ECOLOGICAL CONCIOUSNESS IN ANCIENT SANSKRIT PLAYS: A Study of Kalidasa’s Abhijnanasakuntalam, Bhasa’s Svapanavasavadattam and Shudraka’s Mrichhakatikam

Author(s)	Dr. Mrinalini Kashyap
Country	India
Abstract	This research paper explores the relationship between human beings and nature in ancient Sanskrit plays. This ecological consciousness can be decoded using theories like ecofeminism, class and caste Hierarchies, and the observations made on the basis of theories like feminism, hegemony and communism. Ecofeminism draws connections between the exploitation of nature and the subjugation of women and we can thus interpret the treatment of the natural world in classical Indian literature. By examining eminent Sanskrit plays such as Kalidasa's Abhijnanasakuntalam and Bhasa's *Svapnavasavadattam, we can decode that how nature is portrayed, personified, and aligned with feminine principles, revealing the underlying ecological, social and cultural constructs. The research paper tries to decode the man- woman relationship, the man- nature relationship and woman- nature parallels through the use of mentioned critical theories.
Keywords	Ecofeminism, feminism, Sanskrit drama, nature, gender, human-nature relationship, ecological consciousness.
Field	Sociology > Linguistic / Literature
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-07-04
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.83071

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