animals in indian culture

very few cultures have been so deeply associated with animals and trees as that of Indian religious ideologies namely Hinduism and Buddhism. Ancient Indians had recognized the animals' right to coexist with man and therefore they were loved, nurtured and even worshipped. In order to impress upon the commoners about their importance, the animals were given the status of gods and goddesses. They declared that the Almighty incarnates in different animal forms. The kings and the emperors opted for different animals in their emblems. Many festivals were/are observed in honor of several animals. In order to inculcate love for animals among children, animals were made heroes in stories. The rulers gave them prime position in art and architecture. Unfortunately, today we are neither adopting ancient Indians' compassionate attitude, nor scientific approach of the westerners towards these animals and hence we are heading towards a catastrophe. The activities of ancient Indians were woven around the animals. Therefore, they knew the happenings of animal world as much as today's ardent student of zoology.

Lord Ganesha

Airavatha

This vast knowledge has been recorded in the scriptures of the time. The Upanishads contain detailed descriptions of horses and cattle. There are also religious books dedicated to a specific animal. Though these writings are older than any other scriptures of the world , they contain very modern concepts such as, origin of life, organic evolution and environmental science. Without any scientific aids, the ancient Indians calculated that the animals came into existence 43,20,000 years ago. On the basis of the major events that took place on the earth, this period is divided into four eras. The Kritayuga,Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga,and Kaliyuga. It, is of great interest that the modern zoologists, by using most Sophisticated equipment have come to the conclusion that the earth has passed through four zoological eras, namely Arshean, Paleozoic, Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.

The concept of Dashavatara of Lord Vishnu, in a way represents the organic evolution theory. In order to indicate the aquatic origin of the animals, the Lord incarnates in the form of a Mathsya, a fish. This is followed by an amphibious animal Kurma, a turtle. Third incarnation is Varaha, a boar which is completely a terrestrial animal. Narasimha represents a beast's attempt to attain a human form. The earliest Hindu religious work, the 'Rigveda' , refers to some twenty species of birds but its anonymous compilers might be familiar with many more .Legends and myths grew around certain familiar species. The Brahminy duck for example , became the symbol of fidelity . The abiding sacredness of animals was rooted in a deep sense of identification. This was derived from the Hindu-Buddhist theory of transmigration, according to which the soul moves back and forth between different modes of existence, animals, human and superhuman. This was extended by the corresponding belief that all forms of life partake equally in the universal life force, a belief that was reinforced by Buddhist and Jain teachings. These religions also introduced the concept of ahimsa (nonviolence), prohibiting harm to any living being.

Garuda