Reimagining Disability and Ecology: Bridging Bharatiya Traditions with Ecological Thought and Embodied Knowledge
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48047/aegx0825Keywords:
Van Darshan, Aranyaka Darshan, Disability and Ecology, Bharat Darshan, Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ayurveda, Yaksha Prashna, Prakriti, Abhinavagupta, Bhartrihari.Abstract
Amidst the global crises of ecological degradation and cultural homogenisation, this paper proposes a radical reimagining of the Plant Humanities, blending disability studies, ecological theory, and the ancient wisdom of Bharatiya traditions. Drawing on sacred and philosophical texts, including the Vedas (Rigveda, Atharvaveda), Upanishads (Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Katha, Mundaka), the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Mahapurāṇas (Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Shiva Purana), Aranyakas, and key Ayurvedic works like Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, this research explores how ancient Indian thought perceives the Van (forest) not merely as a natural space but as a metaphysical, transformative realm for healing, spiritual growth, and inclusive existence.
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References
Bhartrihari. (1993). Vakyapadiya (K. S. V. Iyer, Trans.). Bharatiya Vidya Prakashan.
Abhinavagupta. (1990). Abhinavabharati (M. M. G. K. Reddy, Trans.). Motilal Banarsidass.
Bhagavad Gita. (2000). The Bhagavad Gita: A New Commentary (Easwaran, Trans.). Nilgiri Press.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. (2008). Brihadaranyaka Upanishad (S. Radhakrishnan, Trans.). HarperCollins Publishers.
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