Abstract
This paper introduces readers to the episteme of the Hindu eco-religious world by using Audumbar as a case study. One can see through the textual and ritual discourse about the Audumbar tree that the idea that as much as humans can change the existence of trees, the trees can change the course of action for human beings is central to Hindu cosmology. Ultimately, this paper proposes that we can overcome the challenges of modernization and loss of ecological balance by contemplating collectively on cosmological tools from our religious traditions about harmony between humans and nature.
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Notes
- 1.
Dattatreya is three-headed Hindu deity, which is worshipped as a union of the three pan-Hindu deities. The three deities are: Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Although some Dattatreya temples have a one-headed icon of the deity, most temples have three-headed icons. In India, the devotional worship to Dattatreya is predominant in the states of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh. The devotees of Dattatreya do not belong to one large sect. There are several clusters of devotional communities formed in the lineage of different gurus who prescribe/d the worship of Dattatreya in various ways. The different clusters of devotional communities that worship Dattatreya are collectively referred as Dattatreya sampradāy.
- 2.
I went to several Dattatreya temples in India and Nepal. The first five cities in the above list are in India whereas the last one is in Nepal.
- 3.
By focusing on ecological engagement in Hinduism, I do not wish to imply that all ecological engagements of Hindu people are dedicated to sustainability. In fact, many Hindu ritual activities, especially related to rivers, have led to pollution. The point that I wish to make in this paper is not about side effects of ritual practices. My goal in this paper is to explore possibilities of regaining harmony between humans and nature by using cosmological tools from the Hindu world.
- 4.
The Gurucaritra, written in 1550, has acquired a quasi-Vedic status among the Dattatreya sampradāy. Several devotees of Dattatreya undertake a ritual exercise of reading the text in its entirety over a period of 7 days on an annual basis.
- 5.
Narayanpur, a small town about 25 miles south of Pune, Maharashtra, has acquired the status of a pilgrimage site for devotees of Dattatreya in the last 25 years or so. Doctor’s friend introduced him to this place when doctor was going through a difficult phase in his relationship with his wife.
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Yeolekar, M. (2022). Texts and Trees: Ritual Engagements with Audumbar Tree in the Dattatreya Sampradāya. In: Sherma, R.D., Bilimoria, P. (eds) Religion and Sustainability: Interreligious Resources, Interdisciplinary Responses. Sustainable Development Goals Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79301-2_15
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