Wildlilfe Viewing - The Philosophy of Indian Co-existence
An area of 4.4 million sq km,
population of almost a billion people, more than 300 species of
mammals, over 1200 species and sub-species of birds, more than 500
species of reptiles, over 30,000 insect species, some 13,000 species
of plants. Sounds almost impossible. How can so many people and so
much wildlife co-exist? How can people struggling to make ends meet
allow wild animals to threaten their lives and damage their crops?
¤ Wildlilfe Viewing -
The Philosophy of Indian Co-existence is just magnificent. People
co-existing with these wild animals are actually worshipping them.
Most of rural India has not gone to schools that would have taught
them the importance of conservation, the buzzword of today, but they
seem to understand it nevertheless.
Not only do they believe in conservation, but they go out of their
way to actually conserve. How many communities you know of would find
reasons not to kill the elephants who raid their crops year after
year? I know of one – the Kong tribals in the eastern state of
Orrisa. According to Kong folklore, elephants were earlier dogs. The
Kong tribals mistreated these dogs who then went complaining to the
gods about their plight. So the gods took pity on them and turned them
into elephants. After all, size does matter. Now these
elephants take revenge on the tribals by destroying their crops and
the tribals think that it is just fair considering the fact that they
were the ones who started the whole thing in the first place.
This is not the only story of its kind. Other stories – with or
without religious leanings – have, over centuries, created an
attitude among Indians that encourages co-existence with wild life,
especially tribals who have the greatest interaction with wildlife.
Indian wildlife viewing includes the message of conservation, that is
indoctrinated; you will find it intricately woven into every aspect of
Indian culture.
¤ Theory of Ancient literature and philosophy
Ancient literature and philosophy is perhaps the root from where this
attitude stems. In ancient Indian literature the whole theory of
Creation emphasises the obligation of humans to respect their
environment. Man is seen as only one among the innumerable living and
nonliving creations of god. Ancient Indian philosophers went to the
extent of saying that protection of environment is a fundamental duty
of all men. Man is seen as an intelligent creature capable of
understanding the fragility of the world he lives in. At the same time
it is reasserted over and over again that man is not the possessor of
all knowledge and what he knows he has learnt from the other live
forms around him. The priests of all creatures were born ahead of
humans. Cosmic intelligence, inherent in all forms is the
self-existent source of all knowledge.
¤ The Description of Plants and Animal Life
Ancient Indian texts like the Vedas, Upanishads and the Puranas (see
Ancient Scriptures and Folklore) have meticulously described and
recorded the plants and wildlife that surrounded the human habitation
and laid down rules that would guide the interaction between man and
nature. The Yajur Veda emphasises the need to offer prayers to all
life forms especially the cow which, till date, occupies a special
place in the hearts of all Hindus. The Varan Purana suggests that
planting of trees is an act of such piety that it would help man
achieve heaven after death. The Matsya Purana equates the planting of
a single tree to the procreation of a progeny of ten sons. The
Narsimha Purana has gone to the extent of personifying trees as Brahma
(the Creator of the Hindu Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer).
While the textual tradition in India offers a complete and systematic
analysis of the universe the oral tradition focuses on practise. In
the oral tradition the forces of nature were perceived as a positive
living entities that were recognised and given special regard. From
here began the ritualisation of the forces that man either feared or
did not understand, or both. This ritualisation was to become the
foundation of Hindu religion.
Even in Islam the reverence of certain animals and plants was
encouraged. The Qoran (sacred text of the Muslims) refers to nature as
a microcosmic counterpart of itself. The 8th century Sufi
saint Aziz-al-Nasafi compares each genus of a plant or animal to a
surah in the Qoran, each specie to a verse and each individual
to a letter.
¤ Plants and Animals Associated With Hindu Gods
In Hinduism plants and animals were associated with gods if not given
godlike status. Tree worship gained importance and from this emerged
the concept of ‘sacred groves’, a concept that was here to
stay for a long long time to come. These sacred groves were given
complete protection; no harm was to come upon the flora and fauna
within the assigned area and the rules governing these sacred groves
were formidable. Even today it is not unusual to come across a dense
patch of vegetation protected as a sacred grove, exhibiting the
traditional values that have been able to hold ground through the
ages.
¤ Animal Worship
Among the animals the more awesome ones like tiger, elephant and
snake and the ones with which interaction was more, like the monkey,
got a more god like status. But the rest did not go unnoticed, for
almost every animal, big or small, was under the benevolence of a god.
The wildlife viewing erose admiration for these animal. Animals
treated like gods are still alive through religion in all most the
country giving enough reason to the believer to protect them.
¤ Tiger Associated With Goddess Durga
The tiger has been loved, feared and worshipped throughout India for
centuries. It is seen as a brother, a protector, a fertility symbol, a
destroyer of all evil and the guardian of the jungles. Durga, the
Hindu goddess who fights all evil, is always depicted as riding a
tiger or a lion making them comrades in her mission against evil.
¤ Elephant Worship
Another animal that has an overwhelming presence in the subcontinent
is the elephant. It has also been able to secure a predominant status
in religion and mythology, both Hindu and Buddhist. A story well known
amongst Buddhists is that of queen Maya, the mother of Gautam Buddha,
who is believed to have seen a white elephant in her dream before she
gave birth to Buddha.
According to a Hindu myth, a legendary white elephant Airavata was
created during the churning of the ocean of milk that consequently led
to creation of earth. Airavata was thus seen as a source of all life
forms. But elephant worship amongst Hindus goes beyond Airavata. The
elephant god Ganesha (who has a human body and the head of an
elephant) is worshiped throughout the country as the son of Shiva (the
Destroyer) and the removal of obstacles. It is believed that the
elephant head of this god makes him one of the most intelligent gods
and a great patron of knowledge. There is a waggish story of how he
and his brother, Skanda, set out on a race around the world. Skanda
did so in a more conventional way, riding his peacock mount, while
Ganesha claimed victory by simply walking around his parents, Shiva
and Parvati. He claimed that since his parents meant the world to him
he had actually encircled the world, as he knew it.
¤ Naga - The Serpent
The ‘naga’ or the serpent (mostly the cobra) is one of the
most popular figures that are frequently mentioned in Indian mythology
and innumerable references to the legendry nagas can be found in the
ancient texts. The religious naga cult is one of the oldest in the
world and still has a large following in India. The snake is seen as a
guardian of the earth and all its secrets including the biggest secret
of all – the secret of Creation. Snakes have also found a place
among the Buddhist Jakata stories which talk of them as having
gathered around Buddha’s mother to help with the bird of
Sidhartha, the to be Buddha.
The cobra is closely related to Shiva whose dual nature, of creator
(in the sense of procreation) and destroyer, ascetic and erotic, it
shares. Serpents are seen adorning Shiva’s neck and guarding the
linga (Shiva’s phallic symbol) as also Shiva’s sons Ganesha
and Murugana, who are also depicted with cobras around their chest and
ankles. Vishnu (the Preserver) is also illustrated resting on the
coils of a giant seven-headed cobra while he awaits the Creation of
life.
Snake worship has taken a number of forms in India. Snake deities are
often represented as half human and half serpent, and their images are
placed under sacred trees and outside temples and are believed to
protect all those who come to worship them. The highpoint of snake
worship is reached during Nagapanchami (the festival of sakes). Live
snakes are captured, to be released later, and worshiped amongst much
festivity. Since there is strong phallic symbolism associated with
snake worship the role of women in the ceremonies is predominant.
While the tiger, elephant and snake have earned their veneration
thanks to the awe they inspired, the monkey god Hanuman probably
gained prominence with the increasing popularity of the epic Ramayana.
In the Ramayana, Hanuman is portrayed as the loyal companion of Rama,
the incarnation of Vishnu (the Preserver), who he accompanied on a
mission to Lanka to rescue Rama’s wife, Sita. The Ramayana
depicts him as a protector of the innocent and talks much about the
might of Hanuman who once flew up to grasp the sun, thinking it was an
apple, and also moved mountains. Such is the love for Hanuman that
hunting monkeys has become a taboo throughout Asia and the langur,
named after him, is worshiped and protected. You will find hoards of
these monkeys being fed on the roadside, especially on a Tuesday, the
day devoted to this monkey god. In some cities these monkeys have
created havoc but are tolerated for religious reasons alone.
¤ Rats - Considers Sacre
Protection under religion is offered to the all including the ‘lesser’
animals. Even our little mouse is under the benevolence of a mighty
god. The mouse is the mount for Ganesha, the elephant-headed god, and
how this elephant god manages to ride the mouse only they both know!
Mounts are a popular way of associating gods and animals. Shiva’s
mount is the Nandi, the bull, while Vishnu rides the eagle, Garuda.
and both Nandi and Garuda have been graded as gods because of this.
Garuda has been depicted as a kind soul eager to help fight evil but
his greatest gift to mankind is soma (the nectar of immortality) that
he stole from the gods. The peacock serves not one but two gods, it is
the vehicle for both Kartikeya (war god) and Saraswati (the goddess of
knowledge).
Creatures like fish, boar and tortoise might sound irrelevant to many
but according to the Vedas they are divine. Vishnu has been credited
with as many as ten incarnations that he assumed to assist man in his
struggle against evil. of these ten incarnations the first three were
that of Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise) and Varaha (the boar)
respectively.
¤ According To Hindu Mythology
Gods and legendary men had pets, or animals they just happened to
have patted once, but that was enough to make Hindus respect them.
Yudhisthira, one of the main characters in the great epic Mahabharata,
is said to have been accompanied to heaven by his dog.
In Hinduism there is only one heaven that shelters both humans and
animals. In a story found mostly in children’s books, a squirrel
was trying to help, in its little way, to build a great bridge over
the mighty sea in order to allow Rama (Lord Vishnu’s incarnation)
to cross over to Lanka to fight his enemy. A member of Rama’s
army saw the squirrel and laughed at the little creature. The poor
squirrel was so upset that it began crying, and it was then that Rama
picked it up and stroked it gently admiring its effort. The strip
found on a squirrels back are said to be the impressions of Rama’s
fingers.
A number of beliefs and rituals were framed emphasising conservation,
but often the science or logic behind conserving certain plants or
animals was not well conveyed leading to these being termed as ‘superstitions’.
Killing of certain animals is said to bring misfortune to the killer.
In most parts of India it is believed that a snake is sure to avenge
the killing of its mate. In some communities it is believed that if
you kill a spider, an ugly mark would appear on your face and that
surely would discourage any beauty conscious person from killing a
spider!
¤ Common Belief Persisting
Besides the links provided to us by religion, we have others that are
an outcome of centuries of interaction. Throughout India various
animals are seen as biological indicators of natural phenomenon. The
arrival of the Pie Crested Cuckoo is supposed to bring the monsoon
within 24 hours. The Drongo hovering over rice fields indicates the
presence of caseworm pest while crabs indicate the presence of
underground water. Such presumption may or may not be backed by
scientific research, but their role in creating a feeling of
dependency and a bond with animals is undeniable.
¤ The Influence of Religion and Philosophy Over The Wildlife
Conservation
One is often tempted to question the actual influence all these
conservation lessons offered by religion and philosophy. But the
influence is there and very visible in case of certain village
communities who share a special relation with certain birds or
animals, especially with migratory birds. This remarkable
co-existences of man with the wild encourages wildlife viewing in
their natural habitat.
One such village is Jayanagar in West Bengal, which welcomes
thousands of storks every autumn, and then there is the Kheechan
village in Rajasthan that protects and feeds the migratory cranes that
visit them every year. The villagers gain nothing from the birds
except for a little bit of guano that might be used as fertilisers. As
a matter of fact they seem to be spending a substantial amount of
their earning into feeding these birds, plus the added discomfort of
the noise and the smell. But they do not complain; they believe the
birds bring them luck and they are prepared to go to any length to
make sure the birds are back next year.
The Bishnoi community deserves a special mention here. A Bishnoi will
not burn wood until it is free of all insect life. They have a unique
relationship of love with the black buck and have often risked their
own lives to save the black bucks from poachers. The Jain community
perhaps has the most stringent rules when it comes to conservation.
Jainism, like Buddhism, forbids the killing of any living creature,
big or small.
Wildlife has survived in India thanks to the religions and
philosophies that have guided Indians over all these centuries. But
times are changing and so are attitudes. The new generation is not as
influenced by traditional religion and philosophy and this has
affected their attitude towards wildlife and conservation. Wildlife is
not as safe in India as it used to be. We can only hope that
traditional knowledge if at all replaced is replaced by scientific
knowledge that will advocate conservation. |
