Cow Protection in Real Sense

The term “Cow Protection” brings many meanings to many minds based on faith and culture. Some say “why protection”? Some say “why cows, why not polar bear”? Some get involved in this movement without really knowing “what does it mean and why and how should one do it”?

Many believe that humans have souls while animals don’t. So humans are superior and can consume the innocent animals. If GOD wanted us to be superior, he could have made humans survive on stones and woods. Why would He want one of His child (the humans) to butcher His another child (the animals)? How GOD can be a merciful father then? This looks controversial!

All of us know that animals have souls and feelings as we humans do. No animal should be slaughtered. Note that “Slaughtering” and “Killing” is different. One may kill an animal to fulfill a higher purpose but slaughtering is to kill an animal for self enjoyment or whims (like modern science experiments) when there is no such need! Slaughtering does not only mean to personally bring an animal to death but providing resources/facilities/motivation etc in the chain of killing an animal is also slaughtering. So, the owner of an abattoir or a meat eater or an animal seller is also an indirect slaughterer. Further, using products made from animal parts like their fat/blood/skin/bone etc are also increasingly causing animal slaughter. AVOID THEM...PLEASE!!!

We must understand that without agriculture, existence is not possible on this planet (even for meat eaters). So, what is good for agriculture, is good for us. Research in traditional and agricultural science has proved that cow (bull) dung manure is an excellent organic fertilizer and cow (bull) urine is one of the best natural pesticides. Cow milk and its bi products are extraordinarily nourishing to the mind and body which help in spiritual advancement attaining the higher cause for human life. It’s not only for milk, that cow is regarded as mother, but because of the extra love and care she reciprocates with. Hence the motive of cow protection is multi-fold: economic, spiritual and emotional.

Not many people have time and dedication to serve cows physically. They can at least stop using products made from sinless animals. In fact there are better options available if one is little bit compassionate towards them. Cow protection is not only to save cows from butchers but also to take the responsibility to take care of them. What is the point in saving them from merciless killing but leave them for starving or plastic killing. We see so many cows on roads looking for food and shelter, but how many of us have tried to protect them? We think – No butchers there, no protection required!!!

Panchgavya (पञ्चगव्य) - 5 most important gifts from cow

Though there are numerous endowments from vedic cows, her five products are considered to be the most significant for health and spiritual advancement.

Milk (दूध): Milk is the foremost and easily recognizable product and can be taken as synonym of cow. If a cow does not give milk, she is treated as of no worth! According to Ayurveda, cow milk provides special and unique nutrition that cannot be derived from any other type of food. Milk of white cows are beneficial in liver ailments, milk of brown cow has huge effect on all types of Vaat Rogas whereas the milk of black cow can be used to treat respiratory diseases and lung ailments. A black cow whose udders are also black produces milk of infinite medicinal qualities and therefore can be utilized for treating vast spectrum of physical and mental disorders. Cow milk, when digested properly, nourishes all the tissues, promotes balanced emotions, and helps to balance all the doshas (defects). It is one of the most important foods to promote Ojas (the force that maintains life).

Curd (दही): Curd is a byproduct of cow milk. All the leading practitioners of Ayurveda, including Charaka and Sushruta, have written on its qualities and usefulness. It is considered as one of the most wholesome food items throughout the world. Curd has its therapeutic value in many diseases. It has been described as a tonic and is credited with the properties that prevent premature aging. Curd also brings relief to patients of diarrhea and dysentery and is recommended in chronic specific and non-specific colitis.

Makkhan (मक्खन) / Ghee (घी): Makkhan is wrongly called butter these days. Think of bread and roti. Bread can be called as English translation of roti but the process, properties and effects are entirely different. Same thing is between Butter and Makkhan.

Makkhan is made by churning the curd while butter is made (these days) by separating the cream from raw unheated milk. Ghee is prepared by heating makkhan after filtering water and milk solids from it. Ghee is cream to yellowish in color depending upon cow's breed and the time of the year.

In Ayurveda, cow's Ghee is believed to be the best for human consumption. It is full of nutritive qualities and an ideal diet for these heart patients who suffer due to excessive cholesterol in their blood. Its regular consumption enhances physical and mental strength, keeps the body healthy and increases the potency of the body. It is not only nutritive, but also helps in taking out the impurities from the body. It enhances eyesight, keeps muscles and tendons healthy, and bone sturdy yet supple.

Dung (गोबर): As the name says, गो-बर , it’s the benediction from cow. It is anti-septic and has anti-bacterial and fungicidal action. A filtrate of the suspension made by thoroughly mixing cow dung and water forms one of the main ingredients of skin ointments, which are useful in serious skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema and gangrene. Cow dung has provided man with fuel for millennia and used it as fertilizer. It may be used as a seed protector, a heat source (cow dung is naturally hot – compost makes it hotter and it is put into glass-houses to heat them or run pipes through to get hot water). It is employed as a purifier (natural antiseptic qualities), floor coating, mud brick additive (improves resistance to disintegration), a skin tonic (mixed with crushed neem leaves); the smoke is a mosquito repellent, dung is a pond pH balancer. Cow dung is also used in cases of malaria, itching, snake-bite, burns, dental problems like pyorrhea and cholera. Cow dung cakes have been traditionally used by villagers in India as a common fuel, along with firewood. Cow is the only animal whose dung doesn't stink and rather gives good smell. We can generate energy from its manure. Its manure is used as a natural fertilizer. Also cows dung acts as mosquito repellent.

Urine (गोमूत्र): Cow's urine has been described in Ayurveda as a therapeutic agent. The use of cow urine therapy, which is in use over the centuries as a traditional ayurvedic practice, is gaining recognition and acceptability the world over due to recent advances in research in this type of therapy. Cow urine is very useful for curing Jaundice.

Gavyam pavitram ca rasayanam ca pathyam ca hrdyam balam buddhi syata

Aayuh pradam rakt vikar hari tridosh hridrog vishapaham syata

गव्यं पवित्रम् च रसायनम् च पथ्यम् च ह्रदयं बलं बुद्धि स्यत

आयुः प्रदम् रक्त विकार हरि त्रिदोश हृद्रोग विशपाहं स्यत

Cow urine is great elixir, proper diet, pleasing to heart, giver of mental and physical strength, enhances longevity. It removes all blood disorders. It balances bile, mucous and airs and is a remover of heart diseases and effect of poison.

It includes 5 rasas i.e. it tastes bitter, hot (as in chilly), sour, sweet and salty. It is in mode of goodness. It brings goodness in thoughts. By drinking it regularly for six months, man’s nature comes in the mode of goodness. It destroys mode of passion and ignorance. It purges out toxins from the whole body through urine, sweating and excreta. It is destroyer of psychological diseases.

Unfortunately, these days, people are chasing her for other atrocious 5 products, namely, Bark (Skin), Bod (Meat/Flesh), Blubber (Fat), Blood and Bone.

Glories of Vedic Cow

COW is called gaaya (गाय) in Hindi and gau (गौ) in Sanskrit. The word gau is derived from the verb gama (गम्), which means, "To Go". Mother Earth is also called gau in Sanskrit, and the earth is the place where all the living beings reside.

In the AtharvaVeda (अथर्ववेद), cow is described as the mother of Adityas, daughter of Vasus, and the very soul of the people.

The YajurVeda (यजुर्वेद) considers a cow as incomparable, meaning that she has unlimited qualities and virtues. There is no concept of eating a cow’s meat in the Vedas. In fact, the Holy Koran says that eating cow meat brings many kinds of illnesses and diseases.

In Mahabharat (Anusasanika parva), muni Vashitha said to king Soudasa that cow is sacred in the entire world and Lakshmi (लक्ष्मी - the goddess of wealth) stays where cows stay. Cleaning house with cow dung is advisable as cow dung and cow urine are sacred and has anti-microbial and excellent mosquito repellent property.

Gomaye Vasate Lakshmi (गोमय  वसते लक्ष्मी) - this phrase has repeatedly been used in Upanishad (उपनिषद). Apparently, it may look an unbelievable connotation. How can Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, live in cow dung? How is cow dung relevant to creation of wealth? If analyzed deeply in terms of modern economy, it would be revealed that what our ancient rishis (ऋषि) expressed is a universal truth, irrespective of area, community or time. The cow has always been held in high esteem as cattle wealth of India.  The five products of cow (milk - दूध, curd - दही, butter/ghee - मक्ख्न/घी, cow dung - गोबर and cow urine - गोमूत्र) — the panchgavya (पञ्चगव्य), possess excellent quality of nourishment and purification of five basic elements of cosmos (earth, water, fire, air and space/ether). While her milk, curd, butter churned from curd (दही का मक्ख्न, not the modern day butter we get in market), ghee and whey (छाछ) are most meritorious and energetic nourishment for us, the dung and urine are best nutrients to keep the land live, fertile and healthy.