Ever Wondered Why A Cow Is Considered ‘Holy’ In Hinduism?

Ever Wondered Why A Cow Is Considered ‘Holy’ In Hinduism?

Being an Indian, or rather a Hindu Indian, you sure do know the significance of cows. You have grown up seeing people worship cows and that has, in a way made you believe that a cow is one form of a god too. But that is not the fact. While it is true that most Indians worship cow and consider it sacred, mostly for religious reasons, they do not really consider cow to be a god. In Hinduism, the cow is considered as a maternal figure and a symbol of the divine bounty of the earth.

Why Did Ancient India Worship Cows? 

In the Vedas, that is the oldest of the Hindu sculptures, a cow has been associated with the mother of all gods. People from the Vedic period were primarily pastoral. They relied on cows, not just for milk and dung, but also for an agricultural purpose. In a country, where a majority of the population belongs to rural areas, cow dung is still one of the main fuels to serve as a fertilizer. In fact, in rural India, cow dung and cow urine are also used as a disinfectant to clean the house, and also for plastering. Thus, ancient Indians treated cows with utmost respect as they helped them harvest food and also provide milk.

The Sattvic Qualities

Hindu scriptures have always believed that cow’s milk raises Sattvic (purifying) qualities. Cow’s ghee (butter) is often used for religious reasons in the Hindu culture. It is used in ceremonies, in pujas as Yajna, and also in preparing prasad. And while cow dung is used as a fertilizer, as a fuel, and as a disinfectant, cow’s urine is used for various religious as well as medicinal practices. Cow’s urine, which is called ‘gomutra‘  is considered to be highly pure and used for purification purposes in Vaastu Shastra.

Along with the gomutra, Panchagavya is also a supreme purificatory composition made from five products of the cow, that include milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung. Back then, the prohibition of the meat of the bounteous cow as a food was considered as the first step to becoming a total vegetarian.

The Religious Significance

Did any of you know that the English word has been derived from the Sanskrit word Gau for Cow? Hindus also believe that all gods and goddesses live inside a cow. Lord Krishna, who is one of the most known and worshiped of the Hindu gods, is often depicted playing his flute around cows and dancing Gopis (milkmaids). He also grew up as a cow herder. In fact, Krishna has many names for himself like Govinda and Gopala,  which literally mean ‘friend and protector of cows.’ Even today, some religious people consider feeding a cow to be a highly auspicious act.

Moreover, just to let you all know, India is not the only country that has a taboo on beef. Cows are highly respected in Nepal and Burma too. Back in the days, there was no industrial revolution, and cows were the backbones of the Indian families and Indian agricultural system. That is the main reason why this calm and a non-threatening animal was considered sacred and holy by our ancestors. However, owing to its sattvic qualities, even today, people continue to worship cows, some for religious reasons and some for the sake of Ayurveda.