2025, Vol. 11, Issue 3, Part C

author(s)
Sanghamitra Dash

abstract
The Sanskrit Kāvya literature, rich in poetic elegance and philosophical depth, also reveals a profound awareness of the forest as a vital economic entity in ancient Indian society. Beyond their aesthetic and spiritual value, forests emerge in classical works—such as Raghuvaṁśa, Kumārasambhava, Meghadūta, and Kādambarī—as dynamic centers of livelihood, resource extraction, and governance. This paper explores how poets like Kālidāsa, Bhavabhūti, and Bāṇa intricately weave economic themes into their descriptions of forest life. Forests are portrayed as sources of timber, medicinal herbs, fruits, honey, hides, and ivory—resources essential for construction, health, sustenance, trade, and state revenue. The presence of officials like vanādhyakṣas (forest officers) and references to forest taxes suggest an organized administrative system managing these natural assets. Additionally, forests served as settings for royal expeditions and defense strategies, reinforcing their strategic and political relevance.This article also highlights the socio-economic roles of forest-dwelling communities and āśramas, which sustained alternative, self-sufficient economies rooted in spiritual simplicity and ecological harmony. Items such as wooden furniture, weapons, garments, perfumes, cosmetics, and ornaments—all derived from forest products—underscore the forest’s contribution to everyday material culture and commerce.Through a detailed literary analysis, this study uncovers an ancient ecological-economic consciousness embedded in Sanskrit Kāvya, demonstrating that classical Indian poets not only celebrated nature’s beauty but also recognized its central role in economic life and national prosperity.