HINDU ECOTHEOLOGY IN VEDIC LITERATURE: A SOCIO-THEOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF GOD-HUMAN-NATURE RELATIONS
Abstract
The global environmental crisis shows that ecological issues cannot be understood solely as technical problems, but also as moral, spiritual, and paradigmatic crises. This article analyzes Hindu ecotheology in Vedic literature through a socio-theological approach with a focus on the relationship between humans and nature. This study uses a qualitative-descriptive method based on a literature review of the Vedic Śruti and Smṛti texts, with hermeneutic analysis and socio-theological interpretation. The results of the study show that Vedic cosmology views nature as a sacred order governed by the principle of ṛta, and places humans as an integral part of the cosmos. The main principles of Vedic ecotheology, known as the four Vedic ecotheologies, namely the sacredness of nature, yajña, dharma, and ahimsa, form a cosmocentric ethical framework that challenges the modern anthropocentric and exploitative paradigm. This study also asserts that the contemporary ecological crisis reflects humanity's disconnection from the cosmic order. Theoretically, this article contributes to enriching the global discourse on religion and the environment by presenting a Hindu perspective based on the Vedic scriptures and offering an ecological ethical paradigm relevant to sustainable civilization development.
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