Cow Protection
Srila Prabhupada writes: The human society should recognize the importance of the cow and the bull and thus give all protection to these important animals.
Protect Cows… Protect our Civilization
In Vedic tradition, cows are worshipped as mothers. According to scriptures, there are seven mothers: atma-mata (one’s own mother) guroh patni (the wife of one’s teacher) brahmani (the wife of a brahmana) raja-patnika (the wife of the king) dhenu (the cow) dhatri (the nurse) and prthvi (the Earth) are all considered mothers. Just as the child feeds on the breast milk of the mother, human society takes milk from the cow. The bull is also considered the father of human society because just as the father earns to feed the children the bull tills the ground to produce food grains. So, to kill cows means to end human civilization.
A civilized man is, therefore, expected to give all protection to the bulls and cows. But, today, people are becoming more and more uncivilized by neglecting such instructions and they are encouraging cow killing. In Rig Veda (9.46.4) it is said: gobhih prinita matsaram: one who is desirous of killing the cow is in the grossest ignorance. Instead of killing the cow and eating flesh, civilized men must subsist on various milk products and agricultural products.
Pancha Gavya
In the Srimad Bhagavatam it is said: gavah panca pavitrani: the cows deliver five products and all of them are pure and uncontaminated. The five products received from the cow are milk, ghee, yogurt, cow dung and urine. These five products, called pancha-gavya, are required in all ritualistic ceremonies performed according to the Vedic directions.
Cow’s milk is considered the most miraculous food which helps in developing the finer tissues of brain that helps in understanding the higher purposes of life. It helps one understand the intricacies of transcendental knowledge. Milk can be transformed into yogurt, curd, butter, ghee and by combining the milk and milk products with grains hundreds of palatable dishes can be prepared. The ghee or clarified butter is used not only for preparing delicacies but also for the sacrificial performances. A patient who is suffering from a disorder of the bowels due to overindulgence in milk products is cured by another milk product, namely curds. Even the urine and stool of cows have medicinal value. Cow dung contains all antiseptic properties and is considered a purifying agent. You may keep stacks of cow dung in one place, but it will not create any bad odor. It can also be dried and used as fuel. The cow urine and cow dung are used even for bathing the deities.
Cow – The Worshipable Animal
In Vedic society, the economy was based on agriculture and cow protection. Sri Krishna mentions this in Bhagavad-gita: krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam (Bg 18.44) Five thousand years ago, when Krishna was personally present on this planet, there was enough milk, butter and curd. When there were festivals, the cowherd men would throw yogurt, milk, clarified butter and water upon the bodies of one another. Everyone had a sufficient stock of milk and other milk-products. Sri Krishna is glorified as the protector of the cows and brahminical culture (go-brahmana-hitaya ca) The Brahma Samhita describes Lord Krishna to be tending the surabhi cows in His spiritual abode of Goloka Vrindavana, which is surrounded by millions of desire fulfilling trees. Brhat Parasara Samhita states: If a person feeds the cow with grass and water every day he will get the benefit of performing ashwamedha sacrifice. In Vedas it is mentioned that all the demigods reside in the body of the cow. So the Hindus worship the cow.
Benefits of Cow Protection :
There are so many facilities afforded by cow protection, but people have forgotten these arts. The importance of protecting cows is therefore stressed by Krishna in Bhagavad-gita (krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhavajam [Bg. 18.44]). Even now in the Indian villages surrounding Vrndavana, the villagers live happily simply by giving protection to the cow. They keep cow dung very carefully and dry it to use as fuel. They keep a sufficient stock of grains, and because of giving protection to the cows, they have sufficient milk and milk products to solve all economic problems. Simply by giving protection to the cow, the villagers live so peacefully.
In our humble attempts in this direction we are having a nice goshala in the temple premises, where cows and bulls live happily and peacefully
