Vedas and Environment

Vedas are regarded as the ultimate truth about nature

and its creator. In fact as per the doctrines of Hinduism, the
God and nature (Prakriti) are inseparable. The supreme lord
manifests himself through nature. Whatever, we see around
us and beyond us is not only his creation but he himself exists
and goes on changing his appearance in a kaleidoscopic
manner.

He has been everywhere, (omni present) and he will

remain everywhere, even when nothing physically remains
visible to us, as He is Almightly (Omnipotent). Thus he is
continues to remain present in all the times hence is Sanatan
(Shaswata) Immortal and would never cease. He only changes
ways of his expression, through his will of creation of nature.
 u HkoR;e`ra eR;a u eR;Zee`ra rFkk A
izd`rsjU;FkkHkkoks u dFkfŒpn~ Hkfo";fr
AA ¼e.Mwdksi 3-21½
nzO;a nzO;L; gsrq L;knU;L; pSo fg AA
¼e.Mwdksi 4-53½

"He is present in each particle" – is not a mere thought-but

the ultimate truth and truth is GOD, who manifests himself in
innumerable forms through his nature. And it is his 'Nature
which gives our "Environment".
CONCEPT OF AIR ‘VAYU’
The observer space is the abode of matter particles, light
space is the abode of energy and the intermediate space
‘Antariksha’ is the abode of field.

The principal deity of Antariksha is Vayu. Jaiminiya

Brahmana quotes,’ Vayu brightens in Antariksha.’ Field is
another form of energy and, therefore, Yajurveda says,’
Vayu has penetrating brightness.’

The meaning of Vayu is made clear in Shatapatha

Brahmana in the following Mantra, ‘Sun and rest of
universe is woven in string. What is that string, that is
Vayu.’ This verse clearly shows that here Vayu cannot
mean air alone.
 Apparent meaning of Vayu is air. The Vedic seers knew
the importance of air for life. They understood all about air in
the atmosphere and also about the air inside the body. The
Taittiriya Upanishad throws light on five types of wind inside
the body: Prana, Vrana, Apana, Udana and Samano Air
resides in the body as life.
Concept and significance of air is highlighted in Vedic
verses. Rigveda mentions ‘O Air! You are our father, the
protector. Air has medicinal values ‘Let wind blow in the form
of medicine and bring me welfare and happiness.’ Medicated
air is the international physician that annihilates pollution and
imparts health and hilarity, life and liveliness to people of the
world. Hilly areas are full of medicated air consisted of herbal
elements. Another verse describes characteristics of air‘The
air is the soul of all deities. It exists in all as life-breath. It can
move everywhere.
The Sun
For us all, sun is the real creator and sustainer of life and life supporting forces. In
terms of ecological evolution – birth of mother earth is fully believed from the sun.
Sun is the centre around which move all the seven planets of our solar system [Reg.
7.76.1]. This movement of earth around sun creates seasons,
mn~ T;ksfrje`r fo'otU;a fo‹okuj% lfork vFksrA
Rok nsokuketfu"V p{kqjkfojdHkqZoua fo‹pe"kk% AA ¼_x~
7-76-1½

influences climatic components, and gyration of earth on its own axis vis as vis to sun,
which creates day and night. the origin of sun, in a sense is associated with the origin
of our visible cosmic world. The sun is the provider of four major basic environmental
components viz. light, heat, solar radiation and rains (water). All these ecological
components working with and on the earth, neither life can continue without these
four components and their interaction with earth (soil) and air. Hence he (sun) is
regarded as the soul of our world. [Atharva. 13.2.25, 26].

jksfgrks fnoek:gr rilk riLoh A l ;ksfueSfr A

l m tk;rs iqu% l nsokukef/kifrcZHkwr AA
¼vFk- 13-2-25½
;ks fo'op"kZf.k:r fo'orkseq[ks fo'orLikf.k:r fo'orLi`Fk% A
la ckgqH;ka Hkjfr la ir=S|kkZoki`fFkoh tu;u nso ,d% AA
Vaidic literature attaches great importance to sun. He is regarded as
an eye of God, and some times revered as God himself, in its most
bright, fiery and radiant form. At one place veda regards sun is born
from the eye of the Virat, the Omnipotent God himslef. [Rig. 10.90.3],
and still further [Rig. 10.190.3]: Rishi pays highest reverence to sun.
the sun is described as a chakra (wheel) in an another mantra [Rig.
1.175.4].

lw;kZpUnzelkS /kkrk ;FkkiwoZedYi;r A

fnoa p i`fFkoh pkUrfj{ke{kks Lo% AA
¼_x~ 10-190-3½

Vedic seer understands very well that sun shines for all world,
including god and man [Rig. 1.50.5 and 7.631].
izR;M] nsokuka fo'ka izR;Mq-Mq-nsfo ekuq"kku~ A
izR;M] fo‹oa Lo}Z'ks AA ¼_x~ 1-50-5½
Energy
The supreme lord has manifested himself in all directions and in all
visible and invisible forms. The world of natural components and
forces as we se around us and we perceive are polymorphic forms of
his divine omnipotent energy only. The energy according to modern
laws of physics can not be destroyed. It simply changes its form and
remains constant and which is fundamentally essential to perform any
work. Our Vedic seers knew it and therefore they always believed that
whatever appears visible to our eyes is just his energy (power)
incarnate. Two of the major forms of energy are light and heat,
besides the mechanical and electrical energy. The heat on the other
hand is the sign of life. Every living biological activity produces heat,
and even in fact every action between and due to two or multiple
nonliving components also produces heat (Ushma or Tap as we call it).
As matter of fact heat is symptom of life like breathing. The breathing
culminates in production of body heat. On the other hand the heat
(energy) thus produced provides ability to living organism to breath.
At its mega ecological level the same energy (heat) appears as fire.
Fire is thus a clear manifestation of highly powered kinetic form of his
energy. the fire is produced as a result of combustion of a material.
Fire (Agni) is most sacred to vedic seers. The fire has been given a
very high place and regarded as God it self, since it is a product of God
(supreme energy) only (Rig. 6.7.1).

dfoa lezktefr tukeklkUuk ik=a tu;Ur nsrk% AA

¼_x~ 6-7-1½
It has also been said that "Agni" has been produced in the form of
light for learned people (Rig. 1.59.2) and for the life of human being
(Rig. 10.46.9).
ra Rok nsoklks·tu;Ur nsoa oS'okuj T;ksfrfjnk;h; A
¼_x~ 1-59-2½
nsokLrr{kqeZuos ;t=e~ A ¼_x~ 10-46-9½
Our Vedic seers were so overwhelmed with the importance of "Fire"
that at place the seers regarded fire as the progenitor of all God (Rig.
WATER and HUMIDITY
In vedic literature water is mainly called as Apah. We all
know that water is the elexir of life. All living organisms,
plants and animals are structurally 30-98 % water. Besides
being a structural component of body, water is essential
environment, too.
Water is the medium through which nutrients of soil
underneath and above on the water surface move
horizontally as well as vertically. Water has great power of
dissolving most of the inorganic components in mixture form
and in the pure elemental and ionic form. Water provides a
medium for interaction among different compounds. Water is
a great nurture for plants as well as for animals. Water helps
in conduction for energy in the form of heat and helps in
maintaining a soothing climate. Water acts as a rejuvenator
and medicament itself [Rig. 1.23.19]
viLoUrje`reIlq Hks"kteikeqr iz;Lrs nsok
Hkor okftu% A
¼_x~ 1-23-
19½
vki b}k m Hks"kthjkiks vefopkruh% A
vki% loZL; Hks"kthLrkLrs d`.oUrq Hks"kte
AA ¼_x~ 10-137-6½

besides in the form of plant extracts, as medicines and

invigorates health in recuperating person, besides acting as a
healer [Rig. 10.137.6] and regard to cure all ailments. Then
water as a substratum provides habitat to thousands of
aqua-biotic components in nature. The life of plankton
(floating microorganisms over water surface) animals like
fishes are fully dependent on aquatic habitat (the
The Earth and Soil
The earth provides us, base for standing and it makes a
substratum – a bottom. The earth provides us all the comforts one can
think about the produces all our material requirements [Rig. 1.22.15]
L;ksuk i`fFkoh Hkoku`{kjk fuos'kuh A
;PNk u% 'keZ lizFk% AA ¼_x~ 1-22-15½

The earth, since it gave birth to the first living organism in its lap, has
been nursing life. And before the earth bore animated form of life, it
took billions of years to prepare and decorate herself fully worthy of a
best mother in all possible ways. It generated every thing, with in her
bosom and over her face to nurture, educate and medicate, her
progeny, not only man but all living creatures. Our vaidic seers fully
realised it and therefore glorified it as our mother and regarded
ourselves as her children, (A.V. Bhumisukta), which rightly accepts that,
"I am the son of earth, earth is my mother". The Artharveda is full of
praises underlining the importance, of mother earth.
 The revealer of Atharveda tell us that earth is the mother of all plants,
which is held by eternal law, may she remain ever beneficial and
bountiful to us, as we treat her [A.V., 12.1.17]. the Vedic Rishis are
untiring te paying obeisance to mother earth and continuously seek her
blessing [A.V., 12.1.2-26]. Vaidic Rishi. is not only a cosmologist,
geologist, but more than a true naturalist. He knows pretty well, that
earth is the real, benefactor of all life sustaining components, be it
water, herbs, trees, or corns and lentils.
 Plants
Our Vedic Rishis were well acquainted of these above fact and
importance about plant kingdom. The vedic men, therefore, worshiped
to plant and gave very sacred importance to tiniest of plants and herbs.
The heterogeneous assemblage of plants makes a forest ecosystem. Not
going into detailed account of our Rishis perceptions about floral and
forest components of our system. Therefore our seers were religiously
involved about plant protection and forest conservation. The Durva
grass is known to posses wonderful medicinal properties and even
reliever of anger, as the water cleans dirt (Atharva. 2.7.1):

v/kf}"Vk nsotkrk oh#PNiFk;ksiuh A

vkikseyfeo izk.k{khr~ lokZu~ ePN iFkksZ vf/k AA
¼vFkZo% 2-7-1½

The medicinal importance of herbs was well established in vaidic

time and hundreds of such herbs were known with equal benefits for
various ailment (Rig. 10.97.2-3)