AbstractDefinition of sustainable development given by World Commission on Environment and Development’s (the Brundtland Commission) report which says ‘Development which fulfils the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs’ ushers here two essentialities. On one hand overarching significance should be given to meet the essential needs of the world’s poor, who usually do not have access to have the fruits of development. On the other hand, we have to be extremely cautious of resource depletion, which will deny the genuine needs of the future generations. But this paper is a thought piece that admits and acknowledges the thinking of Nobel laureate AmartyaSen on the very context of development (development as freedom), and at the same time asks whether the new conception
of sustainable development means for the subject of ‘how long?’ and ‘how much?’ realizing the scenario of present generation. To some extent, the value of the phrase does lie in its broad vagueness. That is, if we enunciate the development as the modern concept does, how can this conception help us better defining sustainable development? And what similitude is there in our Indian Mythology with regard to sustainable development so defined? (This paper starts with the plain foundation that sustainable development is the suitable and the most proper goal of trade and investment policies) Further, what would this sustainable development which is considered as a new concept means to those institutions who believe in a complete reverse philosophy in the service of sustainable development? The last few years have seen a dramatic transformation in the environment-development debate. The question being asked is no longer “Do development and environmental concerns contradict each other?”, but “How can sustainable development be achieved?” So here the very fundamental essence of sustainable development which has been tried to explain through mythology, perhaps this type of analysis is rare which has been portrayed here.This paper focuses on the application of mythology in modern India sustainable development practices.
Keywords: Development; Sustainable Development; Indian Mythology; Environmental Law.