Krishna and the Living Earth: The Ecology Hidden in the Stories of Vrindavan
E very year, when Janmashtami arrives, millions of devotees celebrate the birth of Krishna through prayer, music, fasting, lamps, devotional songs and the retelling of stories that have shaped Indian culture and spiritual thought for centuries. Krishna occupies a unique place in Hindu tradition. He is remembered as the divine child of Mathura, the playful cowherd of Gokul and Vrindavan, the protector of his community, the conqueror of Kaliya, the lifter of Govardhan Hill, and ultimately the teacher who delivers the profound teachings of the Bhagavad Gita. Yet there is something particularly striking about the world in which these stories unfold. Krishna's world is full of rivers, forests, cattle, birds, rain, mountains, fields, food and rural communities. The Yamuna repeatedly appears as part of the landscape of his life. The forests of Vrindavan form the setting for his childhood. Cattle move through the pastoral landscape. Govardhan Hill becomes central to one of the most celebra...