The beginning of the creation started with the forest. After the humans started to follow the path of civilization, they started domesticating the forest to create culture, space where they could feel secure. This is how the modern-day village, town, and cities are formed. A smaller version of the scenario is visible in the society at present, the places which had wood a couple of years ago, there are probably there is no wood at present, which is been cut down to construct buildings, malls, market place, commercial place, factory. The basic reason probably why people are cutting and destroying wood and forest to construct buildings, malls, market place, commercial places, the factory is to create space where they could feel safe and secure.
Although people are cutting woods and forest to make space to feel safe and secure, however, there is a question which constantly arises in my mind probably this is a question for many like me, as societies around the world are we becoming unsafe due to various human activities, immigrants, travelers, minorities, women, and queer people and it is time to ask ourselves what is culture? Are we humans, or just domesticated animals of the powerful, or are we alphas establishing a pecking order, or predators seeking prey?
In the forest, there are no written rules, no written duties, no written obligations. Everyone is driven by instinct. The strong, the smart, and the nimble survive. The unfit perish. No one comes to help anyone. This is the space of ‘fish justice’ i.e. matsya nyaya, where the big fish eat the small fish. Society, however, is where the mighty have to take care of the meek. Resources have to be made available for the unfit, and the weak. And providing necessities and resources for the weak by humans is called dharma for humans. When humans behave like animals, it is called as adharma. Animals are supposed to behave like animals, which is within their nature, as they are hardwired to do so, however, humans have a choice. This choice is embedded in the idea of dharma. The more human we are in our approach, the more we care for others, the more we walk on the path of dharma that takes us towards the divinity.
Let us understand the concept and philosophy of the use of forest in the greatest epic of India - Ramayana, and Mahabharata. The forest (vana, aranya) is an important backdrop in both Ramayana and Mahabharata because of both deals with the concept, philosophy, and issue of dharma.
Ram encounters the forest three times in the entire Ramayana. The first time, he enters a forest as a student, with Rishi/ Sage/ Hermit Vishwamitra and with his brother Lakshman. This is when he encounters Tadaka Rakshashi (female demon) and Ahalya Rakshashi (female demon). The Second, time he enters forest as an exile, who was then accompanied by his wife and his younger brother Lakshman, where they had to live like a hermit. This is when he encounters the vanaras (Indian monkey) and the rakshasas (demons). The Third, time he entered the forest as a king, following his horse as part of the royal land-claiming yagna /yagya. This is the time when he meets Sita, who he banished long ago from Ayodhya, and who, when asked to return home, refuses.
The Pandavas in the entire Mahabharata had to encounter the forest for six times. The first time, they were born in the forest. The second time they return as refugees when Kauravas set fire to their house. The third time, they return as city-builders, after they secure the forest of Khandava as inheritance, and build on it the city of Indraprastha. The fourth time, they return as an exile, when they gamble away their kingdom. The fifth time they had to move to the forest as kings, they follow their horses as part of the royal land-claiming yagna/ yagya. Finally, they return to the forest, a sixth time, as hermits, after passing on the reins of the kingdom to their heir, Parikshit.
In both the epics - Ramayana and the Mahabharata, we are left to wonder which space is crueler: the forest or the human settlement. For very often, the people of settlements in so-called civilized society behave worse than the people of the forest. The whole point of culture is to create a space where the mighty can take care of the weak and meek. Yet, this does not happen always.
Without any doubt, this philosophy is applicable in every aspect, just take the example of a corporate house, it is the dharma of the corporate house to take care and responsibility of its associates, and it is also the dharma of the associates to maintain a friendly and cordial approach with the corporate house at large. Only when the two great epics are seen in this light we do truly understand the underlying philosophy associated with it.
Subroneel Saha is high in life. He enjoys life and believes to savour everything by doing along the path with passion, which he considers to be the most important part of the experience. He is a prolific writer on history, mythology, sacred lore, legends, folklore, fables and parables, and for challenging willful misinterpretations of ancient Indian and world scriptures, stories, symbols, and rituals. He intents to break the dogma and reveal the intentional part of every myth and the story, with the relevance with business, management, social life, student life.Image Courtesy: Internet
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