Religion and Nature-with Special Reference to Hinduism

Abstract

Religion, a deep and intimate impulse of mankind, in one way or another has been found everywhere.The historical perspective of any society shows that protection and preservation of the nature has been fundamental to the cultural and religious ethos. Almost all ancient religions had adored nature, believing that different forms of nature radiate the spirit of God.

In Hinduism, natural energies, activities and aspects are glorified and personified as deities. Different attributes are assigned to deities fit in their natural forms and activities. Hymns and prayers are eulogies to natural elements like air, water, earth, fire, sun, dawn, rain, etc. Hinduism contains numerous references to the worship of the divine in nature in the Vedas, Upaniá¹£ads, PurānÌ£as, SÅ«tras,SmrÌ£tis and other sacred texts. SanskrÌ£it mantras (hymns) are recited to admire rivers, mountains, trees, animals, and the earth.

The strength of Hinduism is that nature is an inseparable part of our existence. Protecting the environment is an important expression of dharma. The highest ethical code of Hinduism is universal benevolence or Sarva Bhuta Hita. Hinduism can be considered as a twig of eco-spirituality or a representation of deep ecology. In present social milieu, the voice of Hinduism can be heard in such movements as ‘Save the Planet', ‘Conserve the Forests', ‘Stop Cruelty to Animals', ‘One World-One Family' and others.

This paper is a trivial attempt to explore Hinduism with a view to exemplify the relation between religion and nature and to evaluate ancient religious ethos of Hinduism in present day context. The current ecological crisis is a spiritual crisis. So, the need of the hour is to renovate our life style by eco-centrism, not by ego-centrism. If we examine the ecological foundation and implications of Hinduism both in principle and practice, it would be a new field of study in religion.