Review Article on Relation between Hinduism and Environment - A Vedic Approach

Abstract

The present paper gives an insight of the importance of the environment in the oldest religion of the world either, Hinduism and discovers the environmental ethics which were prevailing in the olden society and how far we human are still practicing those ethics of ancient time. Human existence and environment have been co-existed since the evolution of human on earth. Environment had provided clean air, clean water and an environment free of toxins to the human kind. All the religion in the world had given due respect to the environment since time immemorial. Environment owes the important position in all the major religion of the world namely Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Christianity. Hinduism can better be termed as a way of life. Hinduism is considered one of the oldest and the scientific religion of the world. In Hinduism, environment and nature are considered as the gift of God. Hindu religion believed that survival of human kind is totally dependent on healthy environment. All the forces of nature either air, water, sun, earth and fire are termed as god, and hence they are eligible to be worshipped in Hinduism. The time when the conservation and protection of the environment was not even thought of, at that time the Vedas and Puranas which are the sacred books of Hindu religion, had directed human being to worship nature and its components. Practices in Hinduism as confirmed by the study of Vedas were environmentally friendly and if those practices are followed today it can give answers to the various environmental problems.