1. Meaning of Environment (paryāvaraṇa)

In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇa realistically represents the characters of the human beings. Moreover, he was a great lover of nature, so exotic portrayals of vivid natural sceneries in details are abundant in his writing.

The delineation of natural elements is like how the corner of the villages and the forest are filled with various flowers and fruits etc.^[1]

“Bāṇa describes early dawns, sunrise, sunset, twilling, moonrise and night to give information about the time of a particular incident’s taking place. Every minute shade of their changing colours is depicted.”^[2]

During his long travels, he collected various information regarding natural phenomena which elevated his literary skill. This book contains some elements of prime importance to the environmentalist also.

‘Environment’ seems to be a modern term. In Sanskrit the equivalent of it is ‘paryāvaraṇa’. The word ‘paryāvaraṇa’ is derived as pari+ā+vṛ+lyuṭ, i.e., that which covers a man from all sides (pari). Whatever is present around the living beings and above the land, on the surface of the Earth, under the Earth is environment in its broader sense.

According to Wordsworth—

“Environment is everything that affects the individual except his genes.”^[3]

Environment covers all the outside factors that have acted on the individual since he began life. It is a part of human life from early childhood till death. To live and to enjoy life, every living being needs a proper and permissible environment.

Therefore, Manu also advised to the kings that—

“He must live in a dry, fertile country (enjoying much of Sun light and bereft of swamps and jungles), containing large stores of food grain and a large population of Aryan settlers, clear (free from disease and disturbing physical phenomena), beautiful with shady trees and creepers, bordered by adjacent to the territories of his sub missive vassals, and which offers means of livelihood (by trade or agriculture).”^[4]

Environment has been divided into two types-Natural environment, related to nature, and Social environment, related to society. Social environment is concerned with clean administration and clean politics. A better life is depended upon both types of environment; i.e., physical as well as social environment. The environment is very much co-related to the mental and physical hygiene also.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

[a] śākakandalaśyāmalitagrāmopakaṇṭhakaśyapīpṛṣṭhaḥ, Harṣacarita,III.p.42 [b].…pīlupallavaprasphoṭitaiḥ..….vicitrakuṅkumakesarakṛtapuṣpapraṃkaraiḥ…..kusumānāṃ dāḍimīnāṃ vanaibilobhanīyopanirgamaḥ, Ibid.

[2]:

Bāṇabhaṭṭa-A Literary Study by Neeta Sharma, p.163

[3]:

More, Dr. Sanjay Gonesh, ‘Environmental Awareness among Prospective Secondary Teachers’, Edubeam-MMNC April, 2013, ISSN 2320-6314.

[4]:

juṅgalaṃ śasyasampanna….deśamāvaset, Manusaṃhitā,VII.69