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Vedic Heritage for Environmental Stewardship - Coggle Diagram
Vedic Heritage for Environmental Stewardship
II. THE VEDIC HERITAGE FOR ECO-CARE
"The relationship between human-beings and nature attracted the seers of the Vedic period in a manner incomparable to any other religion and cultural traditions."
The Vedic seers were investigating mysteries of creation and refused to accept the things around as the final anser.
The five mahabhutas are cosmic elements which create, nurture and sustain all forms of life
Apah (Water) According to the Shrutis, water was the first of the cosmic element.
God: “All the fountains of the great deep were broken up” (Genesis 7:11) or Day 3 of the creation story.
Tejah/Agni (Light/Fire) Agni is considered in the Vedas as the spring of our life.
I guess the connection here is that God created life by himself, however here the "light" created life.
Akash/Space Is not a material or physical element. "space" where everything came from.
Just like in the Genesis, Space is where everything came from, but in genesis the God "has control" over the universe.
Vayu/air In the Vedic literature, Vayu is the bond and the thread which keeps the universe together.
Not relatable with the genesis story, the air doesen't seem as an importnat thing to talk about.
Prithivi/Earth Rig Veda describes Prithivi as a divinity as well as one of the mahabhuta.
III. THE PRITHIVI SUKTA
The Atharva Veda is perhaps the first of its kind of scripture in any spiritual tradition where the concept of respect to Earth has been pronounced.
63 verses
The verses praise our "Mother Earth"
Mother Earth. It is She who supports us from her abundant endowments and riches, it is She who nourishes us, it is She who provides us with a sustainable environment.
The Prithivi Sukta also exemplify the relevance of environmental suste- nance, agriculture and biodiversity to human beings.
The Prithivi Sukta maintains that attributes of earth such as its firmness, purity and fertility.
Man's greed and exploitative tendencies have been the main cause of environmental destruction.
Therefore the Prithivi Sukta enunciates the unity of all races and among all beliefs; further, the concept of secularism, multiculturalism and multilingualism, is urged with a prayer which says that the Mother Earth bestows upon all the people living in any part of the world the same prosperity which has been pleaded by the Rishi Atharva of India.