Contribution of Ancient Literature in Environment Conservation by- Kiran Mann, Department of Geography, Govt. P.G. College for Women, Karnal

Abstract

There is an urgent need for environmental awareness in order to re-establish the broken links between modern man and nature. And in this process traditional knowledge plays an important role. The concept of environmental protection is an age old idea imbibed in the Indian cultural ethos since time immemorial. Ancient Indian texts like ARTHASASTRA, SATHAPATHA, BRAMANAS, VEDAS, MANUSMRTI, RAMAYANA, MAHABHARATA reflected the environmental wisdom of that time and conservation in a sustainable manner. The ancient Indian literature has many references which preach that it is our dharma to protect our environment. The aim and objective of this paper is to show the rich ancient tradition, taking care of environment and heritage. In this paper, an effort is made to understand the environmental awareness that was prevalent in ancient India and to bring out its relevance to the present scenario. Nature can take care of itself provided man is aware of the repercussions of his actions on the environment.