MAHABHARATHA vis-à-vis FOREST/TIGER PRESERVATION.

The following is from the REPLY OF KRISHNA  to Sanjayan, who had been sent to Upaplavyam by Dhritharashtra. Dhritharashata wished Sanjayan to implore to Yudhistira on his behalf to avoid the war. Krishna  being present there also spoke to

Sanjaya. A part of what Krishna spoke on that occasion is reproduced here.

“The king Dhritharashtra  with his sons is the forest and the sons of Pandu, O Sanjaya, the tigers. The forest with the tigers cannot be cut down nor the tigers in the forest destroyed. –Sloka 54,

“The tiger without the forest (to protect it) is easily killed and so is the forest without tigers in it (to overawe people) easily cut down. The tiger therefore protects the forest and the forest the tiger”- Sloka 55

“The sons of Dhritharashtra  are the creepers of virtue, while, O Sanjaya, the sons of  Pandu are Sala trees. The creeper cannot grow without the support of a big tree.”- Sloka 56.

(Sloka 54, 55, 56 from , Mahabharatha, Udyoga-parvam, Chapter 29, Sanjayayana Parva, -Words of Krishna, Vol 3, MBh, p.73, Parimal Publications, 2008)

Mahabharatha & the Gita are very much concerned about “parasparyam” ie mutual dependability. Gita 16: 8, while intimating ‘asuric’ disposition (demonic disposition), informs us that such asuric people are totally ignorant about mutual dependability.

Krishna here (in this section) is not explicit why tigers and forests should be preserved together, why they must  be sustained, but we in this post-modern world now know its absolute necessity !!!

We know the absolute necessity of forests, that it is required for our survival !!! And the words of Krishna illustrates that the ancients  had a holistic/wholistic approach towards the environment. 

Further consider Vidura's words, while trying to calm the mentally disturbed and sleepless Dhritharashtra :-

"The sons of Dhritharashtra, O king, constitute  the forest and in my opinion the Pandavas are the tigers. Do not cut down that forest with the tigers and do not let the tigers  be driven away from the forest and be killed." - Sloka 45, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 37, (Prajagara Parva) Continued - The principles of morality explained by Vidura, Vol. 3, MBh, p 118, English Translation M.N.Dutt)

"There cannot be a forest without tigers; and there cannot be tigers without a forest. The forest is protected by the tigers; and the tigers are protected by the forest" - Sloka 46, Udyoga Parva, Chapter 37, (Prajagara Parva) Continued - The principles of morality explained by Vidura, Vol. 3,MBh, p 118, English Translation M.N.Dutt, Parimal Pub 2008