RE-GESTATING THE ECO-ETHICS OF RĀMĀYAṆA IN ANTHROPOCENE

Abstract

The paper critically evaluates the eco-ethical practices of the knowledge society in the period of Rāmāyaṇa from an eco-aesthetical perspective. In the current anthropocentric epoch, reorienting people toward eco-ethical values is a considerable challenge. Ecological ethics is one of the key concepts of eco-aesthetics, which can be read through the ancient Indian epic Vālmīki-Rāmāyaṇa. Also, the articulation of human-nature interrelations is deeply embedded in the Sanskrit literary tradition, which Vālmīki’s epic narrative illustrates in the Rāmāyaṇa. Against this backdrop, this article proceeds with a discussion of the root causes of the ecological crisis in the Anthropocene. The paper explores the ecological ethos and knowledge rooted in the Hindu religion through a few select secondary works of literature. Further, the paper discusses the concept of eco-aesthetics in the present ecosophical discourse. Finally, the article critically assesses the text of Rāmāyaṇa for the philosophical and aesthetical deliberations of eco-caring, seeking to bring those eco-ethical notions from the epic to the fore that can potentially induce ecological awareness in people.