilight is their material basis. They gradually take the status of the Physicians of Gods and men, protectors of conjugallove and the deliverer of the oppressed from sufferings. 'Aditi' which means boundless', has been described as the invisible, infinite God, who surrounds the world from all sides and is all pervasive even beyond the earth, clouds and sky. Aditi from whom several Gods called 'Adityas' are born, is what ever has been born and whatever shall be born.18 Aditi corresponds to the all-pervading and all-producing nature, having all the potentiality, which reminds of all-inclusive and all pervasive 'Parkriti'
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