Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj and The Flora

June 6, on the occasion of the coronation day of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj is the founder of ‘Swarajya’, the progenitor of Maharashtra, our idol and adored deity. ‘Shivsurya’ – the sun rising on the horizon of the country. So how was the Swarajya created by Maharaj and his knightly Mavalas? We get to know about this from some of the texts written during that time and from the correspondence of that time.

As such, there are few texts in Marathi literature that discuss the philosophy of political science. Some of the texts available in Marathi are ‘Rajniti’ by Chitnis and ‘Ajnapatra’ by Ramchandrapant Amatya.

The feature of ‘Ajnapatra’ grantha is that the very detail of each subject is presented in a very beautiful and careful manner. How the king should talk, what should be his posture, how the king should treat his servants, duties of the prime minister, selection of governing bodies, how to deal with other powers, how to guard the fort, how to grow the navy, not only all this but why to protect the trees and shrubs, All the words of Maharaj are carefully preserved in this book.

Maharaj gave the Mahamantra of ‘Swarajya’ which uplifted the dying Marathi man. To put it in the language of the Ajnapatra, ‘It was a new creation by him!’.

In this new creation, what Maharaj himself was thinking about the actual ‘creation’ – The Mother Nature?

The Forts section of the Ajnapatra contain the following references.

गडावरील झाडें जीं असतील तीं राखावीं यावीरहीत आंबे फणस चीचा वड पींपळ आदीकरून थोर वृक्ष व नींबें नारिगें आदीकरून लहान वृक्ष तैसेंच पूष्पवृक्ष व वल्ली कींबहूना प्रयोजक अप्रयोजक जें झाड होत आसेल तें गडावरी लावावे जतन करावे

[Meaning: Trees on the fort should be protected. Likes of Mango, Jackfruit, Tamarind, Banayan, Peepal, etc. big trees and Lemon, Orange etc, small trees also flowering plants, creepers – useful and seemingly useless should be planted on the fort and protected]

गडाची राखण म्हणजे कमरग्याची झाडी ते झाडी प्रयत्ने वाढवावी त्यामध्यें येक काठी तेही तोडू न द्यावी बलकूबलीस या झाडीमध्यें हषम बंदूखी घालावया कारणें जागे असो द्यावे

[Meaning: The protection of the forts also depends on the shrubs of Kamargi (Very thick shrubs growing on the midline all around the fort) They should be grown real thick. Out of it not a single stick to be allowed to be cut. Against the times of danger, soldier and musketeers should be placed in the thicket]

The following is mentioned in the Navy section of the Ajnapatra.

आरमारास तख्ते सोट डोलाच्या काठ्या आदीकरून थोर लाकूड असावे लागते ते आपले राज्यात सातवानादी (सागवानादी) वृक्ष आहेत त्याचें जे आनकूल पडेल तें हूजूर लेहून हूजूरचे परवानगीने तोडून न्यावे यावीरहीत जे लागेल ते परमूलकीहून खरेदी करून आणवीत जावें स्वराज्यातील अंबे (आंबे) फणस आदीकरून हे ही लाकडें आरमाराचे प्रयोजनाचीं परंतू त्यास हात लाऊ न द्यावा काये म्हणोन की ही झाडें वर्षा दों वर्षानी होतात यैसें नाहीं रयतेने हीं झाडें लाऊन लेंकरांसारखी बहूत काल जतन करून वाढवीलीं ती झाडें तोडीली यावरी त्याचे दूःखास पारावार काये येकास दूःख देऊन जे कार्य करीन म्हणेल ते कार्य करणारा सहीत स्वल्पकालेच बूडोन नाहीसेंच होतें कींबहूना धण्याचेच पदरी प्रज्यापीडणाचा दोष पडतो या वृक्षांच्या अभावें हानीही होते याकरीता हे गोष्ट सर्वथा होऊ न द्यावी कदाचीत यखादे झाड जें बहूत जीर्ण होऊन कामातून गेले असेल तरी त्याचे धण्यास राजी करून द्रव्य घेऊन त्याच्या संतोषें तोडून न्यावे

[Meaning: The ships of the navy require wood for planks, beams and masts. Useful parts of teak and other trees which are in the forests of the kingdom shall be cut and collected all with permission of the royal office. Besides this, whatever is necessary should be purchased and brought from foreign territories. The trees like Mango, jackfruit, etc., even though useful for navy, growing in the Swarajya should not be touched. These trees do not grow in a year or two. The citizens grow and protect them by looking after them like their own children. If those trees are cut then there will be no limit to their grief. By causing sorrow to other even if one achieves the objective soon gets sunk along with the work. Not only this but the even the king incurs the sin for causing the trouble to the citizens. Cutting the trees also causes loss to the environment. Hence never allow such things to happen. In case if any tree is dying and is of no use then also it should be cut only with the consent of the owners and by paying them the appropriate amount.]

At the time when instability, foreign and domestic invasions did not guarantee the survival of man, a king and his people were preaching the message, “Keep the trees alive, don’t do anything that will hurt the tree keepers.”

What is to learn from this?

After independence, it is the first time in last one thousand years, we are observing social stability. But, are we thinking of an individual person, the society and the mother nature? To defend, someone might say 'Yatha Raja Tatha Praja' (as is the king, so are the subjects). No! This saying was fine as long as there was monarchy. Today, being a democracy, the saying 'Yatha Praja Tatha Raja' (as are the subjects, so is the ruler) is correct.

If we want to bring some change, let us guide the children, the next generation to think of an individual person, the society and the mother nature, all together!