go Mahatwa
In
the ancient Sanskrit scriptures, the Vedic cow is revered as “Gāvo
Viśvasya Mātaraḥ”, meaning “Cows are the
mothers of the universe.” It is said:
"Gavāṁ Aṅgeṣu
Tiṣṭhanti Bhuvanāni
Caturdaśaḥ"—all fourteen worlds
reside within the sacred body of the cow.
Further,
"Gāvaḥ Svargasya Sopānam" and "Gāvaḥ
Svarge'pi Pūjitāḥ"—cows are the path to
heavenly realms and are worshipped even in heaven.
The
limbs of the cow are described as follows:
“Pṛṣṭhe Brahmā
Gale Viṣṇur Mukhe Rudraḥ
Pratiṣṭhitaḥ।
Madhye Devagaṇāḥ Sarve Romakūpe
Maharṣayaḥ।
Brahmā
resides on the cow’s back, Viṣṇu in her throat, Rudra
in her mouth, the gods in her midsection, and the sages in her pores.
"Sarvadevamayi Devi Sarvadevair Alaṅkṛtā"—The cow is the
embodiment of all deities and is adorned by them.
The
scriptures declare:
"Mātaraḥ Sarvabhūtānāṁ
Gāvaḥ Sarvasukhapradā"—Cows are the mothers of
all beings and the bestowers of happiness and prosperity.
Through
the blessings of the cow, humans can attain everything—even the highest
knowledge, Brahmavidyā, and ultimately Lord Śrī
Kṛṣṇa
Himself. In the Upaniṣads, the story of Satyakāma
attaining Brahmavidyā through cow service is
well-known.
Lord
Śrī
Kṛṣṇa
Himself declared:
"Gāvo Me Agrataḥ
Santu Gāvo Me Santu Pṛṣṭhataḥ।
Gāvo Me Sarvataḥ
Santu Gavāṁ Madhye Vasāmyaham।"
Cows shall always be with me—at the front, behind, and all around me.
"Tāpatraya
Vināśāya Śrī
Kṛṣṇāya Vayaṁ
Numaḥ"—Lord Kṛṣṇa, the destroyer of the
threefold miseries, Himself acknowledges the cow as a source of divine grace.
In
the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam, following the killing
of Pūtanā,
Mother Yaśodā,
concerned for the safety of baby Kṛṣṇa, took Him to the
cowshed and performed rituals:
"Gomūtreṇa
Snāpayitvā Punargorajamārbhakam।
Rakṣāṁ Chakruśca
Sakṛtā Dvādaśāṅgeṣu
Nāmbhiḥ।"
She bathed Him in cow urine, anointed Him with dust from the cows' hooves,
recited sacred names, and circled Him with the cow’s tail to protect Him from
malevolent forces.
The
Viṣṇu Purāṇa recounts:
"Gopuccabhrāmaṇenāyaṁ
Bāladoṣamapākaroṭ।
Gopurīṣamupādāya
Nandagopo'pi Mastake।"
Thus,
"Sarveṣāmeva Bhūtānāṁ
Gāvaḥ Śaraṇamuttamam"—the cow is the ultimate
refuge for all beings.
In
ancient times, cow wealth was considered the greatest wealth. Even modern
science recognizes that cows purify the environment and are sources of positive
energy.
The
Milk of the Cow—A Divine Nectar:
Cow’s milk is a miraculous blend of essential nutrients for human health. It
contains nitrogen (4%), fat (4%), sugar (5%), salts (1%), and water (8%).
