The special status of the cow in Hinduism or the worship of a sacred animal. Why is the cow a sacred animal in India?

India has always attracted the attention of our people, and often this attention turns into sympathy for the “land of contrasts.” Regular author of Realnoe Vremya Natalia Fedorova talks about her experience of getting to know the culture and customs of this country. Today we bring to your attention the first part of her notes, dedicated to the sacred animal of the Hindus.

“What, are you going to worship a sacred cow?”

Perhaps this was the first thing my relatives said when they found out that I was interested in the culture of India and was going to live there for some time. Indeed, the idea of ​​some kind of sacred cow seems ridiculous and naive to those who, like me, were raised in the city and perceive the cow as nothing more than a peace-loving animal, a source of milk and meat. Well, or such a kind cartoon character in a white cap and apron. What is there to worship here?

When I studied Indian history, I was surprised by the fact that in 1914-1917, when Indian villages were struck by drought and Indians were dying of hunger, their traditions and pride did not allow them to even think of their large livestock as food. At that time, only people of the lower classes could eat meat in India, and they were only allowed meat from wild animals. And to this day, beef is not allowed to be sold publicly in some parts of India.

Popular eateries in India sell hamburgers, but the meat is chicken or lamb. Religious Hindus, of which there are many in the country, will never eat beef. In the past, pious Indians refused animal food altogether, but now, as my friend, who married a Hindu and has lived in this country for a long time, told me, they eat fish and chicken, although not often, for example once a week.

However, the inhabitants of India are not only people who adhere to the traditions of Hinduism, which prohibits the killing of cows, but also Muslims, whom their religion, as is known, allows them to eat beef. And under the influence of Western ideas, Indians are gradually adhering to their rules less and less strictly. And, by the way, India today ranks third in beef exports in the world.

Cows walking along the roads

In the small Indian towns I visited, as well as on the outskirts of larger cities, cows walking along the roads are a common sight. Cars, bicycles and motorcycles are forced to go around them without complaint, and pedestrians are forced to go around them. These can be young heifers or calves, whose necks are tied with colored ribbons or hung with bells, as well as adult and even old cows. You can just walk up and pet the cow, and she will look at you with her big, dark, wet eyes. Moreover, in India, white cows are common, with thin graceful legs, a small sloping hump and a medium-sized build. Fleshy and overweight breeds, which are usually bred in Russia, are not raised here.

Or you can even feed a cow by buying a cheap bunch of bananas from a street vendor. In holy places, local residents even make money by selling bunches of freshly cut grass from their carts, which pilgrims can offer to cows walking along the sidewalks.

However, now I have painted a picture for you through the eyes of a sentimental traveler. The truth is that all these cows walking along the roads are mostly homeless. They used to belong to poor people who could not support them, perhaps they are already old and cannot produce milk, or they are bulls for which the owners do not have money to feed. So these are homeless cows. To be fair, it must be said that compassionate Hindus sometimes feed homeless cows wandering the streets, when they approach their houses, they take out some food and do not drive them away.

And although this is concern, it is, of course, insufficient. Many cows are very thin, they lie on the roads or in the shade of trees and they feed not only on grass and leaves, but also, unfortunately, on bags and other plastic garbage, which is scattered everywhere here in large quantities. There are often cases when cows die after eating bags. In addition, they are increasingly being hit on highways. And there is another sad fact: if previously a Hindu would never sell his cow for slaughter, even dying of hunger, today morals are such that the poor often sell their cows to Muslims, who sell them for meat and leather.

Why are cows revered?

I told you about the manifestations of an already degrading Indian culture, but the philosophy of worshiping cows itself is very deep and deserves attention. And I will begin my story about her not from India, but from the Russian outback, from an old half-abandoned village on the banks of the Kama River, where 90-year-old Lyubov Fedorovna Krylova is living out her life. I had the opportunity to communicate with her for many hours as I collected the memories of old-timers. Lyubov Fedorovna worked as a milkmaid on a collective farm all her life. Here are her words: “My cow Milka got old, they took her to the procurement office and loaded her onto a cart. I still can’t remember. I tied her up. And she looked back at me, let me lick my hands and moo. Nurse. We drink its milk. I can't. They are like people, these cows. I can't eat cow's meat because of this. I just can't eat beef. They are like people. They all have some kind of character. I worked as a milkmaid. You will tie 16 heads. Which one is painfully smart, and which one is shameless. She will eat hers and crawl next to her. And the hostess turns around and complains: mooooo. They say she will eat everything from me. Well, how to count? Like people right, I can’t.”

Nurses, mothers - these are the words Russian peasant women called their cows. And every Hindu who has not deviated from his traditions can understand Lyubov Fedorovna. In India, a cow is called gomata (“go” - cow, “mata” - mother). The fact that the cow is a sacred animal is reported in many revealed scriptures. For example, they say that a person has only seven mothers - the one who gave birth to him; the one who fed him with her milk; wife of a spiritual master; priest's wife; the king's wife; mother earth and mother cow. She who fed us with her milk is our mother. Therefore, if we drink the breast milk of a cow, then she is our mother.

There is another important reason for Hindus' love for cows. India has a strong tradition of worshiping demigods - representatives of various forces of nature, the god of wind, the god of fire, and so on. Above all these demigods is the Supreme God, a person who has many names, and among them the main ones are Krishna and Govinda. Govinda translates as “one who loves and protects cows.” The scriptures contain the story that one day God was born in this material world in an ordinary village as a charming boy, he along with other boys herded calves, played the flute and relished butter, yoghurt, sandesh and other delicacies made from milk. Cows enjoyed his special favor. The scriptures say that in the spiritual world the Lord plays in the same way with His friends, surrounded by cows, which are called Surabhi because they have an inexhaustible supply of milk flowing from their udders out of a mother's intense love for Govinda.

The culture of worshiping this image of the Lord is very strong in India, and in various ancient temples you can see images of happy cows around a beautiful bluish-skinned cowherd boy dancing and playing the flute.

Do cows have souls?

Most of us have probably never asked this question. I hadn't thought about it before either. Traditional religions in our area contain commandments prohibiting murder, but this is interpreted precisely as a ban on killing a person. And since, according to Abrahamic religions, animals are deprived of souls, they are intended as food for people. However, Vedic philosophy states that every living being - including the ant, elephant, bacterium and cow - is a soul, embodied in a particular body according to the actions it performed in its past life. To paraphrase Vysotsky’s famous song, if a living creature has inclinations towards a pig’s life, then it will be born a pig. And the higher a living being is on the evolutionary ladder, that is, the more developed its consciousness is, the more sinful it will be to take its life. Therefore, there is a big difference between picking and eating a leaf of lettuce (which is also a living thing) and killing an animal, let alone a person. Therefore, killing a cow is considered a grave sin and is equivalent to killing a mother.

Dung and cow urine

Now let's talk about economics. In earlier times, wealth was calculated not by the number of mythical figures in a bank account, but by how many cows and grain a person had. This was precisely the indicator of prosperity and stability of society not only in India, but also in other traditional cultures in many countries of the world.

The scriptures of India that have survived to this day contain not only spiritual instructions, but also very practical guidance on how to prosper economically. Much attention is paid to cows. It says that all five substances that come from the cow are pure and can be used in both cooking and medicine. We are talking about milk, sour milk (yogurt), ghee, manure and urine.

Manure can do more than just fertilize the soil. Dung cakes, which villagers still dry on the walls of their houses, tree trunks and fences, can be used when cleaning the house. It has been scientifically proven that manure has antiseptic properties. The walls of houses are smeared with manure so that it is not so hot in the summer - it retains coolness well and after drying is practically odorless. Manure is also used to fire the stove. I once asked my grandmother how they in the village got rid of mosquitoes before the invention of fumigators, and even more so before the introduction of electricity. She said that in the evenings they lit a dung cake, put it in an iron bucket and placed it in the middle of the hut. Not only mosquitoes flew away from the smoke, but also, as it was believed, unclean spirits. Manure is also added to Ayurvedic remedies, medicines and cosmetics.

Cow urine is also a medicine. Ayurvedic firms sell pure cow urine to cure various disorders of the body and add it to many formulations. There are huge enterprises in India that have become rich precisely by selling products based on cow products, for example, Patanjali and Govardhan.

Previously, people knew these secrets, so a cow, ceasing to give milk due to old age or calving, did not become a burden - not only in an ethical, but also in an economic sense. The same applies to bulls. As I already mentioned, bulls are still used in agriculture: they plow the land, transport goods, and there is an irrigation system based on bull power.

About the benefits of milk

The sacred scriptures of India, as opposed to newfangled theories about the dangers of milk, recommend drinking milk every day. The Hindu tradition is to drink sweetened hot milk with spices in the mornings and evenings. The lives of saints indicate that many hermits and ascetics ate only milk, since Ayurveda claims that milk contains all the elements necessary for a healthy life. At the same time, it purifies our mind and promotes our spiritual development.

India is called the land of cows. However, the current situation is such that it is very difficult to find good cow's milk in India. Packaged milk in stores is basically a mixture of buffalo milk with cow's milk and still unknown additives. Hindus use it only to add it to tea. And the love for tea, instilled by the British, is so strong today that many local residents simply refuse milk. Those who want to drink it look for a milkman who delivers milk from his cows. But you can’t vouch for the good quality of this milk either - it is often also diluted. And cows that are allowed to walk the streets and eat everything are unlikely to produce milk that is healthy.

Natalia Fedorova, photo by Ananta Vrindavan and Indradyumna Swami

India is a unique country. Many people know that the sacred animal in India is the cow. This seems strange and unusual for people who raise it for slaughter. Indians treat all animals with respect, but the cow is the leader. This is a kind and bright creature, endowed with wisdom, calmness and love for all living things.

Many people know that the sacred animal in India is the cow.

To understand why the cow became a sacred animal in India, we must look to the past. Legends about the cow are passed down from generation to generation:

1. One day the Raja's son became very ill and no one could help him. The boy grew weaker day by day. The father called on the gods for help, spending days and nights in prayer. One day a stray cow came to the house. The Raja considered this to be a sign from heaven. The child was given milk and he began to recover. Since then, it has been believed that cow's milk has great power and helps with various ailments.
2. Ancient writings indicate that during the creation of the world, the Gods took a cow from the ocean, capable of fulfilling any desires. Today it is believed that any cow can make wishes come true, the main thing is to find the right approach to it.
3. Another legend says that in order to move to another world after death, a cow is needed; only she can help a person overcome this path. The deceased must hold tightly to the tail so as not to get lost on the way.

Why is a cow a sacred animal (video)

How do animals live in India?

The Indian cow is protected by law. The authorities strictly monitor the safety of the animal. They cannot be beaten, frightened, or driven out. For killing a cow, you are sent to prison. They can walk wherever they see fit: along the road, at pedestrian crossings, they can bask on the beach, or go into other people’s yards. Nobody has the right to stop her. In this country, it is customary to let a cow pass on the road, but not a pedestrian. Some try to take advantage of the moment and cross the road with her.

Another explanation for why the cow is a sacred animal is practical. Hindus consider her the Great Nurse, and they are right. During her life, she feeds a person with milk and provides manure for food, which is used in medicine. After death, people dress in her skin.

It is a great honor to be a shepherd. According to legend, God descended to earth in the form of Krishna. He grew up in a shepherd's family, loved cows very much and even played the flute for them.

A sacred animal does not always live happily. Hindus love and honor her very much, but the death of a cow in the house is considered a terrible sin. To atone for this sin, the owner must make a pilgrimage to all the holy places of the country. Upon returning home, he is obliged to feed all the Brahmins in the area. Not everyone can afford this, so sick cows are driven out of their homes. This is why there are so many stray cows in India.

It is believed that if a Hindu eats a cow, he will suffer terrible corporal punishment in the afterlife. There will be as many of them as there are hairs on the body of an eaten cow.

These animals roam freely even on airfield runways. To free up space, they use recorded sounds of tiger growls.

A holy cow is a Divine being; to offend her means to anger God.

1. To ensure benefits for yourself in the afterlife, you need to care for, protect, wash and feed the animal.
2. Even if a resident of India is dying of hunger, he will not eat a cow walking calmly nearby.
3. Vedic texts say that the cow is the universal mother.
4. Cow's milk can awaken the best qualities.
5. Ghee, or ghee, is used in religious rituals.
6. Even cow dung has great power. It is used to cleanse the home.
7. Since ancient times, Hindus have worshiped the cow as a deity. It is believed that the peace and quiet of existence depends on the animal. The place where she was was energetically clean and bright.
8. The Hindu cow is able to protect from evil and dark forces, help a person atone for sins and avoid hell.

Zoolatry in various religions

India is not the only country where animal worship takes place. For example, East Asia worships the tiger. The Chinese town of Kunming is the main place of worship. There is a special tiger festival in Nepal. Vietnam is famous for its many tiger temples. It is considered a good tradition to decorate the entrance to a temple or home with images of a tiger. This animal, according to the indigenous people, is capable of driving away evil spirits and evil spirits.

Residents of Thailand are kind to white elephants, seeing in them the embodiment of the souls of the dead. Europe and America attach particular importance to wolves, considering them strong and fearless. However, representatives of Eastern culture cannot afford such an attitude. For them, the wolf is a symbol of depravity, anger and meanness.

Turks consider the horse to be a sacred animal. Many representatives of the Islamic world agree with them. A horse is both a friend and an ally. A true warrior and ruler is always on horseback.

But India went the furthest. Not only the cow in India deserves attention. Dogs are the messengers of death, guarding the gates to Heaven. The elephant is a significant figure in religious teachings. The tiger is associated with the god Shiva, and the god wears spectacled snakes around his neck as decoration. The cobra is considered the most sacred snake.

Serving animals, honoring and worshiping them is zoolatry. Animals become objects of worship. Hindus build temples in honor of sacred animals, protect them, devote holidays, dances and festivals to them. In ancient times, warriors performed special rituals to gain the favor of any animal. Man was unable to cope with natural phenomena and wild animals. Religious rituals allowed them to overcome their fears and gave them hope for survival. Each tribe had its own sacred beast, which it worshiped. Numerous drawings on stones and in caves allow us to better understand the significance and importance of these rituals. This is how the world of ancient people was structured. The worship of certain animals is an ancient tradition.

The sacred cow in India, like other sacred animals, is endowed with divine power. It is believed that God speaks to people through them. To offend such an animal means to commit a sin.

Sacred animals of India (video)

A look into the past

Hinduism is one of the most ancient religions. Originated as a Dravidian belief. When the Aryans came to this territory, conquering the lands, they contributed to religious teachings. Presumably, these were immigrants from the current territory of Russia. The Aryans were more adapted to life than the local population. They could hunt, engage in agriculture, and cattle breeding. What type of activity the tribe preferred depended on climatic conditions. Areas near rivers were convenient for growing various crops. The steppes were used for cattle breeding. The Aryans could not engage in agriculture because the soil was unsuitable. The only way to feed themselves was raising livestock. There was little choice:

1. Tour. This animal successfully exists in the herd. It was not difficult to domesticate him. Initially, its manure was used for fertilizer.
2. Sheep. It was noticed that she grows quickly and produces good offspring. The meat was used for food, and the warm skin was useful in everyday life.
3. Goat. Kept for milk production. Goat's milk tasted good and was healthy, but there was never enough of it.
4. Cow. The first thing people noticed was that the milk yield was much higher than that of a goat. She gave milk for much longer, and it was more satisfying and healthier. Manure perfectly fertilized the soil. Later they began to use the skin, which increased awareness of the importance of this animal in human life.

As a result, the cow became the main and main breadwinner for people. When an animal plays an important role in a person’s life, various magical abilities and special powers begin to be attributed to it. Children could drink cow's milk, which means that the first person was fed with the milk of this animal. The gods drank this milk, which means the cow is a sacred animal. The Aryans settled all over the world and spread love and respect everywhere. In mythology you can often find the image of a cow or a bull. For example, Zeus was depicted as a bull, and his wife as a cow. This is how these tribes reached India. The Dravidians were conquered, the Aryans implanted their religion, views and teachings. Thus, reverence and love for the cow came here. The cow is the sacred animal of India, the Great Mother, holy and immaculate. God Shiva rides a white bull, and no one dares to doubt the divine origin of the cow.

Some people find this attitude funny. Others look at this with emotion. An important and necessary condition is to respect traditions when crossing the border. No matter what city in India a person comes to, one must remember that the cow is a sacred animal. After all, as you know, ignorance does not exempt from punishment.

Guest article

In India, it is customary to treat all animals with special reverence, but it is the cow that evokes real reverence among Hindus. There are many legends and myths associated with this artiodactyl, most of which go back directly to the religion and history of the Indians.

Sacred cow in Hindu religion

For Hindus, the cow is the personification of selflessness, purity, holiness and kindness. Just like Mother Earth, a cow gives food (milk) to a person without demanding anything in return. Identification with the nurse-Earth in the Hindu religion equates the cow to shrines and elevates it to the rank of inviolable animals.

Also, for Hindus, a cow is a symbol of motherhood, self-sacrifice and care. Like a woman, she feeds her children with milk, selflessly cares for and protects them. For this reason, in India it is prohibited to harm this animal in any way - especially if it is a dairy cow. Killing such a cow is considered a terrible sin, and such an act is punished very severely among Hindus.

Sacred cow in Indian legends and myths

One of the old Indian legends says that after death, a Hindu needs to swim across a deep and wide river to get to heaven. He can cope with this task with the help of a cow, holding on to the tip of its tail. In this regard, Hindus are kind to cows during their lifetime and try to appease them, so that after their physical death the animals will help them get to the other world.

According to another legend, the gods who created the Earth one day took out the wonderful cow Surabhi from the ocean floor. This magical animal could fulfill any wishes of its owner. To this day, any cow in India is considered the daughter of Surabhi and, if treated with respect, can make any dream or request of a person come true.

Sacred cow in Indian history

According to some researchers, the respectful and respectful attitude towards cows in India has historical roots. Since time immemorial, the main activity of the Hindus was agriculture, and the main assistants of people were bulls and cows. Even-toed ungulates helped Indians plow the land and saved them from hunger during crop failures. An important component of the Indian diet, both then and now, was milk and dairy products, which made it possible to avoid hunger even in the most unfavorable years. Thus, the respectful attitude of Indians towards cows and bulls is also a kind of gratitude to the animals for the support provided in difficult times. To this day, the problem of hunger in India is helped to be solved by artiodactyls, which peacefully coexist side by side with humans.

It should be noted that in Hinduism, curious properties are attributed to cow's milk. It is believed that it can awaken sattvic qualities in a person. Sattva, in turn, means purity, clarity, goodness. No less revered in the Hindu religion is ghee, which is used in organizing and conducting ancient religious rituals. Even cow urine is attributed magical properties, which in India is used in various rituals and used in the treatment of diseases. Hindus still use cow dung for a variety of purposes. They fertilize farmland with it, repel insects with it, and even fumigate homes.

To offend a cow in India means to incur misfortune, which is why artiodactyls still roam freely through city streets to this day, surprising tourists. The state provides for very severe punishment for killing a sacred cow, so even travelers visiting India are instructed to treat this animal with respect.

In Ancient Egypt, the image of a cow personified the idea of ​​vital warmth. The goddess of heaven, joy and love, Hathor, was depicted as a cow or with cows. According to ancient Scandinavian myths, magical cow Audumla nursed the giant Ymir. And from his body the whole world was subsequently created. Among the ancients cow was the personification of heaven, the nurse of the earth, who waters the fields with her milk. In India, cows are revered and compared to gods. It is believed that every cow contains a piece of divine matter, so it must be respected and protected. Vedic Indian texts say that cow is the universal mother. If you look after a cow well, feed it and take care of it, then you can increase the chances of a better life in the next life. Why exactly? cow enjoys such respect and honor? This has its own common sense. A cow feeds a person with the most useful products from the first years of his life. Hindus, who very rarely eat meat, obtain the proteins and beneficial minerals necessary for the body from dairy products. Cheeses, cottage cheese, fermented milk drinks are useful at any age, they give the body energy and strength. It is not for nothing that in Rus' the cow was respectfully called “mother-nurse.” But humanity uses cows not only as milk producers. To this day, manure plays an important role in the way of life of many peoples. Dried cow dung is used as... Manure is used to cover the roofs of huts or is used as a building material for adobe houses when the manure is mixed with clay. But not only backward countries stuck in a primitive communal system use manure. In modern farms, it is the best fertilizer, not only cheap and effective, but also environmentally friendly. Cattle leather is still used in industry, although humanity is constantly inventing new and high-quality artificial materials. Leather goods were not a tribute to fashion, but a necessity of life. Leather was used to make shoes, belts, clothes and furniture, and other household items. Cows are very peaceful, calm and kind animals. They are surrounded by an aura of peace, tranquility and mental well-being. These large and quiet animals accompanied humanity for many centuries, helping it survive in harsh conditions, supplying it with food and keeping it warm. It is not surprising that in many cultures the cow was revered as a cow, and among some peoples the cult of this animal has been preserved to this day.

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From time immemorial cow is sacred animal in India. A cow cannot be killed, driven away, or treated disrespectfully. And they walk wherever their sacred soul pleases: they lie quietly on the busy streets of Indian cities, go into temples and shops...

A cow - a sacred animal in India - on the streets of cities

The sacred animal lies serenely on the street of Varanasi

Another sacred animal, too - Varanasi

Cows in India are treated with great respect, and they feel it. A sacred cow can not only meditatively stand (or lie) on the roadway in the middle of a stream of cars, but also meditatively wander towards the flow of people, and if you gape and find yourself in her path, then without hesitation she will butt you with a feeling of being completely right. I was gored by a sacred cow when I was walking along a narrow street in Varanasi in a crowd of people and found myself in its path. The bruise on my thigh was large and beautiful. They say it's fortunate :)

And at night they park on the streets next to motorized rickshaws.
Parked night cows in Hampi

Cow is the personification of Mother Earth

It is believed that the great god Shiva was born from the ear of a cow. This great event took place in , a small ancient pilgrimage town in the state of Karnataka on the ocean coast.
Goddess Prithivi, who represents the Earth, took the form of a cow and Shiva appeared from her ear.
Indians do not eat beef.
In many states of India, killing a cow is equivalent to killing a Brahmin.

Bull Nandi - vahana (mount) of the great god Shiva

In the Hindu pantheon, each god has a vahana - a mount on which he moves. This mount is often a symbol of the deity himself.
The Vahana of the great Shiva is the bull Nandi.
Nandi Bull in front of Hampi Temple

A sculpture of the bull Nandi must be placed in front of the entrance to any Shiva temple or inside the temple with its head towards the altar.
Shiva Temple at Kedarnath

The Nandi bull in Hinduism is an independent object of veneration.
Sacred animal in front of the temple in Maheshwar

The sacred bull Nandi in front of the highest Shiva temple in Tungnath

And in front of the ancient thousand-year-old Shiva temple in Mahabalipuram there is a whole detachment of sacred stone Nandi bulls.

Ice cave Gomuk in the Himalayas - “the mouth of a cow”

In northern India, in the Himalayas, lies the source of India's most sacred river, the Ganga. The Ganga originates in an ice cave called Gomuk, which means “mouth of a cow.” Again - cows, not tigers or monkeys. This ice cave with the source of the Ganges is one of the most sacred places in India with very powerful energy.

Gomuk Cave - “the mouth of a cow”

Use of products derived from cows

In religious rituals, Hindus widely use the products that cows provide: milk and ghee. This once again speaks of the holiness of this animal.
Milk and ghee are poured over Shiva Lingams in temples during puja and presented as offerings to Indian gods.
Cow dung is also used for heating houses, after drying it in the sun.
Photo from Varanasi. This man dries cow dung directly on the ghats.

Dwellings are coated with cow dung mixed with sand and water. It turns out environmentally friendly and warm.
Photo from a village near Mandu

Cow rangoli for Pongal festival in India

In India, the harvest festival "Pongal" is celebrated for three days. These days, cows' horns are painted with bright paint and decorated with flower garlands. And in front of the house they draw rangoli - patterns of happiness - with the image of a plump, beautiful cow.
Rangoli with sacred animal in Mahabalipuram

Sacred skinny cows of Himachal Pradesh, India

In fact, such well-fed cows are not often found in India; most of them are skinny. When they roam the streets of big cities and eat whatever God provides, then this is understandable. But when in the green, humid, foggy state of Himachal, on green lush grass, you meet the same skinny cows as in Delhi, it is incomprehensible and surprising.
Apparently these are mountain hounds, sacred cows.

Another wonderful Indian animal is the elephant!
Watch the video of a pink temple elephant being bathed in Hampi.