The Vedas are the first texts in the library of mankind. They are universally regarded as the most precious Indian heritage. The antiquity of the Vedic civilization is largely debated, but in fact there is no civilization known to humanity with such antiquity as the Vedic Aryan civilization. The so-called Aryans must have originated in Aryavarta. N. J. Lockyer has declared: The Vedas are, indeed, the oldest book in which we can study the first beginnings of our language and of everything that is embodied in all languages under the sun.
The Vedas deal with knowledge, knowledge of all kinds. They cover both material and spiritual knowledge. They are the source of all knowledge according to Manusmriti. Particularly the Vedic views revolve around the concept of nature and life. The visions of life and the beauty of nature in the Vedas are extremely rich in poetic value. Perhaps nowhere else in the world has the glory of the dawn and the sun and the silence and the sweetness of nature, received such rich and at the same time such pure expression. The symbolic images present there are close to life and nature. The most authoritative of the four Vedas is the one called the Rig Veda. Each Vedic poem has one or more Rishis (sages) and Devtas (devtas) associated with it. Generally, the Rishis are regarded as the recipients of the knowledge revealed in the verses and the Devtas are regarded as the deities whose praises are revealed in the verses.
The oldest and simplest form of nature-worship finds expression in the Vedic texts. Many scholars have come to the conclusion that the Vedas are primarily concerned with cosmology, however, they are not in a position to show that Vedic cosmology contains solutions to the most difficult problems of modern cosmology. Some say, just as plays are enacted to remember history, the procedure of the various Srata Yajnas describes the science of cosmology.
Vedic hymns are full of statements, ideas and unusual images which contain the truth of all sciences. Here, knowledge is put in symbolic language and unless the symbols are decoded, the real purpose of the mantras cannot be understood. The only point is that Vedas need to be studied and interpreted, not in a pedantic manner, but in their proper perspective and in the relevant context. The tripartite model of knowledge based on Kymns helps heir understanding. Generally most of the doctrines are indicated in their earliest form. Often the expression of ideas is covered with a shadow of symbolism. The outlook of Vedic seers is really broad. They do not imagine in parts. They do not elaborate the subjects as is done in present education. But at the same time, the grandeur and conciseness of Vedas is not found in the subjects of modern science. Vedas and disciplines of modern science are rather complementary and not contradictory. If modern science is seen or studied through Vedic eyes, students will benefit greatly. Students of science can find the earliest evidence of ideas about any discipline in Vedic literature.
In recent times, environmental science and ecology are the subjects of modern science, under which environment and its components are studied with minute details. As sciences, they are established in the 20th century, but their origin can be traced back to a long period in the Vedic and ancient Sanskrit literature. The concepts of environment vary from age to age, as it depends upon the situation, prevailing at that particular time. In this paper, an attempt is made to trace the awareness of ancient Indian people about the environment. As the Sanskrit literature is so wide we refer here mainly to the Vedic texts, particularly the Vedic Samhita. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 defines environment as follows: ‘The environment includes water air and land and the inter-relationships which exist between water, air and land and human beings, other living creatures, plants, animals, micro-organisms and property from the above definition. Living organisms may be divided into three types – those living mainly on land, in water and in air. The non-living contents of the environment are land, air, water, possessions etc.
In modern Sanskrit, the term Paryavarana is used for environment, which means that which surrounds us, that which is all around us. But in the Atharvaveda terms equivalent to this meaning are used; such as Vritravita, Abhivara, Avirata, Parivrita etc. The Vedic view on environment is well defined in a verse of the Atharvaveda where the three coverings of our surroundings are referred to as Chandamasi: ‘The wise use the three elements as diverse in nature which are diverse, visible and full of qualities. These are water, air and plants or herbs. They are present in the world from the beginning. They are referred to as Chandamasi, which means ‘coverings available everywhere.10 This proves the knowledge of the Vedic seers about the basic elements of the environment.
According to an indigenous theory established in the Upanishads, the universe consists of five basic elements 1. Earth or land, 2. Water, 3. Light or shine, 4. Air, and 5. Ether. Disturbance in the percentage of any component of the environment beyond certain limits disturbs the natural balance and any change in natural balance causes a lot of problems to the living beings in the universe. Various components of the environment exist with prescribed relationships with each other. The relationship of human being with the environment is very natural as he cannot live without it. From the beginning of creation he wants to know about it for self protection and benefit.
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