TAMEESHAM PANDYA tameesham25@gmail.com
University of Mumbai
MADHAVI NARSALAY madhavinarsalay@yahoo.com
University of Mumbai
PRAKṚTI AS THE LIVING BIOSPHERE: A DEEP ECOLOGICAL AND ECOFEMINIST ANALYSIS OF THE DEVĪMĀHĀTMYA
In the wake of the contemporary global environmental crisis, scholars are increasingly turning toward ancient wisdom traditions to find sustainable ethical frameworks. This paper provides a comprehensive ecological analysis of the Devī Māhātmya, a seminal text within the Mārkaṇḍeya Purāṇa, by situating it within the discourses of Deep Ecology and Ecofeminism. The study argues that the text transcends a purely mythological narrative of “Good versus Evil” and instead presents a sophisticated model of biocentric ethics. By personifying the material universe as the Devī Prakṛti, the Devī Māhātmya establishes the environment not as a resource for human exploitation, but as a living, self-regulating entity. Central to this analysis is the examination of the Śākambharī incarnation of Devī, which is presented as an early literary paradigm for biodiversity restoration and food sovereignty. Furthermore, the paper reinterprets the “Asuric” (demonic) forces as personified ecological entropy—specifically identifying the demon Raktabīja as a metaphor for self-replicating toxins and invasive species. Through a textual analysis of the Nārāyaṇī Stuti and the framework of the pañcamahābhūta (Five Elements), this research demonstrates how the text’s theological tenets align with modern systems theory. The findings suggest that the Devīmāhātmya offers a resilient cultural framework for environmental stewardship, urging a shift from an anthropocentric to a cosmocentric worldview. Ecofeminism serves as a vital analytical framework for this study by articulating the inextricable link between the patriarchal subjugation of the feminine and the anthropocentric exploitation of the natural world. Within the Devīmāhātmya, this synergy is manifested through the identification of the Devī as Prakṛti, effectively collapsing the traditional dualistic divide between transcendent spirit and “passive” matter.