IMPACT OF SUSTAINABLE VEDIC FARMING PRACTICES ON THE ECOSYSTEM IN ANCIENT INDIA

Abstract

Ancient India’s agrarian culture, as reflected in the Vedas, the Brāhmaṇas, the Itihāsas–Purāṇas, early śāstric treatises (e.g., Kr̥ṣi-Parāśara, Vṛkṣāyurveda), and statecraft literature (Arthaśāstra), presents a remarkably coherent ecological worldview. Rather than treating agriculture as a purely extractive enterprise, Vedic-era and classical agronomies integrated soil stewardship, water harvesting, seed sanctification, biodiversity conservation, and cattle-based nutrient cycling into a single ethic of ṛta—cosmic order and sustainability. This paper synthesizes textual, historical, and ecological evidence to evaluate how these practices shaped the structure and function of ancient Indian agro-ecosystems. It argues that sustainable Vedic farming practices likely enhanced soil fertility and biological diversity, stabilized water regimes through localized hydrology, supported pollinator and avifaunal networks, and increased system resilience to climatic variability. The paper offers a conceptual and evidence-based framework, including a matrix of practices and ecological impacts, and concludes with reflections on how these principles can inform modern agroecology and conservation.