Human Ecology in the Vedas (1999) written by Of Dr Marta Vannucci critically examine Vedic literature. Here is a collection of quotes from Human Ecology in the Vedas. These quotes are highly relevant in this era when living beings, trees and plants are being wiped out by human beings to satiate greed, lust and power. Sanatana Dharma (Hinduism) teaches to prosper by protecting and nurturing all animate and inanimate.
Judaic, Christian, Islamic philosophies willfully disregarded the obvious changes over time and the evolution of everything in the universe. One of the great merits I see in Vedic and Vedic derived philosophies, and other oriental philosophies is the recognition that nothing is ever static, everywhere in the universe. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.viii)
Though the ancient rsis probably did not see the need to knit together the knowledge acquired into a well defined and formulated whole or theory having general validity, they did recognise the importance of factual knowledge and of the establishment of cause and effect relationships for the understanding of the phenomenological world. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.41)
….the forest stands not only for our present concept of a forest which is a natural or man-made formation with tall trees and undergrowth, but the word aranya is used also for jungle in general including savannahs; at present, it can also be used for all sorts of un-tilled and uncultivated natural areas. In other words, Aranyanni is the mistress of wild vegetation and of all the animals associated with it. ... She is the root concept of ‘sacred forest’ and is best designated with the contemporary use of the word jungle, which is also feminine... Aranyaani and Prakriti are manifestations and materialisations of Godhead, they are their embodiment governed by Rta. They are different aspects of Rta, the structure and dynamics of the universe that must be accepted and respected as such and of which we ourselves are part. Rta is what is and cannot be changed by man. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, (pp.271-3))
The Lady of the Forest and the Lady of the Household are the depositories of strength, power and endurance of their respective ecosystems, the forest and the family.
...while contemporary scientific research established the foundations of ecological theory on which rational use and management of nature must be based, the ancient Indian sages, the Rishis, had already established the foundations of an ecologically sound way of life some three to four thousand years ago, or earlier. The ancient traditional Indian way of life was objectively correct, rationally sound and ecologically valid. The ‘Indian way of life’ has been tested by time and has survived to the day, but it is swiftly being eroded away by human population pressure, or the excess of individuals of one species: Homo sapiens. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.167)
A radical difference between the Indian cultural tradition and the Western traditions is that the Indian cultures, and we could generalize for much of Asia, seek wisdom, while the Mediterranean and European cultures in general have traditionally pursued knowledge as the summum bonum to which man can aspire. Among all the traditions and all men, knowledge has frequently been used unwisely forgetting that knowledge without wisdom may become very dangerous indeed. In fact, the concept of asura in post-Rgvedic times, is that of a creature with much knowledge and power derived from knowledge, but no wisdom; arrogance having replaced wisdom. (‘Human Ecology in the Vedas’, p.167)