Our bountiful planet Earth, as attributed by the land’s rishis in yore, is perceived as Mother. They have also prescribed that we mortals pay grateful homage to Her at the break of dawn everyday chanting the lines: Samudra Vasane Devi, Parvata Stana Mandale, Vishnupatni Namastubhyam, Paada Sparsham Kshamasvame, pleading to be pardoned for having touched Her with our feet (as we tread per force). She is described as the consort of Lord Vishnu, while oceans are Her attire and mountain ranges Her breasts. According to Srimad Bhagavatam, below the Earth there are seven nether regions namely Athala, Vithala, Suthala, Thalaathala, Mahaathala, Rasaathala and Paathaala bustling with deadly reptiles and menacing demons.

Whether one complies with the prescription handed down by the rishis or not and irrespective of accepting the existence of regions below the Earth as credible, one cannot but reckon with three distinct spaces of Earth that require orderly conduct on the part of the currently estimated seven-plus billion humans whose mindless onslaught their Mother has to put up with. The first of these spaces, Earth’s surface, is fouled up by sections of this global diaspora in ways and by means that don’t need to be mentioned explicitly in this column.

The second space, namely subterranean and submarine regions is being emptied of all its minerals, chemical compounds, raw materials for industries and automobiles, in addition to hurting the marine fauna which may join the growing list of extinct species sooner than later, not to forget depletion of groundwater.

The third space, namely atmosphere, read ‘the air’ that we breath and the plants need for carrying on photosynthesis and yield food, fuel and fodder for livestock, is getting loaded with many well-identified toxic gases causing devastation in the health of all stake-holders.

Suffice to say there is no dearth of knowledge about what has created the present dismal scene in all aforementioned spaces of Mother Earth, and more importantly, who are the artistes generating that scene. Residents of Mysuru, barring exceptions of course, are only a small sample of that global mass of mindless artistes disdainfully taking active part in posing the three-tier threat to Mother Earth and its bounty. How long the Mother can bear it is not for Her to answer. The mortals have the answer but couldn’t care less.