Cosmology and Ecological Ethics in Serat Jitapsara: A Symbolic Hermeneutic Analysis of the Relationship between God, Nature, and Humanity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.38073/aljadwa.5308Keywords:
Cosmology, Ecological Ethics, Serat Jitapsara, Symbolic Hermeneutics, God–Nature–Human RelationsAbstract
The global ecological crisis demonstrates that environmental degradation is caused not only by technical and economic factors but also by a spiritual crisis and an anthropocentric worldview. In this context, traditional Indonesian texts deserve scholarly attention because they preserve cosmological values and ecological ethics rooted in local wisdom. This study aims to examine the cosmology and ecological ethics embedded in Serat Jitapsara through Paul Ricoeur’s symbolic hermeneutics in order to reveal the relational framework between God, nature, and humanity within Javanese-Islamic spirituality. This research employs a qualitative descriptive-interpretative approach based on library research. The primary source is the manuscript of Serat Jitapsara preserved in the Dewantara Kirti Griya Museum, Yogyakarta, complemented by relevant literature on Javanese cosmology, ecotheology, and environmental ethics. The analysis follows Ricoeur’s hermeneutical stages of symbolic phenomenology, structural explanation, and appropriation of meaning. The findings reveal that Serat Jitapsara constructs a holistic cosmology in which nature is understood as a manifestation of divine order, while human beings are positioned as a microcosm responsible for maintaining cosmic harmony. The symbols of Cahya Ilapat, Tri Murti, and Woh Kolodi represent ecological consciousness grounded in harmony, self-restraint, and the ethics of limits. This study contributes to the development of Nusantara ecotheology and environmental humanities by integrating Javanese cosmology, symbolic hermeneutics, and contemporary ecological ethics.
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