Eco-Consciousness in Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa: An Aesthetical Study of Ecological Integrity and Biodiversity

Abstract

The paper traces the expressions of eco�consciousness through an eco�aesthetical reading of the text of Rāmāyaṇa, the oldest Sanskrit epic. It brings to the fore the representation of ecologi� cal integrity, beauty of biodiversity, interrelations between different organisms of the ecosystem, and environmental knowledge through its analysis of the eco�religious/cultural practices prevalent during the Rāmāyaṇa-kāla (the period of Rāmāyaṇa). In this Anthropocene epoch, the sentiment of eco�caring has taken a back seat in human minds, leading to a severe ecological crisis. Humans have acquired dominance over the natural environment that jeopardises not only the lives of hu� mans themselves but also of fellow beings. There is a need to revive aesthetic impulses in humans to keep up the symbiotic relations with nature. Aesthetics is an important tool for the appreciation of nature in its varied forms of everyday activities, which forms a link between ecological aesthe� tics and ethics. Further, the idea of ecological harmony is one of the key concepts of eco�aesthe� tics, which can be often seen in the text of Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa. While the epic has been approached from the ecological perspective by different scholars, there has not been any significant study that explores the eco�aesthetical dimension of the text. Keeping this gap in view, this article attempts to explore the relevance of eco�aesthetical method for addressing the issue considering simulta� neously the contemporary discourse of eco�aesthetics. Also, the paper analyses the sentiment of eco�caring in light of various episodes of the epic. Finally, the summation of the paper accentuates the importance of eco�aesthetical sentiment to assist the reorientation of humans towards ecologi� cal attunement.