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The life of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest personality of this century, has been the manifestation of the above principle. He said:<blockquote>''Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary restriction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment.''</blockquote><blockquote>''A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above a certain level it becomes hindrance instead of help. Therefore, the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them seems to be a delusion and a snare. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must meet at a certain point a dead stop, before it degenerates into physical voluptuousness. A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances so that they do not hinder him in his service of humanity on which all his energies should be concentrated.''</blockquote>The Supreme Court of India, in its celebrated judgment in Sachidananda Pandey V s. State of West Bengal ( 1987 (2) S.C.C. 295) dealing with the importance of environment quoting a German Philosopher, said thus:<blockquote>''Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge on us. Each victory, it is true, in the first place brings about the results we expected, but in the second and third places it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel the first.''</blockquote><blockquote>''Ecologists are of the opinion that the most ecological and social problem is the widespread disappearance allover the world of certain species of living organisms. Biologists forecast the extinction of animals and plant species on a scale that is incomparably greater than their extinction over the course of millions of years. It is said that over half the species which became extinct over the last 2000 years did so after 1900. The International Association for the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources calculates that now, on average, one species or sub-species is lost every year. It is said that approximately 1000 bird and animal species are facing extinction at present. So it is that the environmental question has become urgent and it has to be properly understood and squarely met by man.''</blockquote>The world is awakening now, having seen the disastrous consequences of over exploiting of natural resources and there is a great movement for preserving and protecting natural resources. We have to fall back on the directive in the Ishavasyopanishad in order to ensure justice to posterity.

The life of Mahatma Gandhi, the greatest personality of this century, has been the manifestation of the above principle. He said:<blockquote>''Civilization, in the real sense of the term, consists not in the multiplication, but in the deliberate and voluntary restriction of wants. This alone promotes real happiness and contentment.''</blockquote><blockquote>''A certain degree of physical harmony and comfort is necessary, but above a certain level it becomes hindrance instead of help. Therefore, the ideal of creating an unlimited number of wants and satisfying them seems to be a delusion and a snare. The satisfaction of one's physical needs must meet at a certain point a dead stop, before it degenerates into physical voluptuousness. A man must arrange his physical and cultural circumstances so that they do not hinder him in his service of humanity on which all his energies should be concentrated.''</blockquote>The Supreme Court of India, in its celebrated judgment in Sachidananda Pandey V s. State of West Bengal ( 1987 (2) S.C.C. 295) dealing with the importance of environment quoting a German Philosopher, said thus:<blockquote>''Let us not, however, flatter ourselves overmuch on account of our human victories over nature. For each such victory nature takes its revenge on us. Each victory, it is true, in the first place brings about the results we expected, but in the second and third places it has quite different, unforeseen effects which only too often cancel the first.''</blockquote><blockquote>''Ecologists are of the opinion that the most ecological and social problem is the widespread disappearance allover the world of certain species of living organisms. Biologists forecast the extinction of animals and plant species on a scale that is incomparably greater than their extinction over the course of millions of years. It is said that over half the species which became extinct over the last 2000 years did so after 1900. The International Association for the Protection of Nature and Natural Resources calculates that now, on average, one species or sub-species is lost every year. It is said that approximately 1000 bird and animal species are facing extinction at present. So it is that the environmental question has become urgent and it has to be properly understood and squarely met by man.''</blockquote>The world is awakening now, having seen the disastrous consequences of over exploiting of natural resources and there is a great movement for preserving and protecting natural resources. We have to fall back on the directive in the Ishavasyopanishad in order to ensure justice to posterity.

== Service or Paropakara ==

=== Service or Paropakara ===

Great importance was attached to service to others. This value is brought out with illustration in the following verse:

Great importance was attached to service to others. This value is brought out with illustration in the following verse:<blockquote>परोपकाराय फलन्ति वृक्षाः परोपकाराय वहन्ति नद्यः |</blockquote><blockquote>परोपकाराय दुहन्ति गावः परोपकारार्थमिदं शरीरम् ||</blockquote><blockquote>''paropakārāya phalanti vr̥kṣāḥ paropakārāya vahanti nadyaḥ |''</blockquote><blockquote>''paropakārāya duhanti gāvaḥ paropakārārthamidaṁ śarīram ||''</blockquote>Meaning: The trees bear fruits to serve others. The rivers flow to serve others Cows give milk to serve others. This human body is meant to serve others.

This value inspires every individual to serve society through every profession or avocation. It impresses that, as rivers serve others, and animals and plants serve others, and are not selfish; man being the highest form of life should not lag behind in serving others; not merely human beings, but all living beings.

This value inspires every individual to serve society through every profession or avocation. It impresses that, as rivers serve others, and animals and plants serve others, and are not selfish; man being the highest form of life should not lag behind in serving others; not merely human beings, but all living beings.