Shiksha Samvad

Author(s): Preeti Kumari¹, Dr. Alka Singh²

DOI:-https://doi.org/10.64880/shikshasamvad.v3i2.41

Abstract

The present research work explores Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy through the lens of Eco- critical analysis seeking to investigate the mythological and ecological ideas that are invested in the narrative of this author. Ecocriticism is a particular approach to literary studies that deals with the relationship between life and literature, examining how people treat the environment and how the environment treats them. Shiva trilogy represents a kind of eco-mythological narrative where nature is depicted as a living organism that acts and reacts, is mistreated and returns the favor. I think that this feature of Shiva trilogy is significant because it allows getting to know the characters from the inside, understanding their relationship with the environment, and evaluating how their actions affect natural life and their own lives. In my opinion, the most critical relationship between the characters of the trilogy and nature is the one between Somras (the elixir of life) and the environment. On the one hand, it has allowed all the people of Meluha to live and achieve prosperity, and on the other, it has poisoned all the rivers and made the tribes of Branga and Nagas sick. I believe that in Shiva trilogy Amish Tripathi represents Somras as an example of sustainable development, the introduction of which led to ecological imbalance and the deterioration of the state of the environment. I also think that the author raises important ecological questions about the consequences of development and the current relationship between humans and the environment. Therefore, I have decided to analyze Shiva trilogy in terms of ecocriticism to see if there are critical ecological issues that need to be discussed in the context of the narrative. Thus, the main subject of my research is the ecological sustainability of Somras in Shiva trilogy. My research will demonstrate that Amish Tripathi’s Shiva trilogy reflects some vital ecological messages and critical questions about the impact of development on the environment and humans. I think that the author’s attention to the state of affairs and nature in general is quite consistent with the ecological ideas prevalent in ancient India.

Keywords: Mythology, Eco-criticism, Somras, Environmental Ethics, Mythology and Nature