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61 I.2.3.3 Environment Verses Human Being: In the context of Vedic view: Since time long the ancient Indian thinkers had a predominant idea about the relationship between man and nature. All living creatures including human beings are the product of nature. Unlike today, the ancient man was even happier being in nature. Thus, the relation between man and nature from time immemorial stood to be interdependent. The human-nature relationship, their interdependence and association with each other in the context of Vedic version therefore gets articulated through the divine embodiments and have been pronounced in the guise of rituals being sermonized at every step of human life repeatedly reminding us the need to sustain and foster the ecological balance in nature. Man has forever expressed his familiar feelings towards nature, as such always lived in close proximity to the natural environment. A reference can be drawn from Atharva-veda's Prthivi Sukta whereby man calls prthivi as mother. He says - 27 visvasvam mataram ausdhinam dhruvam bhumi prthivi dharmanadhrtam// 27. Atharva-veda, XII, I, 17 (Atharva-veda, XII, I, 17)

62 It means earth who is the producer of all including that of plants and herbs, O mother earth in serving you we would sacrifice our all for all the days of our life. He further eulogies as mata bhumih putro aham prthivyah// - (Atharva-veda, XII, I, 12) >> 28 This means, "Earth is mother and I am the son of earth". Again, in continuance to the statement above, "parjanya "29. (rain bearing cloud) is treated as father", 2 as it is read from the part of the above verse parjanyah pita sa u nah piparttu // (Atharva-veda, XII, I, 12) Here, the rain bearing cloud is spoken of as the sire of man, as it provides for him, by timely rain, fruits, cereals and all articles that sustain his life. However, Prthivi Sukta the part of Atharva-veda also named as Bhumisukta determines the inter relationship of man with his environment and his liability in preserving it. The reference provided in this sukta is treated as the earliest and the most important source of information on the interdependence of human being upon the environment. This hymn in one of its verses has beautifully propounded the picture of the mother earth which 28. Atharva-veda, XII, I, 12 29. Atharva-veda, XII, I, 12

63 symbolizes the basis substances of the human interdependence on the Mother Nature. The beautiful interpretation of the verse reads as follows:Bhumi or the earth is expressed here as the incarnation of Mother Goddesses. It is said that as a loving mother pour out her milk for nourishing her baby, the same way let our mother earth enshrine us in the same respect. 30 yam asvinavamimata visnuryasya vicakrame/ indra yam cakre atmaneanamitram sacipatih/ sa no bhumirvat srjatam mata putraya me payah// (Atharva-veda, XII, I, 10.) Kalidasa's ornamental poetry is well revealed from his euphonious and melodic stanzas of Meghaduta wherein he felt overwhelmed in passion with the advent of rainy season. He welcomes the cloud with great pleasure which in the beginning of the rainy season appears with roaring thunder. In Meghaduta the nodes of poetic descant filled with the rich sensory of tender feelings are clearly manifested. Kalidasa here shows the pictures of perfect harmony between man and the bounty of nature in all his works. 30. Atharva-veda, XII, I, 10.

64 Bhavabhuti as a keen admirer of nature has gone through his vivid observation on nature but, in a very few places whereby he describes the mild aspects of nature like hermitage, garden, etc. on the other hand of his description he depicts the terrible aspects of nature. The alarming pretentiousness and awfulness of Dandaka forest is neatly pictured by him which is evident from this following verse niskuja-stimitah kvacit kvacid api pracanda sattva svanah / sveccha-supta-gabhira-bhoga-bhujaga-svasa-pradip-tanalah // simanah pradarodaresu-virala-svalpambhaso yasv ayam / trsyadbhih pratisuryakair ajagara sveda-dravah piyate // (Uttararamacarita, Act. II, v.16) Here, Bhavabhuti tries to create kinship between the human beings and the natural objects.