All posts in this series
- Gauraksha: Our Sacred Cows
- The word “Hindu” and Cows
- Sacred Gauvansh
- Struggle for Gauraksha
- Indigenous Cows towards Extinction
- Shree Govardhan Gaushala
Pujyapad Puri Shankaracharyaji explains how the dwindling role of indigenous cows and bulls (gauvansh) is slowly leading to their extinction.
Traditional role of Gauvansh
Bhagavad Gita:
कृषिगौरक्ष्यवाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्म स्वभावजम्।
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम्।।18.44।।
Implies: Agriculture, cattle rearing and trade are the natural duties of the vaishya; action consisting of service is the natural duty of the shudra.
Cattle rearing and protecting guavansh are important duties on which both agriculture and trade depend upon, traditionally. Bulls are used to plough the land and cows are the providers of milk, milk products and medicinal products like gaumutra and panchgavya. Cow dung keeps the land well nourished and hence, fertile (cow dung is used for several more purposes in Bharata – cooking fuel, making products like dhoop, etc).
In our shastras, gau mata been described in many ways. The following verse is given two times in the Skandapurana (Maheshvarakhanda and Kashikhanda):
Implies: The earth is held aloft and sustained by seven—by cows, noble Brahmanas, Vedas, chaste women, men of truthful speech, persons with no greed and generous donors (those who do dana).
The existence of all seven sustainers of dharti mata, in the above-mentioned verse are dependent on cows. How would brahmanas, for example, perform yajna without cow dung and ghrita? Without this, how would there be dāna and upholding of vedas, etc. The protection of the vedas and, sati and truthfulness also dependent on guavansh.
Contemporary times
With the extensive invention and use of mechanization, the existence of divine things and persons is brought to extinction.
The traditional methods of trade and agriculture that are centered around gauvansh, are now nearing extinction.
The work done by bulls has been replaced by tractors. Chemical fertilisers are used instead of cow dung, on cultivation of land. Foreign breeds of cows like the jersey cow have been introduced and are now replacing the traditional indigenous cows, as the source of milk.
The traditional Hindu method of cultivation is highly valued in the West. They also know the value of the milk of our cows. However, Bhārata is receiving their unwholesome technologies since our politicians are glad to take commission from them.
The splitting up of land leaves small plots for cultivation. Additionally, there is no grazing land left for indigenous cattle and they are not allowed to enter the forested areas.
When agriculture and trade, both, are not using gauvansh, then, due to the lack of their utility, their existence will become extinct over time.
The farmer and traders, both have become enemies of cattle. Traders are getting cows slaughtered for their business.
Instead of using them for business, Bharata is leading in supply of beef world over. Buffalos and cows are slaughtered for this. The government has taken charge of slaughtering.