Water is a prime necessity of life. Most of our physical body is made up of water. Due to its importance, most human settlements have been created close to rivers, ponds, and lakes. Pure water gives us long life and is extremely beneficial for us. Water brings a glow to the face and adds suppleness to the body. Water helps in digesting food. Liquid foods are easily digested.
Water is associated with different forms of energy to produce various food grains and augment our vitality. Water makes the power of sight and hearing in living beings and instills in us two forms of speech: ‘Ghosh’ – reverberating proclamation and ‘Vak’ – descriptive narration. These capabilities help increase wealth, through which humans are relieved of hunger and freed from sorrows, leading to happiness and contentment. It is said in Atharvaveda that the capability to see, hear and speak is not possible without water.
Guided by this sentiment, the rishis of Vedas have invited water streams to them. Their intense desire to be in the water is expressed in the following mantra:
Idam apo hrudayamayam vats rtavarth |
Ihetthmeta savkariryattredam vesyami vah ||
O delectable water streams, your actions are most admirable. O truthful streams, your refuge is the most desirable home. O powerful streams, come to us gently so we can enter your waters.
Part of the sweet juices of fruits also has water. Water is like a mother to all of us.
Yo vah sivatamo rasastasya bhajyateha na¡ |
Usatiriva matarah ||
We pay our obeisance to water, which is the nourisher of all grains and vegetation and is like medicine. According to Atharvaveda, there are many reasons why we must perform worship of God. One among them is that when there is drought, God gives us rain and relief. There are several mantras in the Vedas that extol the virtuous qualities of water.
However, today the condition of this very important part of the environment has become miserable. Because of our exploitative nature, we have made water a conduit of death. All the human waste, excreta, and garbage are dumped into water bodies near cities. With such acts, we are continuously converting the elixir of mother earth into deadly poison.
Scientists claim that the next world war will be for water if this continues unabated. Water is a prime necessity of life, and everyone must conserve it in its pure form.
Source: Akhand Jyoti Magazine 2022 Nov-Dec
