WE MUST HARBOR TRUE FRIENDSHIP WITH MOTHER NATURE OR PRAKRITI

“Mother nature can be both a straightforward serene cow or else a wrathful tigress. Lest we refrain from behaving in an unruly and unwholesome manner with it for untold time span she can nourish us with the milk of innumerable wealth it possesses but if we render it polluted and vilely try to snatch away the wealth it owns, she shall not even for a moment aver from shattering the world to shreds like a ferocious tigress. So it is indeed best that we lovingly place our head in Mother Nature’s lap so as taste prosperity. For this we must pay due attention so as to render our nearby areas lush green and the environment totally pollution free”.

………………Revered Gurudeva Shriram Sharma Acharya

Prakriti se ched-chad hamein badi mehngi padegi

Akhand Jyoti Magazine, June 1989, Page 36

Only sentimental friendship with nature and environment can give human beings a new lease of life. This was being spoken by Dr Harshvanti Visht who was busy in rendering prosperous nature and environment near Gomukh region of the Himalayas. She calls herself the daughter of Himalaya Mountains. When Dr Harshvanti an economy professor by profession decided to render Bhojwasa region dwelling at a height of 3792 meters above sea level full of Bhoj trees again initially people thought this to be impossible. But after ceaseless efforts for a long time span paint the picture of her success in the form of 10,000 Bhoj trees whose age is between 1 to 14 years. She says that quite a few obstacles came her way while carrying out this task but then she also got help. Obstacles came from government authorities and help she got from the mountaineer Ratansingh Chauhan along with 3 laborers.

She says that this task was extremely difficult since this area had icy winds and intense snowfall. Yet Himalayas are my father. Who else but a daughter adorns the home of her beloved father? Immersed in this zealous task she set up a nursery of rare mountainous herbs in the high Himalayan area of Chadwasa. As a result she has succeeded in growing so many Bhoj trees and other rare medicinal herbs. The inspiration behind all this is her deep love for the great Himalayas. This is also the reason why she adores mountaineering. Along with succeeding in ascending the Nanda Devi peak she was also a member of a Mount Everest Campaign Team.

Dr Harshvanti says that when the matter is regarding nature and environment we discuss about natural calamities. In 1980 AD about 60 natural disasters appeared. In 2006 AD the number of weather related strife was 260 but today this number is 500. For this mainly developed countries are responsible who although cry hoarse regarding the environment in Copenhagen and Cancun yet when something concrete needs to be done they look here and there and step back. Not only this, they say that developing and smaller nations of the world are responsible for all this. This problem can only be troubleshot if every denizen of earth looks upon earth as its beloved mother and worry about her apt upkeep.

Her own experience too is of this sort. When she helps others understand what global warming is she says that assume our mother earth has high fever. It is because of our tainted ways that earth is dying little by little daily. If this situation continues initially the water levels of rivers and seas shall rise higher but later shall commence drying up. Under these conditions even if the sea water level rises up by 1 meter then 6% of land of Netherlands, 1% of Egypt, 17% of Bangladesh and 80% of Marshall Island shall get submerged under sea water. For India what is more worrisome is that 30% creatures of this country belonging to sea life and plants shall get completely destroyed by 2030 AD. As of today in India tigers, one horned rhinoceros and many birds are on the brink of extinction. If all this continues as it is till 2035 AD Himalayan Glaciers shall disappear and majority of India’s rivers shall dry up.

In order that this does not happen, we must take lessons from our ancient culture. Our culture that looks upon earth, rivers etc as goddesses. Mountains were looked upon as demigods. By looking upon trees as sacred, we were taught how to worship them and thus render them bountiful. The chatter and songs of birds were looked upon pious and welfare bestowing akin to Samaveda chanting. Then she continued: Some people are already imbibing such great teachings. The daughters of mountains have commenced such a campaign of friendship with nature. Now they do not follow the marriage tradition of ‘robbing’ the groom’s shoes but out of friendship with nature plants more and more trees. This tradition of planting trees during marriage ceremonies is gaining so much momentum that invitation cards printed during marriage function mention this tree planting ceremony too. These plants or trees planted during marriage ceremonies are called ‘trees of love’.

For environment such sentimental awakening has been induced by Vankhandi Maharaj. This ochre robed ascetic Vankhandi Maharaj has created such a forest of large leaved trees on the high Hindiba Mountain (in Saattal which is 50km away from Nainital) which he calls Mother India Forest. When he first came here this region was devoid of greenery and foliage. But after creation of this forest birds and beasts dwell here regularly. Over here Maharaj has also built the Vandurga Temple. Now both this forest and temple have become the center of faith for all villagers in its vicinity.

After talking about Vankhandi Baba, Dr Harshvanti said that all this is not limited to mountains only. People of the plains too have taken up this tree plantation mission in a big way. Dinesh Vyas studying in a village school in the Bansvada district of Rajasthan by inspiring villagers has commenced the ancient tradition of tree planting. He opines that if we plant trees in the hallowed memory of our ancestors, they shall get very pleased and they shall bless us in the form of cool shade, luscious fruits and fragrant flowers. Due to his studious efforts right from dozens of villages of Bagdaura region to Anandpuri dwelling close to Gujarat state, many Ancestral Tree Forests have spread out. In the same way the Jain community too is rendering active, the program of Tirthankar forests.

Something similar has been accomplished by the elderly 75 year old Satyadev Sagwan. While serving in the armed forces he established a sentimental bond with nature and the environment. Within these efforts of his he helped regions of Haryana and Rajasthan become lush green with foliage. Today he has set up a nursery of 2500 plants at his own doorstep. Majority of these are saplings of banyan, pipal, rose apple, kadam grass and neem or margosa tree. Satyadev found out that wherever more trees are grown there the land does not become arid and rainfall also become optimal.

Along with this the thinking process of people has positively transformed and their bodily-mental health too has reformed. Thus the family environment too has become joyous and peaceful. Dr Harshvanti has many more such examples which points out that if we wish to live life happily not only India but the entire world must imbibe the sacred thinking of great Rishis of yore. Only then can a true bond of camaraderie between mankind and nature-environment be established. Along with this the earth’s contact with the cosmos shall be rendered positive and natural.