Bounties of Forests
ऋषि: ऐरम्मदो देवमुनि:-गृहस्थ से वानप्रस्थ और मितभाषी जीवन में आनंद लेने वाला। Seer of this Vedic Hymn is a person seeking relaxation away from noise of city life and is attracted to living in quiet natural surroundings of forests. देवता:-अरण्यानी – जो अऋण रखता है देता है बिना लौटाने की इच्छा से. ।Sanskrit name of FOREST means one who does not give loan to be returned with or without interest but provides its bounties as GIFTS.
1.अरण्यान्यरण्यान्यसौ या प्रेव नश्यसि ।कथा ग्रामं न पृच्छसि न त्वा भीरिव विन्दती3ँ ।। 10.146.1
Forests as they are appear to be perishing/deserted but they do not deter your entry and do not ask any questions about your antecedents.
2. वृषारवाय वदते यदुपावति चिच्चिक: ।आघाटिभिरिव धावयन्नरण्यानिर्महीयते ।। 10.146.2
Ambient (fauna ) sounds in the forests such as singing crickets, birds are very soothing and convey a calming peaceful message.
3.उत गाव इवादन्त्युत वेश्मेव दृश्यते । उतो अरण्यानि: सायं शकटीरिव सर्जति ।। 10.146.3
Cow with other animals find sustenance in the wild like in their homes, and when in the evening carts laden with forest produce emerge they return to their home, as if the gods in forests are sending them back to their homes with carts laden with bounties of the forests.
4. गामङ्गैष आ ह्वयति दार्वङ्गैषो अपावधीत् ।वसन्नरण्यान्यां सायमक्रुक्षदिति मन्यते ।। 10.146.4
The gods of forest as if give directions to the cows from not going astray, and allow men to cut down on some trees. Those who chose to make their dwellings in forest become accustomed to hear fearful noises in the darkness of the nights.
(This has been a traditional Indian practice with our forests. It is now accepted that lower branches of trees should be regularly lopped off. This provides leaf fodder for cows, and fire wood for rural women. But there is a great advantage hidden in the practice of pruning forest trees. This allows sun light to reach the ground level to facilitate undergrowth in forests. This undergrowth not only stabilizes the forest soil. This prevents soil erosion that results in Landslides and Floods. Green Undergrowth ground cover also gives rise to Pseudomonas Syringe bacteria that ensure regular rains in forests.)
5. न वा अरण्यानिर्हन्त्यन्यश्चेन्नाभि
Forests cause no harm to anyone who goes there to partake of the sweet fruits and bounties of nature, and not to exploit the forest wealth for his greed.
6.आञ्जनगन्धिं सुरभिं बहु अन्नामकृषीवलाम् । प्राहं मृगाणां मातरमरण्यानिमशंसिषम् ।। 10.146.6
Give recognition to role of Forests like a mother. Uncultivated without human efforts unselfishly they provide sweet smelling scents like those of musk deer and sustenance to nurture cows and humans to feed freely on excellent nutritive natural food.
Writer- Subodh Kumar