| ISSN: 2583-3812 | ISSN: 2583-3812JOURNAL ARTICLE
Keywords: mythology, ecology, ethics, bhakti, ecocriticism.
Abstract: The contemporary epoch of the Anthropocene, marked by unprecedented human impact on ecological systems, has generated an urgent need to revisit ethical frameworks that challenge exploitative and anthropocentric modes of thought. This paper examines the ecological relevance of Goswami Tulsidas’s Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa by situating its Bhakti-era ethical vision within present-day environmental discourse. Drawing upon ecocriticism, environmental ethics, and Indian philosophical traditions, the study argues that Tulsidas articulates a relational and moral ecology grounded in dharma, bhakti, and restraint, which offers meaningful insights for addressing contemporary ecological crises. Through a close reading of the epic, the paper explores how nature—comprising forests, rivers, animals, and the Earth itself—is represented as sacred, animate, and ethically significant. Tulsidas’s vision resists anthropocentric domination by emphasising humility, non-violence (ahiṃsā), and harmonious coexistence between human and non-human life forms. The ethical ideal of Rāma Rājya, often interpreted as a socio-political utopia, is re-read here as an ecological model where moral governance ensures environmental balance and collective well-being. The Bhakti emphasis on devotion, surrender, and compassion further fosters an environmental ethic that values care over control and sufficiency over excess. By recontextualising Bhakti-era ecological thought within the framework of the Anthropocene, this study challenges the assumption that pre-modern religious texts lack contemporary environmental relevance. Instead, it contends that Tulsidas’s ecological ethics offer a counter-narrative to modern extractivism and technocratic solutions, foregrounding moral responsibility and ethical self-restraint as foundational to ecological sustainability. The paper thus positions Śrī Rāmacaritamānasa as a vital resource for reimagining human–nature relationships in an age of ecological uncertainty.
Article Info: Received: 25 Nov 2025; Received in revised form: 18 Dec 2025; Accepted: 22 Dec 2025; Available online: 27 Dec 2025
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