Guest Lecture on ‘Vedic Solutions to Air Pollution' by Prof. Vijay Kumar Karna at Department of Environmental Sciences, April 09, 2025
The Department of Environmental Science, School of Earth, Biological and Environmental Sciences (SEBES), Central University of South Bihar (CUSB), organized an insightful invited talk by Prof. Vijay Kumar Karna, Dean, Students’ Welfare and Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda. The topic of the lecture was “Vedic Solutions to Air Pollution”. The event was conducted under the patronage of Prof. Kameshwar Nath Singh, Hon’ble Vice Chancellor. The session began with a welcome address by Prof. Pradhan Parth Sarthi, Head of the Department.
Prof. Karna highlighted that in Indian Sanatan philosophy, sound is considered a form of matter—implying that thoughts and speech affect nature. He emphasized that today’s development is often equated with high energy production, but little attention is paid to the environmental cost—air pollution being a major consequence. Quoting from the Atharvaveda—“Mata Bhūmih Putroham Prithivyah”—he illustrated the reverence for nature as a divine entity in Vedic texts. He advocated for a return to nature-centric values such as Plantation, water conservation, cow protection, and a sattvic lifestyle to combat pollution. Prof. Karna further emphasized the Indian cultural concept of “Abhyudaya”, where resource use is balanced for current and future generations. He referred to Mahatma Gandhi’s spinning wheel (charkha) as a symbol of self-reliance and the spirit of Swadeshi. He concluded that the Vedic spirit of “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam” (the world is one family) can provide sustainable solutions to modern environmental challenges.
The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Dr. Prashant, the organizing secretary. Present on the occasion were Prof. Rizwanul Huque (Dean, SEBES), Prof. Ram Kumar, Prof. Rakesh Kumar, Head, Biotechnology, Dr. Rajesh Kumar Ranjan, Dr. Nitish Kumar, Dr. Krishna Prakash, Dr. N.L. Devi, Dr. Soma Giri, along with research scholars and postgraduate students. The active involvement of Avinash Das, Aakriti Ashesh, Nighat Parveen, Prabhat, and Shubham made the event a success.
