Thursday, January 22, 2015

ENIGMATIC HINDU GODS ASVINIS WHO INFLUENCED WESTERN CULTURES

Enigmatic  Hindu Gods Asvinis who Influenced  Western  Cultures (Compilatiion for a discourse  at Ganesha temple Nashville TN, Feb 2015; N.R.Srinivasan)

Asvinis who are regarded as the divine physicians (devaanaam bhishajaa) are described in Ayurveda as having cured Indra, the mighty Vedic warrior god, when he had fallen ill due to excessive Soma drinking. The sutaraamani ritual puts the Asvins into close relation with Indra. Purushasookta a popular Rigvedic  Sookta employed in the daily worship rituals of the Lord contains a reference to Asvinis as   “asvinau vyaattam” as wide open mouth of Purusha as dyaavaa prithivyaah  of sky and earth. Mahanarayana Upanishad (MNU) in its Vedic mantra pleads to   two Asvins decked with lotus garlands for engendering intelligence as Intelligence Deities-- “asvinaavubhaavaadhattaam  pushkarasrajau” . MNU also pleads in another mantra “Pratyauhataamasvinaa mrityumasmaddevaanaamagne bhishajaa sacheebhih” –O Agni!  May the two divine physicians, the Asvins, chase away from us death by virtue of the powers of religious work!

Asvins are twin deities, always described    or praised together. While one mantra in MNU says they represent the earth and the sky, there are other references that say they represent night and day, or the Moon and the Sun. Yet another Puranic reference describes them as kings who acquired extraordinary merit, and were elevated to the status of Gods. They represent semi darkness before dawn. They pervade the world with moisture and light. Described as eternally handsome, they are the youngest of the Vedic Gods. However their chief characteristic is that they are constantly striving to do good to others. They are expert physicians and surgeons and know the arts of healing, rejuvenation and even plastic surgery! Being supplicated, they can grant boons like children, food, wealth, health and protection from   enemies. Hence one should never fail to invoke them during Yajnas and Homas (sacrifice)
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A puranic story describes their surgery expertise thus: Dadhicihi was the son of Atharva who knew the Madhu Vidya by which any mortal being could be made immortal. Indra was not happy about it. Knowing his plan to kill Dadhichi Aswini  surgeons replaced the head of Dadhichi with that of a horse. When Indra beheaded temporary horse head of  Dadhchi    Asvini Twins once again performed the surgery replacing the real head of Dadhichi with their surgery skill and revived him.

Wikipedia describes Aswins as follows:
 “The Ashvins or Ashwini Kumaras   in Hindu mythology, are two Vedic godsdivine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya (daughter of Vishwakarma), a goddess of the clouds and wife of Surya in his form as Vivasvant. They symbolize the shining of sunrise and sunset, appearing in the sky before the dawn in a golden chariot, bringing treasures to men and averting misfortune and sickness. They are the doctors of gods and are devas of Ayurvedic medicine. They are represented as humans with head of a horse. In the epic Mahabharata, KingPandu's wife Madri is granted a son by each Ashvin and bears the twins Nakula and Sahadeva who, along with the sons of Kunti, are known as the Pandavas.They are also called Nasatya (dual nāsatyau "kind, helpful") in the Rigveda; later, Nasatya is the name of one twin, while the other is called Dasra ("enlightened giving"). By popular etymology, the name nāsatya is often incorrectly analysed as na+asatya "not untrue"="true". Various Indian holy books like Mahabharata, Puranas etc., relate that Ashwini Kumar brothers, the twins, who were Raj Vaidhya (Royal Physicians) to  Devas during  Vedic times. They  first prepared  Chyawanprash   formulation for  Chyawan  Rishi at his  Ashram on Dhosh Hill near NarnaulHaryanaIndia, hence the name Chyawanprash. The Ashvins can be compared with the Dioscuri (the twins Castor and Pollux) of Greek and Roman mythology, and especially to the divine twins Ašvieniai of the ancient Baltic religion".



Vedic People of Lithuania
(Courtesy:IndiaDivine.org)
If you were to travel to Lithuania you might encounter some traditional houses adorned with the motif of two horse heads. You might take this as a simple design but it is in fact a small clue to Lithuania's deep and ancient Vedic past.
Traditionally, the Vedic peoples of Lithuania worshipped the Ašvieniai, the divine horse twins, related to the goddess Ūsinis. They are said to pull the Sun Chariot through the sky. The Lithuanian people continue to adorn their roof tops with the symbol of the divine horse twins in order to receive protection for the household.


In India the complete Vedic tradition has been preserved. There the divine horse twins are known as the Ashvins, the children of the Sun god Surya, who are summoned by the goddess Ushas (morning dawn) and appear as the morning and evening sunlight. They are often known as Nasatya (Kind, Helpful) and Dasra (Enlightened Giving). They are practitioners of Ayurveda as the doctors of the devas (demigods), and it is for this reason that people adorn their roofs with their image - so that the residing family may remain healthy. They are most notable for granting the divine twins of King Pandu - Nakula and Sahadev, who along with Yudhisthira, Bhima, and Arjuna made up the Pandavas of the Mahabharata.

Lithuanian is very archaic and has preserved linguistically a great deal from Sanskrit, the original Mother Language of Europe. Below are a few examples of the linguistic similarities:

Asva(Lithuanian)=Ashva(Sanskrit) meaning 'horse'
Dievas (Lithuanian)=Devas (Sanskrit) meaning 'gods', 'the shining ones';
Dumas (Lithuanian)=Dhumas(Sanskrit) meaning 'smoke'
Sunus (Lithuanian)=Sunus(Sanskrit) meaning 'son'
Vyras(Lithuanian)=Viras(Sanskrit) meaning 'man'
Padas(Lithuanian)=Padas(Sanskrit) meaning 'sole of the foot'
Ugnis(Lithuanian)=Agnis(Sanskrit) meaning 'fire'
Vilkas(Lithuanian)=Vrkas(Sanskrit) meaning 'wolf'
Ratas(Lithuanian)=Rathas(Sanskrit) meaning 'carriage'
Senis(Lithuanian)=Sanas(Sanskrit) meaning 'old'
Dantis(Lithuanian)=Dantas(Sanskrit) meaning 'teeth'
Naktis(Lithuanian)=Naktis(Sanskrit) meaning 'night'

In the Anglo-Saxon tradition also, it is said that two German brothers Hengist ("Stallion") and Horsa ("Horse") led the armies that conquered Britain. Many believe this is a continuation of the original tradition of the Vedic horse twins. Similar to Lithuania, you will find the same tradition of horse-headed gables on roofs throughout Germany in honor of Hengist and Horsa.

So the next time you travel through Europe and see these horse gabled roofs, smile and realize their connection to Europe's ancient Vedic past.

  
In Mahanarayana Upanishad Asvini devatas are propitiated to impart knowledge. I often wondered how horse is associated with intelligence?  Paushkara Samhita explains that the Vedas are personified  in human forms   with faces of horses (vaaji-vaktras sthitaa vedaah sampoorna naralakshanah).  Therefore Vishnu as the presiding deity of Vedic learning must be regarded as a man with horse’s face. It is not out of place to recall here about Hayagriva Avatatar of Vishnu who is worshiped as “Jnyaanaananda  mayam devam”--One who  is  the  very embodiment of Knowledge.  He seems to have reclaimed Vedas from the demon horse incarnating   as Hayagriva. Origins about the worship of Hayagriva has been researched; some of the early evidences dates back to 2,000 BCE, when Indo-Aryans   worshiped the horse for its speed, strength, intelligence.  Hayagriva is one of the prominent deity in Vaishnava tradition. His blessings are sought when beginning study of both sacred and secular subjects. Special worship is conducted on his birth day  on the day of the full moon in August (Sraavaṇa-Paurṇima)   and also on  Mahanavami  the ninth day of the  Navaratri festival. He is also hailed as "Hayaseersha.   Hayaseersha  means haya=Horse,  Seersha=Head. His temple in Mysore in Parakala Math is quite popular among Srivaishnava worshipers. It is therefore  logical to conclude that Asvini Twins  being the deities of medical sciences  (secular sciences—para vidya)are also deities of Knowledge (Sacred saastras--apara Vidya hence Medhaapurushas) hence seen with horse heads on human body and praised in Medhasookta.

According to Hindu Puranas  Ashwini Kumaras are twins Gods born to Sanjna (Lord Surya's wife) and Surya (the sun). 'Ashvini Kumaras mean  sons born of a  horsewoman.   'Kumara' also indicates eternal early life. At   the time of copulation Sanjna (Lord Surya's wife) had imagined shape of a horse. Due to this lunar constellation (nakshatra), is called horse woman. 27 nakshastras  of Hindu Astrology begin with Asvini Nakshatra. The "Asvini Nakshatra” has  been named after Ashvini Kumaras. Ashvini Kumaras are represented as twins with the head of a horse, and a human body. These twins are associated with healing power and everlasting youth. Ashvini Kumaaraas symbolize swift movement, falcons of Light, Lords of intelligence (Medha) and brilliance.

Signifying commencement or beginning, the constellation featuring Ashwini is symbolic of a horse’s head. Etymologically implying birth from a female horse, the symbolic significance of horse with regard to this Nakshatra or birth star lies in its power, strength, vitality, courage and ability at swift action. With ‘Ketu’ or south lunar phase being its lord, Ashwini Nakshatra reflects the dynamism of its planetary lord ‘Ketu’. Ashwini Nakshatra, which finds its location in the constellation known as ‘Aries,’ is characterized by a couple of shining stars.


The two Asvins, who represent the twin senses of knowledge and action, associated with the Purushic and Prakritic character of Ether.
Asvins, the twin Horsemen, represent the twin senses of knowledge and action. Heaven and Earth or the two world-halves stand parted from each other but the Asvins, while dividing them into two, are instrumental in bringing them together again.

Acccording to Bhagavata Sanjana the wife of Surya was unable to bear his heat. She went  to a place called Uttara Kuru and lived there in the form of a mare. Her husband found her and joined her in the form of a horse.  They both had two  children named Nasatya and Dasra. These two became Asvini twins.

In Rigveda they are prominently featured and are said to be sons of Saranya  (daughter of Tvashta) anInd Vivasvant. They are also said to be sons of heaven (Dyaus); Pusan is said to be their son. According to wedding hymn (RV10.85) they are the husbands of Surya the daughter of the Sun, Aditya. They are fond of honey and their chariot is honey-hued and honey-bearing. Their chariot is sun-like and was fashioned by the three divine artificers, the Rbhus.

Asvini twins, represented by the power of horses are the divine physicians. Later Tantra and Yoga texts gave the concept of two serpents that lie in a dormant coiled state at the bottom of Sushumna nadi along with Mooladhara chakra as Yukrtaa triveni.  The two serpents represent Ida (Sun power) and Pingala (Moon power) and are supposed to be responsible for human  health  which  is kept in full power when aroused to keep  sound mind and body.

In Vedic religion of Lithuania twin horses were installed at the top of the roof for taking care of good health. In one Greek mythological depiction Hermes   is given the staff by Apollo, the Greek God of   Healing. Hermes used the stick to separate two fighting snakes, depiction of  which then coiled around his staff and remained there in balanced harmony. Another depiction says   earlier the medical symbol is the staff of Asclepius, thought it has no wings and only one snake.

The son of Apollo and the human princess Coronus, Asclepius is the Greek demigod of medicine  like Asvinis. According to mythology, he was able to restore the health of the sick and bring the dead back to life. The Greeks regarded snakes as sacred (like Hindus who worship snakes for health and protection of children) and used them in healing rituals to honor Asclepius, as snake venom was  thought to be remedial and their skin-shedding was viewed as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. 

You can thus see the similarity in mythological stories of the East  and  West where horses and snakes stand for health  and strength of the body and mind.



Bermuda Triangle Mystery Revealed in Rig Veda

Although there is a similar demon described in first ever poem, Ramayana, it does not match with the geographical location. Simhika, the gigantic demon had the power to attract anything’s shadow flying over ocean and pull it into the waters.

However, that was on the way to Lanka.  Brahmanda Purana (composed more than 5000 years ago) and Rig Veda (written more than 23000 years ago) clearly state that the planet Mars was born out of Earth. That is why he is called as Bhauma (‘son of Bhumi’) or Kuja (Ku = Earth + Ja = Born out of) in Sanskrit.

Asya Vamasya Sukta in Rig Veda states :”When Earth gave birth to Mars, and Mars separated from his mother, her thigh got injured and she became imbalanced (Earth rotated in its axis) and to stop it Godly doctors, Aswini Kumars poured iron into the triangular shaped injury and Earth got fixed in her current position.
That is why Earth’s axis is bent at a particular angle.  That triangular shaped injury on our planet which was filled with iron went onto become Bermuda Triangle. Iron stored inside earth for years becomes natural magnet and Bermuda disappearances, fog, high and low temperature water streams colliding are a result of this.

Moon was also born out of churning of milky ocean and when it rocketed out from Earth at latitude of about 23½ a huge bump created by its ejection came in line with Sun. So, Earth has tilted axis at 23½. Modern science could not explain this phenomenon and also the strange coincidence that Earth is titled at 23½ degrees and Bermuda Triangle is also at 23½!


REFERENCES:
1. Swami Bhaskarananda, Hindu Gods and Goddesses, Ramakrishna Math,    Chennai, India.
2. Swami Vimalananda, Mahanarayan Upanishad, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
3. Ramachndra Rao, S.K., Early Indian Thought, Kalpatharu Research Academy, Bengaluru, India.
4. Srinivasan N.R., Purushasooktam, <nrsrini.blogspot.com> Internet
5. Wikipedia and other internet sources.
6. Ramachndra Rao S.K., Srividyaa-Kosa, Sri Satgutu Publications, Delhi, India.

7. IndiaDivine.Org, Bermuda Triangle Mystery solved in Rigveda and Atharva Veda.

Wednesday, January 14, 2015

HOLY COW OF ANCIENT CULTURES NOW FOOD FOR MANY; STILL REVERED BY HINDUS

Holy Cow of Ancient Cultures now Food for Many, still Revered by Hindus

(Compilation for a discourse at Sri Ganesha Temple, Nashville   by N. R. Srinivasan, January 2015)


Love for animals can be seen in all cultures that often have their own pets which they treat almost as their own family members developing special feeling and fondness. Indo-Aryans developed such love for cow, the only pet they domesticated.   It is strange that cow which is a pure vegetarian is the one that provides the major cheap protein food for the humans and fellow beings by sacrificing itself after serving them for some time often mercilessly butchered! Cow has developed a unique technique to eat abundant grass and yield bulk protein by way of beef.  In some   Western countries similar sentiments are voiced about horses which they often refer as noble animal. It is an ever-ready companion of a soldier fighting wars often saving his life.   St. Patrick developed love for animals which made some Westerners even to create graveyards for the pets and remember them on St. Patrick’s Day and venerating the departed souls. It is a paradox that the conceptualization of Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) came from the West who regularly slaughter animals for food,

Though Rigveda mentions cow as God in a lone mantra it never elaborated on it as it did on ghee a product from cow which is an important ingredient in Vedic sacrifices or Yajna as a vyaahriti (emanation) of Brahman. Mahanarayana Upanishad pleads to the Omniscient  to protect cattle and horse in the following mantra which is chanted while waving the light before the deity: Maanoe hi(ga)mseej jaatavedo gaamasvam  purusham jagat | abibhradagna aagahi sriyaa maa parpaataya||   [Lord , the Omniscient! Pray do not slay the world of cattle, horse and men that belong to us. Without bearing the terrible form, O Agni, come to us. Associate me with wealth. Thus in  latter part of Vedas we  see the plea for protecting cattle. It is the Puranas that dealt at length on the subject and made cow an object of veneration. Volumes can be written as to why Hindus consider cow as holy going through various Sthala Puranas or Upa Puranas (local religious anecdotes, stories and subsidiary Puranas). I would however like to touch upon some major Puranic events that glorifies cow.  Any Hindu worships mother as  matro devo bhava but does not build temple for her!
  

Puranas have associated cows always with Krishna and Siva. Siva is addressed as Pasupati, the Lord of cows and Krishna as Gopala, Protector of Cows. Krishna was a native of Gokula, a township of Cowherds community. There are also many Puranic stories of cows associating   with Lord Siva and Lord Krishna.

There is an interesting Sthalapurana (local anecdote) about Siva and cow. Siva once played a game of dice with Amba (Parvati). They played for stakes and a quarrel arose based on a disagreement over a move. Enraged Siva cursed her to become a cow and also keep roaming on earth. So she roamed on earth as ordinary cow. In her Sahasranama Amba is extoled as “Gomaataa guhajanmabhoo”. She came to mother earth as Mother Cow. Vishnu is also described as the brother of Amba in Tamil scriptures. Vishnu as the brother-in-law wanted to protect his sister. So taking the guise of a cowherd he accompanied the divine cow, as he was not a victim of any curse. He took a liking for the job of a cowherd in due course.  That is how he took delight   in grazing the cows in his incarnation as Krishna Tamils say. He protected cows and the cowherds by lifting the Govardhana Mountain while Indra was angry and came down with his tsunami downpour. He also looked after the welfare of citizens of Gokula, had many friends and was successful to find a girlfriend Radha, doted and devoted, a coy and beautiful cow-maid.


Terazhandur in Tamil Nadu is also called   Gosakhaakshetra.  There is a temple for Siva as well as Krishna here. Of course every village in Tamil Nadu believes in it to keep Vaishnavites and Saivites busy and not start fighting. Krishna here is known as Aamaruviyappan.  Aa means cow in Tamil.  You know the famous dairy Aavin Paal in Tamil Nadu. Near it is a village called Pillur (meaning where the grass grows).  Mekkiramangalam in Tamilnadu is also a place where Vishnu grazed cows.   For Brother and sister to worship Siva, Vishnu installed Vedapureeswara (Siva) in Gosakhaakshetra.

The cow as well as Brahmin (Head priest) is essential to the practice of Vedic Dharma. Milk and ghee (melted brown butter) are indispensable to Yajna (sacrifice), while without Brahmin the sacrifice cannot be performed. This fact is emphasized in the popular prayer, Gobrahmanebhyo subhamastu nityam -- (May cow and Brahmin ever prosper!)

In the olden days ponds were dug here and there exclusively for cattle and stone pillars were installed here and there for them to scratch themselves. It was an unwritten law that almost everyone must feed the cow every day. This is called go-graasam and this act is extolled in Hindu scriptures. Grassa means mouthful and the English word grass is derived from it.

The origin of the veneration of the cow can be traced to the Vedic period. People in Vedic period were pastoralists; cattle had major economic significance that was reflected in their religious following also.   The milk cow in Rigveda was   said to be “un-slayable.” The degree of veneration afforded to the cow is indicated by the use in rites of healing, purification, and penance of the panchagavya, the five products of the cow—milk, curd, butter, urine, and dung. Brihadaaranyaka Upanishad prescribes the consumption of beef of a young bull offered in sacrifice by the pregnant mother as Prasadam (blessed food) for begetting a valorous and intelligent son.  “Atha  ya ichchetputro may pandito vigeetah samitingamah sushrooshitaam  vaacham bhaashitaa  jaayeta Sarvaan-vedaan-anubraveeta-sarvam-aayuriyaaditi mamsaudanam paachayitvaa sarpishmantamasneeyaataam-eesvarau janayitava aukshena vaarshabhena vaa ||” – He who wishes that a son should be born to him that he should be a reputed scholar, who would be frequenting the assemblies of learned scholars, who would be speaking delightful and worth hearing words, who will be a   master  of all Vedas and who will attain full term of life should have rice cooked  with the meat of a young bull advanced in years and he and his wife should eat with clarified butter, the they will be able to produce such a son.

Shandilya, Bharadvaja, Kaasyapa and others were called   Gotrapatis who are considered to be Rishis or sages by all Hindus.  Shelter for a cattle is called Gotra in Sanskrit. As these shelters were small in number many   families in Vedic days were obliged to put their cattle in the same shelter or Gotra. As a result, the cattle of one family often got mixed up with the cattle of other family or families and dispute arose over their ownership. To resolve such disputes, supervisor endowed with great moral and spiritual virtues were appointed to act as judges to give fair and just verdicts.  When one Vedic period person of one clan met someone belonging to another Vedic period person, he introduced himself by using the name of his Gotrapati. Hindus even today use the Gotrapati’s name to identify themselves as recorded in our horoscopes and temple Sankalpas (religious resolutions).

During the Puranic period the   Cow as Holy and as   an animal of veneration has been pushed too far though no cow avatar had taken place like Matsya (fish), Koorma (Tortoise) or Varaha  (Boar). Nandi of Siva was conceived as half-bull and half-man similar to Narasimha and Hayagreeva. But many animals have been pushed as mounts of Gods   or devotees of gods— Monkey, Eagle Elephant, Bull, Peacock, Swan etc. Agni Purana, Markandeya Purana, Vishnusmriti, Skandapurana, and Manusmriti etc., have glorified cow and made it sacred.  It is interesting to note only the female species of the cattle is raised to the status of Divine Mother. Atharva Veda says: The cow is the mother of Rudra; she is the daughter of the Vasus; she is the sister of Surya. She is a storehouse of ghee that is like the celestial nectar—“Maataa rudraayam duhitaa vasunaam | svasaa aadityaanaam amritasya naabhih || Atharva Veda being the last of Vedas and of much later origin has been often revised inserting materials of  all kinds of  beliefs  including sorcery, rituals and  slokas as mantras.  But a Hindu’s reverence to cow is based on Rigveda mantra (6:28): “Cows are God; they seem to me to be Indra, the God of Heaven”. Newer Upanishads have been fashioned after major Upanishads including lot of Phalasrutis (benefits derived on chanting) as Narayanopanishad and Ganapati Athrvaseersha Upanishd. So our focus should be on Major Upanishads for drawing any conclusion that are ten in number.  Mythology speaks about two divine cows Kamadhenu and Subala as   two all wish- granting cows and a devout Hindu attached to his cow sees it as his little Kamadhenu.   Lord Krishna was a cowherd and he spent most of his childhood and youth taking care of cows. Krishna says in Bhagavadgeetaa “Amongst cows I am Kamadhenu”. Gita also says “whoever sees me in everything sees me alone”—“Yo maam pasyati sarvatra mayyeva sa Pasyati”. Looking at Krishna with his pet cow a devotee sees Krishna in that cow also. Based on Gita philosophy to a Hindu when he looks at most useful things in life like a cow or Aswattha tree or at an odd looking icon like Ganesha,  worship to them is intended to Supreme Being only like all sacrifices offered to fire are intended for the chosen deity or deity prayed upon. But why should we go on with this assumption and how long? When do we get enlightened to meditate on Brahman alone? There are too many things in Hinduism to be understood when observed which a Western culture can’t easily apprehend. Sometimes me too! But a rational Hindu will never consider a cow superior to human beings; the manifestation of God in cow, an animal, is much less pronounced than in human beings as the progressive incarnations reveal.

Hindus also consider giving a cow in charity as the most sacred act. Many Puranas say whoever gives a cow in Charity (Godaana) shall always be happy and content and attain heaven after death. It is believed that after death,   before one reaches heaven, one reaches Vaitarani River. To make the task of crossing it surely one has to hold the tail of the cow and finally reach heaven. So cow is not only an inseparable companion here but also on our way to heaven!

Subsequently, with the concept of Ahimsa (no infliction of pain or injury) and the absence of the desire to harm living creatures) introduced by Buddhism and Jainism as the   highest moral code (ahimsaa paramodharmah), the cow came to symbolized a life of nonviolent generosity. In addition, because her products supplied nourishment, the cow was associated with motherhood and Mother Earth. The cow was also identified early on with the   priestly class who performed Yajnas (fire sacrifices), and killing the cow was sometimes equated   with the heinous crime of killing a Brahmana (Brahmahatya dosham). In the middle of the first millennium CE cow killing was made a capital offense by Gupta kings   and legislation against cow killing promulgated by them persisted into the 20th century in many princely states where the monarch was Hindu. In the late 19th century, especially in North India, a movement to protect cows arose that strove to unify Hindus and distinguish them from Muslims by demanding that the government ban cow slaughter.  It may be worth recalling here that during Sepoy Mutiny in India both Hindus and Muslims joined together to fight against British, a rare one time occurrence as they always fought with each other,   as  both of their religious sentiments were hurt,   because they were  forced to handle  guns lubricated with cow and pig tallow  fats. At other times, the intertwining of political and religious purpose led periodically to anti-Muslim riots and eventually played a significant role in the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.

We are often pained to hear the words “Holy Cow!” when an American Christian exclaims using it in an angered tone or derogatory sense. Of course he also says “Jesus” with angry tone on such occasions though one of the Commandments says: “do not use the name of thy God in vain”. He does not enjoy the freedom in Christianity like Hindus who can call their Beedi (a country cigar) Ganesh Beedi and snuff Ambal Snuff! Hindus revere cows as a symbol of life. Unlike many misconceptions about the significance of cows in Hindu culture, cows are not gods nor have they ever been worshiped in that sense. In ancient India, although oxen and bulls were slaughtered for meat and sacrificed to the Gods, it was unacceptable to kill a cow that produced milk. One possible reason for this practice was that Aditi (Mother of Gods) identified with milk producing cows in the Rigveda.

For people of Abrahamic religions cow is the main source of food today. Probably they want to avoid holy goat and lamb! It is like “Anna (food)” hailed in Taitaareeya Upanishad for Hindus.  I often wondered why Jesus did not mention about beef while he did refer to bread and wine in the last supper as detailed below. For Jews   lamb and goat were main sacrificial animals and Jesus was Jew.  Only his followers named his doctrines as Christianity and those who followed them as Christians naming after him. Had Jesus   mentioned beef along with bread and wine cow would have also become an object of veneration in Christianity and Christians would not have been mad at us joking with Holy Cow! There may be two reasons here.  In those days they were goat and lamb eaters as the blood of lamb was spilt at each door step to identify Egyptians to kill the first born. Also Moses was vexed with the people who resorted back to calf worship when he went into wilderness to fetch the Ten Commandments that came with the new ruling by God that “thou shalt not bow unto any graven image”.  So cow was avoided and only Bread and wine were considered as flesh and blood of Jesus Christ as he spoke at the last supper. At the Last Supper, Jesus made three highly significant statements. ‘This is my body’, ‘This is my blood’, ‘Do this in remembrance of me.’ The first of these bears an obvious relationship to his words in John chapter 6 verses 53 to 56: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day; for my flesh is real food and my blood is real drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him”.  Compare this with Lord Krishna’s statement “yo maam pasyati sarvatra mayyeva sa pasyati” whoever sees me in everything he sees me only”. Earlier in the same chapter he said, ‘I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.’ The angel of the Lord, when destroying the first-born of the Egyptians, would pass over the houses marked by the blood of the lamb: hence the name of this holy feast or ordinance as Feast of Passover.

Since cows were thought to be God's gift to mankind to provide food, fuel and life, it became sacrilegious to eat this gift that God had sent to Bharatiyas. Cows are looked upon as symbol of motherhood. But unfortunately Hindu Americans who are non-vegetarians say only Indian cows are holy like Muslim Americans who say American ham and cheese is not prohibited in Koran. Although there are religious implications for this, there are also reasons of necessity. Cows provided milk, melted butter for lamps, and fuel. Slaughtering a cow for sacrifice or food was expensive and with each death also died all the uses cows fulfilled and valuable resource.
Today, Hinduism teaches to abstain from eating beef.   Most families in Hindu village culture own at least one cow that is considered equal to their own family member.   Milk, provides nourishment for growing children, so cows are thought of as surrogate mothers nourishing all mankind. Cow dung is the largest source of household energy in the village life of India; often ash from dung is used for a Tilak, or a religious mark on the forehead. Dung is considered as a natural   product of the earth and   soil nourishing manure unlike most Western cultures would consider it as dirty excrement. Since cows are considered cleansers, cow dung is considered a disinfectant. Of Course most often, cows roam on the streets of India starving and uncared for, not because they are not held sacred, but because their termination (however diseased or nuisance value they may be) is considered almost a taboo in Hindu culture.  On Gopaashtami day cows are washed and decorated and given food hoping that such gifts of life to a harmless and sacrificial cow will make them also prosperous.  Offering food to animals and revering them is considered as one of the five daily (Bhoota Yajna) sacrifices prescribed to a religious Hindu.     All Hindus are not vegetarians and they do depend for their food on other animals, birds and fish.   Majority of the Hindus except some outcastes still avoid eating beef but they do not look down upon any person who consumes beef. That is how so many interfaith and inter caste marriages take place in which one partner is a meat   eater or beef eater. Westerners who love pets have even graveyards for their pets. Even those do not want to understand Hindus’ love which turns to veneration for cow.
It is strange Hinduism is always charged myths and superstitions particularly when they think cow is holy or beef eating a sin when they are non-vegetarians as beef is the cheap source of protein and nourishment.  I have even heard a White American exclaiming “If hundred million people go to hell by eating cow why the starving Hindu wants to go to heaven by not eating cow?” For Western Americans cow is the cheap source of protein. Let us examine the myths and beliefs that existed in the so called Western Culture which they forcefully got rid of when Christianity ruled the country. Hindus in India never could do that. They follow what they believe in and do not interfere with other beliefs.

The following information described as ancient myths was sent by courtesy IndiaDivine.org for onward transmission for the benefit of Hindus and misunderstood Christian faiths.  Westerners believe in Aryan Invasion theory and the existence of Dravidians in India before their arrival. Indian Government goes by this Aryan Invasion theory while teaching history in schools.   If that is true  Ancient Myths that link us to past ages when cattle was venerated came mostly from Aryans only which was later solemnized by Vedic culture.   
according to current history taught in India Indo-Aryans were not indigenous to India but migrated from Central Asia. Bonnard-Levin is of the opinion that the ancestral home of the Aryans was the region of Southeastern Europe as reflected in the Indian history taught in schools. They were nomadic people whose livelihood depended mainly on raising cattle.


Ancient World Myths Link Us to Past Ages When Cattle were Venerated

“Ancient People linked together cattle, fertility and abundance. This was reflected in their spiritual practices, and in many parts of the world people worshiped a Cow Goddess or a Goddess who protected cow.

HATHOR, the Egyptian Goddess, was known as the gentle cow of heaven. She was said to give a plentiful supply of milk to the baby Pharaoh thus making it to a divine being. She was described as the winged cow of creation, who gave birth to the universe. She is shown with cow-head or with horns on her head between which there was a sun disk. She embodied the Milky Way   upon which the Sun God RA and the king sailed. She was a fertility goddess and was also associated with the flooding of life giving waters of Nile and the flooding of waters before birth.
She later became identified with BATA, another cow Goddess, who was connected with BA, an aspect of the soul and came to be associated with the afterlife greeting the dead as they began their journey from the world of living.   

In Ireland, there were   several ancient Cow Goddesses, including some like DIL and DAMONA who both ruled over fertility but about whom very little is known today. Then there is BO FIND, who manifested as White Cow. She transformed Ireland from a barren land into green and fertile land. She came from the Western Sea with her sister BO RUADH, the red cow goddess and the black cow goddess BO DHU. These different colors represented the different phases of the moon.

The sister all went to different parts of the Ireland.  BO FIND went to the center where she gave birth to a male and female calf. These twins were to provide food for the people by giving milk and help in ploughing the earth. Their work having been done, the cow twins departed back to the sea.
Another Goddess was ANU who was guardian of Cattle and Health. Fires were lit for her big midsummer and her priesthood sang the dying to sleep.

BRIGIT was a cattle mother goddess to many European tribes. Some suggest her name came from the Sanskrit word brihat, an epithet of Brahman. She was goddess of regeneration and abundance and her protection was said to be very great. She was seen with a pair of oxen called FA and FEINHEAN.

As Christianity began to grow BRIGIT also known as BRIDE was transformed into a popular saint. Legend says her mother was carrying a pitcher of milk when she was born and the infant was bathed in it. She was unable to adjust to ordinary food and was reared on the milk of white, red eared cow. This was a special animal with links to the other world in Celtic mythology. The companion animal of the adult saint was said to be a cow, who gave her all the milk she required. When she became an abbess she miraculously increased the milk and butter yield of the abbey. Some say there was a lake of milk three times a day and on one churning of milk filled hundreds of baskets with butter. After her death her skull was stolen from the abbey by soldiers who took it to Portugal and every year cattle were driven past it in a spring festival. 


One of the most popular goddesses in ancient Scandinavia was Freya. She was a Vanir, a divinity of nature, a goddess of love, fertility and fortune. The cow was her symbol and one could please her by offering flowers, planting trees, or feeding the cows. The day of the week Friday (Freya’s day) is named after her. Linguists acknowledge that Freya is related to the Sanskrit Priya meaning ‘beloved’, an apt name for the goddess of love.

The alphabet of the old Germanic and Scandinavian peoples is known as the Elder Futhark and is written using the Rune script. It is composed of 24 letters, grouped into 3 sets of 8 letters each, known as the Aettir. Like the bija (seed) letters of Sanskrit, the Runes are used in combination for divination and magic. The first Aett is Freya’s and relates to the creation of the world.

It is said that in the beginning of creation the world was frozen covered in ice. Then, the divine cow, Audumbla, the first creature in the universe, appeared and began to lick the ice. With her hot breath and licks she melted the ice revealing Ymir, the first man, encased within. Ymir then drank the milk from the divine cow, as a child does of its mother, for nourishment. Thus mankind had an intimate connection with cows from the dawn of creation. The name Audumbla is generally translated as ‘the wealth of the cow’. It is likely related to the same root in the Sanskrit word Audarya, meaning ‘generos’  or ‘magnanimous’.

 The cow was of primary importance to the Scandinavian peoples. We can see this in the first two letters of their alphabet both of which relate to the cow. The first letter, or Rune, is ‘Fehu’ meaning both ‘cow’ and ‘wealth’. It is also the first letter in Freya’s Aett, the first letter of her name, and the first creature in the universe, and thus the sacred cow belongs to her. As she was the goddess of fertility, the giving of life to the world begins with the cow. The symbol itself is a simple pictograph representing the two horns of the cow.

The cow was associated with wealth because she provides all the basic necessities of life. Her milk provides   protein, fats, and vitamins. In northern areas, with little sunlight, the cow’s milk provides much needed Vitamin D. Her manure creates fertility in the soil to grow all manner of vegetables. We even see, as far away as Iceland, girls would wash their hair in cow’s urine as a beauty treatment to provide shine and silkiness. Thus in Scandinavian society wealth was measured in cows and could be used in the payment of debts and as a means of exchange. For this reason Freya was also the goddess of Fortune.

The second letter in the Elder Futhark is Uruz meaning ‘wild bull’ as well as ‘rain/water’. In the Vedic tradition we also see rain and water poetically described as a bull – often as the sound of stampeding hooves. The word sacrifice means ‘to make sacred’. In the Vedic yajna (fire sacrifice) the gods provide rain, which causes the grass to grow. The grass then feeds both the cow and bull. After mating and giving birth, the cow provides milk. This milk is then turned into ghee (clarified butter) and poured back into the sacrificial fire as an offering back to the gods. This completes the sacrificial cycle, uniting the gods, the earth, the animals, and man, making the whole of creation sacred and wonderful. The Sages inform us that the higher powers left our presence at the beginning of this Age of Quarrel as we had severed our connection with nature due to our mistreatment of the cow. The symbol Uruz represents the strong stance of the bull.


Today in the Western part of the World the great Cow Goddesses of the past have faded into history. The cow is rarely venerated now and her gifts together with those of bull and oxen are plundered, like those of Mother Earth, without recompense. They are seen solely in economic terms as objects for exploitation and nothing is given back.  Indeed they are killed when they have outlived their usefulness. It would serve us well to remember, that domesticated cattle was the foundation of human civilization. The way we treat them may symbolize much about how corrupted our relationship with nation has become. When we respect the cow and enter into a symbolic relationship with her, we are respecting symbiotic relationship with her, we are respecting the entire natural world and celebrating abundance”.

Why did Jews worship a calf before they received the   Ten Commandments?
 The people of the Middle East were very religious, but they also worshiped many gods.   When God gave His Ten Commandments to the Israelites, He began by addressing this religious pluralism.   “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me” (Exodus 20:2–5).  Lord Krishna on the other hand referring to a different ignorant crowd   with a devoted mind said “Even those devotees of other Gods who worship them endowed with faith, worship Me alone though in an unauthorized way”.

[How you wish today Brahman addressed the same thing to Hindus? We are bewildered and confused   with 33, 33000…. ... 33 Crores gods!  Since the time of Sankara we see in Hinduism several human beings, declaring themselves to be either Avatars, or representatives of the Supreme Being, or their devotees superimposing the Avatars on their preceptors or Gurus though Bhagavata says after Bauddhavatar next Avatar is Kalki.   Mention here may be made of Sankara, Ramanuja, Madhva, Raghavendra, Andal, Saibaba, Swami Narayan, Ramana Maharshi, Anandamayi Maa, Aurobindo, Krishnaprem Vairagi,Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Swami Prabhupada, Ma Jnananada etc. But Bhagavad Gita says you see me only through all of them whom you worship and in whatever form. That is a big relief and divine guarantee! ]

While Moses was up on the mountain receiving God’s laws, the people were getting anxious    down on the plain.   The people urged Aaron, their temporary leader, to make gods for them to follow as they could not sit idle without worship.   Aaron took their gold earrings, which they had brought from Egypt, and melted them down to make a golden idol. The idol he crafted for them was a calf, but Aaron maintained the name of the Lord in connection with it (Exodus 32:5). He was merging the prevailing practices they were familiar with and the worship of the God they were just beginning to be re-acquainted with. Aaron called the people together and told them that the golden calf was the god who delivered them from Egypt. The people offered sacrifices and then engaged in rituals to worship the new God. Why did Aaron do this?    First, the people’s long familiarity with idol worship would incline them to follow that method in the absence of clear direction otherwise. It is likely that the people had not yet received the commands against idol worship, since Moses was yet to come down with Ten Commandments. Second, they were already in the habit of merging their beliefs with those of the people around them, a practice that would continue to plague them throughout the kingdom years. Third, Aaron was faced with an unruly crowd that placed a demand on him. The solution of making an idol and calling it by God's name seemed fairly reasonable as in our practices today.

Why did he choose a calf/bull?  He did not choose but it just came out of the fire like this, it is said.    Some have tried to show that the bull represented one of the gods of Egypt, but that doesn’t fit the text, because Aaron called a feast to the Lord (Yahweh) and said that it was the god(s) which brought them out of the land of Egypt. The bull was a symbol of strength and fertility, and the people were already familiar with bull gods from Egypt. Bulls were also typical animals of Jewish sacrifice, so to use their image as a symbol of the god being worshiped was a natural connection. Aaron’s bull was a mixture of the powerful God who delivered the people through mighty works and the   methods of worship that existed with the people.  

EPILOGUE
In India the Puranic glorification of cow based on Rigvedic mantra still haunts the religious sentiments of those who worship Cow as Holy and Gomaataa, Mother Cow!   Though Rigveda glorified cow it did not raise it to the status of Brahman as it did Ghee (ghritam), a gift from cow.   Vedas paid their gratitude only to cow by the Rigveda mantra glorifying it. MNU also says:   “Madhveergaavo bhavantu nah” meaning may our cows be sweet towards us! But it  elevates Ghee to the status of Brahman thus expressing its gratitude to cow  which provided them ghee for offering their oblations to desired destinations through  fire,  with  ghee and  Agni’s  help,  both of which are considered as Vyaahritis or emanations of Brahman and so Brahman itself.  MNU says: “ghrite srito ghritamuvasya dhama anushadhamaavaha maadayasvsa”—This Ghrita (ghee) alone is the material cause of this Universe and this Universe merges in Ghrita (Ghee). It is not out of place to mention here that Christians too think bread represents flesh and wine blood of Jesus Christ. Only they have not elaborated on it except paying their respect during the celebration of Last Supper Jesus had with his twelve disciples.

It is clear cow is not recommended for worship as God and therefore there are no temples to cow though there are Varaha Temples and Koorma Temples.  We also rarely see Krishna icons with cow though we see Dattatreya with dogs but see him often only with his flute.   In recent  times  India  saw several  human beings declaring themselves to be either avatars are representatives of the Supreme Being, or their devotees superimposing the avatars on their preceptors or Gurus like  Aandal, Sankara, Ramanuja,  Swami Narayan,  Saibaba of Shirdi, Satya Saibaba  etc. to whom many exclusive temples are built and worshiped which has even crossed the shores of India. Conceptualizing cow as Holy based on its usefulness and lasting companion of people is not anything unusual for such Hindus who go out of the way in showing their reverence and prostrate. They do so when they receive Heads of monasteries. They revere them but not consider them as Gods. Anyway among the fanatic masses of India and religious Hindus the slaughtering of cows for food will be a controversial issue for long years to come as India has declared itself as secular country like USA where Christians and Muslims would love to eat beef and so cow slaughter cannot be banned by a Central legislation.

We have seen how cow, the female species only, has been venerated in gratitude to its support to Vedic sacrifices and sustenance of the human beings. While horse and goat and rarely bull are mentioned as sacrificial animals in very early Vedic sacrifices no cow the female species is ever mentioned. Horse because of its association of war and also its large scale sacrifice in the battlefield gained its position in Aswamedha sacrifices. Goat is considered an enemy of plant kingdom and so considered as a choice animal in sacrifices. It also multiplies fast.  But progressively animal sacrifice was given up though meat eating by majority continues as noticed even today. While Sanatana Dharma was slowly moving  to modern concept of Hinduism due to facing serious criticism as to Vedic  animal sacrifices emerging Christianity was thinking of Human sacrifice as the greatest sacrifice. That is why Holy Bible says God sacrificed his own Son to save the world! Jesus himself said “my flesh is real food and my blood real drink”.  Yet we find lot of criticism from Westerners on Purushasookta misinterpreting sacrifice of Viratpurusha!
As a vegetarian I believe in Ahimsa but not averse to milk and milk products. Contrary to the general belief Hindus are vegetarians, majority of Hindus eat meat like goat, lamb, fowls, fish etc.  Those who are not vegetarians do tell us: “like the goats, cows,   fowl and fish that we eat vegetables and cereal also have life”.  Ahimsa may mean minimal pain. It does not mean na imsa himsahimsa or no pain. Plants have life and feelings like human but they do not have sensation of pain to the same degree as animals and birds have.  This has been scientifically established.  Also, but for certain leafy vegetables which we uproot to prepare food, most other vegetables are obtained from plants without killing them. It is like clipping our nails or hair.  Fruits are plucked when they are ripe and about to fall. Even in Western practice only certain type of meat is eaten. Horsemeat is not usually eaten. They have their logic too.    Every household in one sense is a butchery as the sloka goes:

Panchasoonaa grahastasya vartante harahah sadaa /
Khandani pesani  culli jalakumbha upasskarah //

Khandani is used to cut vegetables. It stands for one type of butchery. The second butchery is represented by grinding or pounding. We mercilessly grind corn, pulses etc. The third butchery   is by the culli or the kitchen fire. The water pot (jalakumbha) is also included among the objects of butchery to which flies and insects fall and die. Then there is the upaskara, the broomstick.  Many tiny insects are killed as we sweep the floor. But all these killings are committed unwittingly. There is a provision In Hindu scriptures for expiation for the sin committed unwittingly. It is the Prayaschitta of Vaisvadeva. We perform this ritual to ask the Lord to forgive our sins of having caused the destruction of various creatures and pray for the happiness in afterlife.  Vaisvadeva rite is meant for the excommunicated and for all creature of earth like dogs, crows, insects, etc. This rite absolves us of all sins. The importance of pancha mahaayajnaas (five daily sacrifices) about which we have talked about a lot cannot be over emphasized in this context which include feeding the cow and offering water to quench its thirst in return as a gesture of gratitude for its selfless service. This Yajna concept is built into some of our festival rituals and rites.

Exodus 29:36 says: “And thou shalt offer every day a bullock for a sin offering for atonement; and thou shalt cleanse the altar, when thou hast made atonement for it, and thou shalt anoint it, to sanctify it”. Sacrificing a cow in Eid-al-Adha is in vogue today. Mexican Folk Catholicism practices cow sacrifice. The sacerdotal function in all religions called for blood sacrifice in ancient belief though Hinduism is criticized for its animal sacrifices which it is trying to overcome while others still continue. Feast of Sacrifice consecrated and perpetuated by Mohammed when he acted as a priest-is still perpetuated. Emphasis is now on Kurbaani of infidels (in their interpretation), turning away from the spirit of self-sacrifice if not animal sacrifice as they are easily available in plenty all over the world. Christianity follows the gospel of Christ: unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood you have no life in you”.  Arabic religions depend very much on their priest prophets to guide them spiritually. Hinduism on the other hand is successfully fighting against spilling of blood and animal sacrifices and comes with the prayer: “Gobrahmanebhyah subhamastu nityam lokaassmastaah sukhino bhavantu” May there be welfare for cows and the guru-priest (to nourish our body and soul) so that all living beings be happy and content. Hinduism talks about the welfare of the cow for their living (providing food, fertilizer, fuel and motive power to till the soil and draw the carts) and the Guru-priest to guide them for saving the soul while others consume cow all the time, only sometimes offering it as a sacrifice and enjoying the blessed food.  Recently American Senator Ted Cruz reflecting the life of early Christian Americans said: “All a man needed was a horse, a gun and open land and he could conquer the whole world”. But Hindu American even after migration to USA still chants “Gobrahmanebhyah……..” in his prayers implying all we need is the cow and the Guru to develop in body, mind and spirit. Veneration of horse comes from material goals while veneration of cow springs from the spirit of sacrifice! It is a choice between War and Peace! 

I am of the opinion that Purans written after the birth of Jainism and Buddhism forbid Hindus from the consumption of any meat or meat products. But majority of Hindus are meat eaters but they too consider cow alone is holy. Only the so called Harijans sometimes consume Beef. The agitation against slaughter of cows is increasing but it has no legal standing. The problem should be tackled by promoting vegetarianism. With the problems of heart diseases and cholesterol all over the world, we should propagate vegetarianism and abandon red meat altogether. Still, fish and egg will remain popular with those non-vegetarians.

Hinduism-Today in India proclaims “Gomatru devo bhava” treat cow as Mother Goddess while other Indian religions   thank their Gods for the blessed food of cow for their happy living. “I Love My India” of conflicts and contradictions!  After long years of Independence India fought for a country divided on language basis but not religious following basis. That would have made the task easier to ban cow slaughter only in Hindu Religion state! It would have been easier to create small states for other religious followers. Jains and Buddhists would have gone with Hindus! Hindus in India want to start “Gosamrakshana” agitation movement inspired by the religious discourses of Sankaracharya of Kamakotipeetham as the political wind is in favor of Hindus today. It is complicated! But my dilemma remains still as to why Sankaracharya has not thought about poor lamb, sheep and hen etc. that are slaughtered in millions and consumed by Hindus in whom the same Jeevaatman resides as in cow as I understand from Upanishads? Will it not be a good idea to start vigorously promoting Vegetarianism which will gradually kill beef eating. Even Argentina where   for every man there are three cows, a top beef eating country, vegetarianism and Hindu philosophy are strongly promoted from health and spiritual advancement considerations. As a Hindu American I go by the direction of Geetaa:

Sreyaan svadharmo vigunah paradharmaat-svanushthitaat |
 Svabhaava-niyatam karma kurvan-aapnoti kilbisham || 18-47 ||

Better is one’s own Dharma, though destitute of merits, than the Dharma of another well performed—He who does the Dharma  obtained by his own inherent nature, he incurs no sin. As a Vegetarian I will refrain from any meat or fish or egg and will not switch over to European American traditions. Let others follow their own dharma as directed by their religions! The  greatest scientist  on Earth   Dr. Albert Einstein once said: “Nothing will benefit human health and increase the chances for survival of life on Earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet”.

Honoring Great souls and erecting statues for them is human instinct which dominates in Hindu culture. Hindus honor great souls as Gods but do not build temples for them to worship.  On the reverse out of extreme love and devotion they treat God as their honored guest in their worship to feel his intimate company for a while. This sentiment extends to most useful things in life and even extends to animal and plant kingdom. Cows are therefore considered holy but no temples are built. As in every society mistaken cult instinct cannot be avoided. These are rare as you find in the lone temple for Bull in Karnataka, the statue for Mahishasura in Mysore and EVR Periyar in Tamil Nadu. I wish Karnataka has built a Nandi temple, instead Bull Temple in Basavanagudi, Bengaluru, for an Avtar of Siva half man half-bull like Narasimha!


1.      Ed Viswanathan, Am I a Hindu? Rupa & Co., Delhi, India.
2.      Swami Bhaskarananda, Essentials of Hinduism, Ramakrishna Math, Chennai, India.
3.      Prem P Bhalla, Hindu Rites, Rituals, Customs and Traditions, Pustak Mahal, Delhi
4.      Wikipedia and other Internet sources.
5.      IndiaDivine.Org, Internet Communication.
6.       Jagadguru Chandrasekahrendra Saraswati, Dharma, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai, India.
7.       Sumathi Agambaranathan, Mission 2015—Gho Samrakshanam, Internet



Why Hindus Don't Eat Holy Cow (Beef), important to Hindus, Freedom In Hinduism ~ Jaggi Vasudev

Why Hindus don't eat Holy Cow (Beef), important to Hindus, Freedom in Hinduism ~ Jaggi Vasudev Yogi, mystic and visionary, Sadguru is a spiritual master with a difference. An arresting blend of profundity and pragmatism, his life and work serves as a reminder, that yoga is a contemporary science, vitally relevant to our times.
Why is the cow important to Hindus?
In Hinduism the cow is revered as the source of food and symbol of life and may never be killed. However, many a non-Hindu interpret these beliefs to mean that Hindus worship cows. This is not true. It is more accurate to say the cow is taboo in the Hindu religion, rather than sacred. This is just one example of the misunderstandings people have about the Hindu faith. Furthermore, cows do not have an especially charmed life in India. Sometimes people around the world see images of India in print or on television, or they travel there, and see cows in public places, un-fenced and unrestrained. From such scenes, they conclude that Indians consider cows as  gods, but this is a false idea and below you will find clarification on this subject.
History of the "Sacred" Cow:
In ancient India, oxen and bulls were sacrificed to the gods and their meat was eaten. But even then the slaughter of milk-producing cows was prohibited. Verses of the Rigveda refer to the cow as Devi (goddess), identified with Aditi (mother of the gods) herself. Even when meat-eating was permitted, the ancient Vedic scriptures encouraged vegetarianism. Later, in the spiritually fertile period that produced Jainism and Buddhism, Hindus stopped eating beef. This was mostly like for practical reasons as well as spiritual. It was expensive to slaughter an animal for religious rituals or for a guest, and the cow provided an abundance of important products, including milk, browned butter for lamps, and fuel from dried dung.
Some scholars believe the tradition came to Hinduism through the influence of strictly vegetarian Jainism. But the cow continued to be especially revered and protected among the animals of India. By the early centuries AD, the cow was designated as the appropriate gift to the Brahmans (high-caste priests) and it was soon said that to kill a cow is equal to killing a Brahman. The importance of the pastoral element in the Krishna stories, particularly from the 10th century onward, further reinforced the sanctity of the cow.