Glories of cow by different Religions
(Hindu, Jainism, Budhism, Sikhism and other Religions)

Hindu Religion

Even the gods pray to the cow. She contains the divinity of all the Gods. A pious day starts with her worship. She has prominence in various religious festivals. Sankranti and Deepavali are specially cow related festivals. Cow products are essential in different religious rituals. Thus, cow is integral part of our life.

Cow in Vedas and Puranas

Oh fire god, with your flames burn the heads of those demons who eat the meat of humans, animals like horse and cow, and those who steal cows’ milk. (Rik Samhita 87 – 161)

May the supreme Lord, complemented by all the Gods, create auspicious and spacious cowsheds for our happiness and populate them with cows and calves. Let us rejoice the cow-wealth and contend by serving those cows. (Rik Samhita 10 – 169 – 4)

That cow would augment the life span of the sages involved in the sacrifices and the doer of the sacrifices. Cow coordinates all the rituals of the sacrifices. By providing offerings like milk, cow nourishes all the Gods of the sacrifices.  (Shulka Yajurveda 1-4)

Oh Cows! With your milk and ghee you make the physically weak strong, and nurture the sick to health. With your sacred utterances, you chastise our homes. Your glory is discussed in gatherings. (Atharvana Veda 4-21-11 and 6)

The Gods and men live on cow products. Till the Sun shines, the universe will have Cows. The whole universe depends on the support of cow. (Atharvana Veda 10-10-34)

She is Kamadhenu – the divine cow that fulfils all our desires. Her body is of cow and face is of a woman. She was born before the amrutha when the ocean was churned. Her hair exudes fragrance. From her udder she showers Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha. She is an abode to self-knowledge, shelters, Sun, Moon and Fire God. All the Gods and the living beings depend on her. She provides us with food and supreme knowledge even when we mildly pray. Let her be near us.

These cows have eaten grass and have taken water. They have been milked. They are past reproductive age. One who donates these old cows will go to place of darkness devoid of pleasures. Instead, donate me. (Kathopanishat – Nachiketa tells sage Vajashravas during Vishwajit Yaga)

Obstructing provision of water to thirsty cows should be considered equal to the sin of killing Brahmins. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 24-7)

Do not hesitate to consume cow urine and cow dung – they are sacred. But one should never eat the cow meat. A person becomes stronger by consuming Panchagavya.  (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 78-17)

Let there be cows in front of me, behind me and all around me. I live with the cows. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 80-3)

Donation of cows is superior to all others. Cows are supreme and sacred. (Mahabharata, Anushasana Parva 83-3)

Bhagavad-Gita is the essence of Upanishads. It is like a cow whom Srikrishna milks. Arjuna is like a calf. The learned devotees are drinking the ambrosial milk of Bhagavad-Gita.

Cow is my mother and ox my father. Let the pair bless me with happiness in this world and bliss in heaven. I depend on cow for my life – thus stating one should surrender to cow.

Cows are the abode of the Goddess of wealth. Sins don’t touch them. There exists a fine relationship between man and cow. A home without a cow is like one without dear ones. (Padmapurana)

By the service of the cow and consuming cow products, awareness and spirit, both enhance. (Atri Samhita 310)

The house where Vedas are not chanted, where cows are not seen where children are not around it is like a graveyard. (Vishnusmriti)

Cow’s urine, dung, milk, ghee, curd and gorochana – these six are the most auspicious products.

Cow, the abode of all the Gods

Every atom in cow’s body is abode of the 33 crore Gods. All the 14 mythical worlds exist in the limbs of cow.

Cow, the abode of all the Gods

• Brahma and Vishnu on the root of two horns
• All the sacred reservoirs and Vedavyasa on the tips of the horns
• Lord Shankara on the centre head
• Parvathi on the edge of head
• Kartikeya on the nose, Kambala and Ashwatara Devas on the nostrils
• Ashwini Kumaras on the ears
• Sun and Moon in the eyes
• Vayu in dental range and Varuna on the tongue
• Saraswathi in the sound of cow
• Sandhya goddesses on the lips and Indra on the neck
• Raksha Ganas on the hanging under the neck
• Sadhya Devas in the heart
• Dharma on the thigh
• Gandharvas in the gap of hoofs, Pannaga at the tips, Apsaras on the sides
• Eleven Rudras and Yama on the back, Ashtavasus in the crevices
• Pitru Devas on the ides of umbilical joint, 12 Adityas on the stomach area
• Soma on the tail, Sun rays on the hair, Ganga in its urine, Lakshmi and Yamuna in the dung, Saraswathi in milk, Narmada in curd, and Agni in ghee
• 33 crore Gods in the hair
• Prithwi in stomach, oceans in the udder, Kamadhenu in the whole body
• Three Gunas in the root of the brows, Rishis in the pores of hair, and all the sacred lakes in the breathe.
• Chandika on the lips and Prajapathi Brahma on the skin
• Fragrant flowers on nostrils
• Sadhya Devas on the arm-pit
• Six parts of Vedas on the face, four Vedas on the feet, Yama on the top of the hoofs, Kubera and Garuda on the right, Yakshas on the left and Gandharvas inside
• Khecharas in the fore of the foot, Narayana in intestine, mountains in the bones, Artha, Dharma, Kama and Moksha in the feet.
• Four Vedas in the Hoom… sound

Cow protection in Jainism

Bhagawan Mahavir

• Jain religion’s mainstay is non-violence. Hence, they do not harm cow or any other animal or bird.
  
  
• When Jainism flourished, they were active in cow protection. They built huge cowsheds and made cow rearing part of their lifestyle. Cruelty against cows, starving them, overloading, mutilating their body were all prohibited by law.
  
  
• One’s wealth was assessed by the number of cows he possessed. One Vraja/Gokula = 10,000 cows. Ten citizens who owned maximum cows were named “Rajagriha Mahashataka” and “Kashiyachulanipita.”
  
  
• Mahaveera had ordered his disciples to rear 60,000 cows.
  
  
• When Ananda became a disciple of Mahaveera, he vowed to run 8 Gokulas.

Cow protection in Budhism

• Gautama Budha preached about the utility and importance of cows. He advocated against cow slaughter and gave great importance to cow rearing.
  
  
• Like parents, siblings, members of family and community, cow is dear to us. It is very helpful. We prepare medicine from its milk. Cow gives food, strength, beauty, and pleasure. Similarly ox supports family men. We should treat the ox and cow like our parents. (Goutama Budha)
  
• Cows and oxen provide necessary and appropriate products to all households. Therefore we should treat them with care and respect like we treat our parents. Eating cow’s meat is like eating one’s own mother’s flesh. (Lokaneeti 7)

• Cows have to prosper for the country to prosper. (Emperor Ashoka)

Cow protection in Sikhism

• Guru Govind Singh, the 10th Guru, told Pandit Prithwiraj that Khalsa sect was established to care for the economy, right behaviour, cows, Brahmins, and protection of the down-trodden.
  
  
• Guru Govind Singh’s first Guru was against killing of any animal – not only cows.
  
  
• In 1871, under the leadership of Guru Rama Singh, 3,15,000 Sikhs participated in an agitation against the British to get the slaughter houses closed.

Concern for cow in other religions

• Bible has praised ox as God.
• Jews respected cow and were excellent cowherds.
• Among the four legged animals, cow is the supreme; treat it with respect – Hajarat Mohammed.
• Cow’s milk and butter are great medicines. Its meat is a cause for diseases. – Hajarat Ayesha and Ullas Tivari Jahir.
• Cow’s milk is medicinal – Innamasur Sahavi Rasul.
• Abdul Mulk Ivanmaddana Subedar in Iran and Hijaj Bin Yusuf in his province had prohibited cow slaughter.
• 110th Ahal Sunnat in Afgahnistan had banned cow slaughter by Fatwa.
• Zoroaster prayed to God for knowledge and conduct to achieve prosperity of cows and human kind. (Yashana 4512)
• People of Bali used to wrap the corpse in paper-cow and cremate. With this, they believed that the soul of the dead would go to heaven.
• Many Buddha temples in Thailand have idols of cows. A cow idol occupies a prominent location in the world famous Buddha temple in Bangkok.
• Archaeologists have found idols of cows when they excavated in Philippines.
• Ancient pyramids of Egypt have pictures of cow.