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gO mAdhA in ruins?

From the Bhakti List Archives

vchandra • March 19, 2000 


Dear members,
    Though this subject is not totally relevant to this list, it has some significance, I feel.
    In our tradition cow is as sacred as Lord Narayana Himself since it's believed to house all the dEvAs in its various angams. Mainly speaking, humans have been for eons impressed by the sAtvic characteristics of the gO mAdhA and hence worship the soft-natured being as Holy mother. But though the sAtvic character is inherent in a cow, its nature should also be because of the food that it consumes and the shed that it lives in. This being the ideal, now we come to see some heart-rending things that are happening to these creatures in our country and abroad (no need to talk about slaughter houses here). 
    Here in Bangalore (even in vArANasi kshEtram where I visited last year), it's a common sight these days to see cows roaming in the streets haplessly. Their main food is garbage of the town. This garbage includes all sorts of things plastic bags, paper, all junk that houses dump into the garbage can in the streets. Once it seems a cow was operated and they took out unimaginable kind of things from its stomach. I feel so sad when I see a cow feeding on the garbage. 
    This being the status in our country,
    in Western countries, esp US, I read in the internet somewhere, the vet. scientists (they call themselves thus) have discovered that replacing some vegetarian diet of a cow with fish oil increases the yield and improves the nutrients of the milk. I can't imagine to what extent man will tamper with the nature in meeting his ends,.. it's simply heart-rending.
   This being the case, will a cow and its offsprings (and the milk) still possess the sAtvic character that is so dear to us ? Sometimes they say "rishi mUlam and nadhi mUlam" should not be analysed. 
   I sincerely apologise if the contents above are hurting.

   adiyEn,
   chandrasekaran.


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