Chapter 30.4 - The Ancient Indian concept of Enviornment protection

[Full title: Scientific and Technical literature (4): Enviornment protection]

The family in ancient India was not restricted to living beings: it extended to inanimate things as well like trees with all their six varieties, the shrubs, the creepers, the climbers, the winding plants (valli), the bamboos (tvaksara) and the reeds, the straw, the grass and other plantations in this category (trnajati). The Mahabharata finds great virtue in planting them. The trees are the sons, says the great work, for one who plants them, tasya putra bhavanty ete, and it is his bounden duty to look after them and bring them up, putravat paripalyas ca putras te dharmatah smrtah. It is not only human beings who would adopt them as sons; even the gods would do so. In the conversation between Dilipa and lion in the Raghuvamsa the lion refers to a tree, the Devadaru, which had been adopted by Lord Siva as His son with Goddess Parvati Herself watering it: amum purah pasyasi devadarum putrikrto 'sau vrsabhadhvajena/ yo hemakumbhastananihsrtanam skandasya matuh payasam rasajnah// Once a wild elephant while scratching its temple had rubbed it off its skin. By that Parvati was overpowered with grief much like the grief she had felt when her son Skanda was smitten all over with the missiles of the demons: kanduyamanena katam kadacid vanyadvipenonmathita tvag asya/ athainam adres tanaya susoca senanyam alidham ivasurastraih// It is in India that the trees and plants have been invested with divinity and are worshipped in all reverence. Lord Krsna proclaims Asvattha, the Peepul tree, as His own form: asvatthah sarvavrksanam. It is said that one who plants five amras (literally

the word means a mango tree but in its extended sense it has come to denote a tree in general), the five trees, does not go to hell. The trees are: asvattha ekah picumarda eko dvau campakau trini ca kesarani/ saptatha tala navanarikelah mari pancamraropi narakam na yati// This enumeration is according to the Tithitattva (Sabda Kalpadruana). According to the Varaha-purana it is: asvattham ekam picumardam ekam nyagrodham ekam dasa puspajatih/ dve dve tatha dadimamatulinge pancamraropi narakam na yati// The nature of the amras, as would be clear from the above, differs, except for asvattha and picumarda, in both the texts. While in the Tithinirnaya they are asvattha, picumarda, one each, two campakas, three kesaras, seven talas (palm trees) and nine narikelas (coconut trees), in the Varaha-purana they are asvattha and picumarda, one each, one nyagrodha, ten puspajatis, and dadima (pomegranate) and matulinga, two each. According to the Skanda-purana (VI,. 252-49) and the Bhavisya-purana Uttaraparvan, 122-11). it is: asvattham ekam picumandam ekam nyagrodham ekam dasa cincinikam/ kapitthabilvamalakitrayam ca pancamraropi narakam na pasyet// "One asvattha, one picumanda, one nyagrodha, ten cincinikas and one each of the three kapittha, bilva and amalakione who plants (these) five amras will not see hell." In this enumeration asvattha, picumarda-there is a slight difference in spelling; it is picumanda here and nyagrodha are common to the Varaha-purana enumeration. The figure ten goes here with cincinika while in the Varahapurana it goes with Profanart sei figure here totals up to sixteendation USA puspajati.

The figure five, panca, in the stanzas seems to be just indicatory, upalaksana. The number totals up, according to the first stanza to twenty three, according to the second one to seventeen and according to the third one to sixteen. Anyway, what is significant here is the importance given to the plantation of trees. Not to go to hell is the motivation mentioned here to urge the people, prarocana, to go in for tree-plantation. The planting of trees in India especially those with fruits and flowers and of medicinal value is considered auspicious. It is believed that Laksmi stays for generations in the houses of the people who plant trees like bilva, kapittha, amalaka and amra. Several Subhasitas extol their planting and maintenance. The Dasakupasama says that one tank in earning merit is like ten wells, one lake for the same is like ten tanks, ten lakes for the same is like one son but one tree for the same is equal to having ten sons. In India the earth is accorded the status of mother. In the Prthivisukta of the Atharvaveda the rsi proclaims that he is the son of the earth: mata bhumih putro 'ham prthivyah. It is in India alone that forgiveness is begged of the earth for setting foot on it, the mother, the adored and the revered: samudrarasane devi parvatastanamandite/ Visnupatni namas tubhyam padaksepam ksamasva mell The same kind of forgiveness is begged of a tree by a carpenter for felling and sawing it for the wood needed for fashioning doors and windows of a house: 853 yaniha bhutani vasanti tani balim grhiva vidhivat prayuktam/ anyatra vasam parikalpayantu ksamantu te cadya namo 'stu tebhyah// While referring to the earth it will not be out of place to make a reference to an episode where it figures with environmental overtones. Once while King Prthu was on the throne the earth went to Brahma and complained to Him that the CC 0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by $3 Foundation USA

king was tormenting her. On being summoned, the king told the Lord that he was doing so because the earth was not yielding sufficient food for his subjects. In self -defence the earth said that it was so because the subjects had far too much exploited her upper crust with the result that her productivity had declined. Brahma then asked the earth to assume the form of a cow and supply the milk (the remainder of it after the calf had sucked) to the subjects to hold on. This went on well for some time after which Prthu went to Brahma and told him that his subjects were feeling uneasy; they wanted shelter now. Brahma advised that they could dig into the earth for putting up pillars for building houses but then the digging has to be done gently without hurting the earth too much. The Lord also advised the earth to withstand the hurt caused to her by digging and pounding. The above episode exemplifies the concern of the ancient Indians to soil erosion, that is what the loss of the upper crust is, a fact to which the present-day agricultural experts and environmentalists are drawing pointed attention. Further, indiscriminate digging and pounding, and that too deep, is certain to cause upheaval in ecolgy which could be detrimental to the natural state of the earth. The ancient Indians were conscious that while they need environment, the environment too needs them. The respect for nature and the concept of environmental harmony have been fostered in the Indian psyche through scriptures, religious codes and mythology. The ancient Indians understood and underscored the inter-relation between themselves and the Mother Nature. This idea finds expression in Sanskrit literature in a telling manner. For instance, the Mahabharata says that without a forest cover the tiger is slain, without a tiger the forest is felled. Hence a tiger should protect the forest and the forest should protect the tiger: nirvano vadhyate vyaghro nirvyaghram chidyate vanam/ CC-0. Prtasmad vyaghro vanam raksed Batized by S 3 Foundation USA raksed vanam vyaghram ca palayet /

After planting, the trees have to be nurtured by watering. For watering also there is the incentive, the prarocana, viz.. satisfying the manes: amras ca siktah pitaras ca prinitah, you water the amras (trees) and please the manes. With one stroke two goals are achieved: eka kriya dvyarthakari prasiddha. It is also said that where there is a grove of Tulasi plants, the chanting of the name of the Lord (Hari) and a congregation of His devotees, the Lord (Hari) is present there Himself: tulasikananam yatra hareh sankirtanam tatha/ tadbhaktasamavayas ca tatra sannihito harih// The leaves of the mango, the bilva and the plantain trees are sacred to the Indians. So are the coconut fruits, the betel leaf and the aracanut which serve as offerings to gods. Of the types of grass or straw it is kusa which carries the palm, its mats occupying the pride of place in auspicious ceremonies. Just as there were texts on farming, there were texts on plants like the Vrksayurveda of Parasara and Surapala, the Upavanavinoda and so on. Besides these texts specifically dealing with agriculture and plants, the texts on Ayurveda and the lexica with their sections on Vanausadhis, the Vanausadhivarga, are an important source of information about agricultural and the forest produce. The ancient Indians had an intimate contact with nature. They were therefore quite familiar with the bewildering variety of crops and plants dotting the landscape. Even the literary works abound with their names and the uses to which they were put by society. The great poet Kalidasa starts his Abhijnanasakuntala with a reference to the sirisa flowers being used by women as ear-rings and the makeup of the bride with flowers, a custom still current in the Pandit community of Kashmir. The entire Sanskrit literature needs to be visited with a view to identifying the names of crops, trees, creepers and flowers mentioned there. The Haritasamhita, the Carakasambita, the Raja Nighantu, the Dhanvantari Nighantu and the Vrksayurveda refer to the sexuality of plants.

Laying of gardens—Glimpses of History of Sanskrit Literature / 465 While the planting of trees is important, the laying of gardens is equally so. In ancient India it was the foremost duty of a king to maintain beautiful gardens in the city. Kautilya included gardens and fields under the term Vastu. Puranas like Matsya emphasise laying of gardens and digging of wells. The ancient Indians analysed the quality of soil before laying gardens. The ground with plenty of water and with sprouts was considered ideal for the purpose. Maintenance of parks mainly depends on the availability of water. In dry places where it is scarce, it is advised to draw water from sub-soil. Varahamihira's Brhatsamhita is the biggest and perhaps the only source about the state of hydrological knowledge of ancient India. There was a special method called dakargala to determine the sub-soil water. It is gathered from the old texts that the ancient Indians were the greatest water harvesters. They had made a thorough study of the underground water veins with perfected systems for homes, agriculture and horticulture. Maintaining Greenery The Sanskrit literature emphasises on the importance of maintaining greenery everywhere. It is replete with references to different types of fruits and flowers. The Indians of yore gave flowers the foremost place in worship and the art of aesthetics. Plants like mallika, sirisa, campaka, atimukta, and ketaki have found repeated mention in the ancient texts.