By Yogi Balkrishna
We have often celebrated victories in war, yet we seldom reflect deeply on the devastation left behind: poisoned rivers, scorched forests, contaminated oceans, darkened skies, and countless living beings displaced or destroyed. Wars do not merely w reck nations and wound humanity; they tear the very fabric of nature that sustains life. The lacerating ecological wounds carry on far longer than political disputes or territorial ambitions. The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki inflicted severe immediate environmental damage, marked by the instant devastation of ecosystems, highly toxic radioactive fallout, and pronounced localised climatic disturbances like black rain.
Indic wisdom offers a profoundly different civilisational perspective. The Bharatiya worldview doesn’t see nature as a resource to be exploited but as a sacred manifestation of the Divine. We revere our rivers, such as the Ganga, Yamuna and Narmada, as mothers. We worship the Sun as the deity who gives life and energises the world. In Panchamahabhuta Upasana, we meditate on earth, water, fire, air, and space as the foundational elements of existence. Trees such as Peepal, Banyan, Neem, and Tulsi are worshipped as protectors of life and symbols of continuity, purity and healing.
Ecological reverence is deeply woven into Indic cultural and spiritual practices. Even birds and animals find a sacred association through the vahanas of various deities. Nandi, the bull of Shiv, symbolises strength and patience; Garud, the eagle of Vishnu, represents courage and higher vision; the lion of Goddess Durga reflects power guided by righteousness; while the mouse of Ganesh reminds humanity that even the smallest life form has significance in cosmic harmony. Such symbolism cultivates coexistence rather than conquest.
The essence of Vedic wisdom is profoundly expressed in the Shanti Mantra of the Yajurved, Om Dyauh Saantih . The Vedic shanti mantra invokes peace not only for human beings but for the atmosphere, earth, waters, herbs, vegetation, and the entire cosmos. It reflects profound ecological consciousness. Peace, in this understanding, is not merely the absence of conflict; it is the equilibrium of existence.
Present-day warfare demonstrates exactly the opposite. Explosions of bombs and missiles release enormous quantities of green house gases and toxic chemicals into the atmosphere, destroying forests, agricultural lands, and biodiversity corridors that may take centuries to regenerate.
The oceans, often the forgotten victims of war, suffer immensely. Naval warfare, oil spills, underwater detonations, and chemical leakages devastate marine ecosystems. Coral reefs are damaged, fish populations decline, and underwater acoustic disturbances disrupt the rhythm of aquatic life.
Air pollution during war reaches catastrophic levels. Burning infra, ammunition residues, and industrial destruction release carcinogenic particles and hazardous gases into the environment. The result is not merely immediate devastation but intergenerational ecological trauma.
Ecological devastation resulting from the ongoing wars endangers humanity and the Earth. It is Mother Earth that loses in every war. Today, we at are a critical juncture, and we ought to value the wisdom of Vedic seers that peace is not weakness; it is the highest form of collective intelligence.
World Environment Day is observed globally on June 5
Disclaimer
Views expressed above are the author’s own.
