Reimagining Disability and Ecology: Bridging Bharatiya Traditions with Ecological Thought and Embodied Knowledge.

Amidst the global crises of ecological degradation and cultural homogenisation, this paper proposes a radical reimagining of the Plant Humanities, blending disability studies, ecological theory, and the ancient wisdom of Bharatiya traditions. Drawing on sacred and philosophical texts, including the Vedas (Rigveda, Atharvaveda), Upanishads (Chandogya, Brihadaranyaka, Katha, Mundaka), the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Mahapurāṇas (Vishnu Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Shiva Purana), Aranyakas, and key Ayurvedic works like Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, this research explores how ancient Indian thought perceives the Van (forest) not merely as a natural space but as a metaphysical, transformative realm for healing, spiritual growth, and inclusive existence. The forest, as conceptualised in Bharatiya thought, is both physical and metaphysical, a space where disability is not a deficiency but an alternative mode of embodied knowledge that transcends binary constructions of able-bodiedness and impairment. By drawing on the ideas of revered scholars like Bhartrihari and Abhinavagupta, this study critiques the reductionist and ableist Western frameworks of disability, offering Van Darshan and Aranyaka Darshan as reimagined, ecologically integrated models for understanding disability as an intersection of nature, spirit, and consciousness. In this paradigm, disability is reframed as an alternative form of being, a sacred condition that opens pathways to greater ecological and spiritual insight. This paper calls for a return to Bharat Darshan—a framework that is deeply rooted in ancient Bharatiya thought, embracing the multiplicity of embodied experiences and restoring the relationship between humans and the natural world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]