The Importance of the Cow in Vedic Culture

By Subramanian Swamy

India has 150 million cows, each of them giving an average of less than 200 litres of milk per year. If they could be fed and looked after, they can give 11,000 litres, as Israeli cows do. That would provide milk for the whole world. The milk we produce today is the cheapest in the world. With enhanced production we could become the world's largest exporter of milk and it could be India's biggest foreign exchange earner.

For those of us who are desi by pedigree and conviction, I place some facts about the cow in the perspective of modern Hindutva.

The cow was elevated to divinity in the Rig Veda. In Book VI, Hymn XXVIII attributed to Rishi Bhardwaja extols the virtue of the cow. In Atharva Veda (Book X, Hymn X), the cow is formally designated as Vishnu, and `all that the Sun surveys'.

Indian society has addressed the cow as gow mata. The Churning of the Sea episode brings to light the story of the creation of the cow. Five divine Kamadhenus (wish cows), viz, Nanda, Subhadra, Surabhi, Sushila, Bahula emerged in the churning.

Thousands of names in our country are cow-related: Gauhati, Gorakhpur, Goa, Godhra, Gondiya, Godavari, Goverdhan, Gautam, Gomukh, Gokarna, Goyal, Gochar etc.

They signify reverence for the cow, and our abiding faith that the cow is Annapurna.

In 2003, the National Commission on Cattle under Justice G. M. Lodha submitted its recommendations to the NDA government. The report called for stringent laws to protect the cow and its progeny in the interest of the rural economy, a constitutional requirement under Directive Principles of State Policy. Article 48 of the Constitution says: `The State shall endeavour to organise agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall, in particular, take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle'. During the First War of Independence in 1857, when Bahadur Shah `Zafar' was installed as emperor by the Hindus in Delhi for a brief period, his Hindu prime minister, on the emperor's proclamation, made cow killing a capital offence. In Maharaja Ranjit Singh's kingdom, the only crime that invited capital punishment was cow slaughter.

The cow, according to the Vedas, provides four products for human use: (i) Godugdha (cow milk): As per Ayurveda, cow milk has fat, carbohydrates, minerals and Vitamin B, and even a capacity for body resistance to radiation and for regenerating brain cells. (ii) Goghruta (ghee): The best ghee, it is, as per Ayurveda useful in many disorders. In yajna, it improves the air's oxygen level. (iii) Gomutra (urine): Eight types of urine are used for medicinal purpose nowadays, among which cow urine is held to be the best. The Americans are busy patenting it. It has anti-cancer, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and antioxidant properties.

It has immune-modulator properties, which makes it useful for immune deficiency diseases. In the classics there are many references to cow urine as a drug of choice. Even the Parsis follow this practice.

Lastly, (iv), Gomaya (dung) is considered as valuable as Gomutra and used to purify the environment, as it has radium and checks radiation effects.

Ancient Hindu wisdom on the medicinal properties of cow urine is borne out by two patents granted in the US for cow urine distillate (Patent numbers 6410059 and 6896907).

Even China has granted the distillate a patent as a DNA protector. A global patent has been granted for cow urine, neem and garlic as a pest repellent and for fungicidal and growth promoting properties for different crops (WHO 2004/ 087618A1). A US patent has been granted for strains from Sahiwal cow milk for plant growth promoter phytopathogenic fungi controlling activity, abiotic stress tolerating capability, phosphatic solubilisation capability, etc. And CSIR has filed for a US patent for amrit pani, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine and jiggery, for soil health improvement properties.

These claims were initially made in the Charaka Samhita, Sushrut, Vaghbhati and Nighantu, Ratnakar, etc. They prove the utility of cow dung and urine for sustainable agriculture as well as for disease prevention.

The arguments in the West for cow slaughter are no more uncontested. There are better sources of protein than beef. Any dietician's chart shows that beef with 22 per cent protein ranks below soya-bean (43), groundnut (31) and pulses (24 per cent). One kilogram of beef takes seven kg of crops and 7,000 kg of water to produce.

Thus cow protection makes economic and ecological sense. Swami Dayananda Saraswati, convenor of the Hindu Dharma Acharya Sabha, has argued that non-vegetarianism indirectly contributes heavily to greenhouse gases and other pollution.

He quotes a UN report from 2006 that says, "Raising animals for meat as food generates more greenhouse gases than all the cars and trucks in the world combined". Ten of billions of animals farmed for food release gases such as methane, nitrous oxide and carbon dioxide through their massive amounts of manure. "The released methane", the report says, "has 23 times the global warming potential of CO2". For these animals to graze, virgin forests are cleared. The livestock industry also needs vast stretches of land to raise mono-crops to feed the animals. The CO2 that the trees and plants store escapes into the air when they are destroyed.

Growing fodder implies heavy use of synthetic fertilizers produced with fossil fuels.

While this process emits a huge amount of CO2, the fertilizer itself releases nitrous oxide (3) -- a greenhouse gas that is 296 times more potent than CO2. Alarming though these facts are, all that people have to do is to avoid red meat. There will be no need to breed millions of animals for daily slaughter. The animal population will consequently decline.

A single individual by not consuming meat prevents the equivalent of 1.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions in a year. This is more than the one tonne of CO 2 prevented by switching from a large sedan to a small car.

So there are a number of reasons to be a vegetarian. People who eat meat think a pure vegetarian diet is optional. But now they have no choice if they are alive to what is happening to this life-bearing planet. There is no justification for eating meat, given the devastating consequences for the planet.

A new fervour for a cow renaissance is necessary. It is constitutional (for India) and we should defend it with all our might.

About The Author; Subramanian Swamy is a former Union minister.

 

http://epaper.expressbuzz.com/NE/NE/2009/11/21/ArticleHtmls/21_11_2009_010_003.shtml?Mode=1
 

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Cow Urine Can Cure Many Diseases

By Dr. Virender Kumar Jain 

http://www.yogsandesh.org/articles/36/1/Cow-Urine-Can-Cure-Many-Diseases/Page1.html

 

The cow is a mobile medical dispensary. It is the treasure of medicines. Cow urine therapy is capable of curing many curable and incurable diseases. The holy texts, like Atharva Veda, Charaka Samhita, Rajni Ghuntu, Vridhabhagabhatt, Amritasagar, Bhavaprakash, Sushruta Samhita, etc., contain beautiful description about the medicinal benefits of cow urine. Cow Urine Treatment and Research Center, Indore has conducted a lot of research over the past few years and reached the conclusion that it is capable of curing diabetes, blood pressure, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, heart attack, blockage in arteries, fits, cancer, AIDS, piles, prostrate, arthritis, migraine, thyroid, ulcer, acidity, constipation, gynecological problems, ear and nose problems and several other diseases.

The analysis of cow urine has shown that it contains nitrogen, sulphur, phosphate, sodium, manganese, carbolic acid, iron, silicon, chlorine, magnesium, melci, citric, titric, succinic, calcium salts, Vitamin A, B, C, D, E, minerals, lactose, enzymes, creatinine, hormones and gold. A person falls ill when there is deficiency or excess of these substances inside the body. Cow urine contains all of these substances, which are naturally present in the human body. Therefore consumption of cow urine maintains the balance of these substances and this helps cure incurable diseases.

The Indian culture gives special place to the cow. All the 330 million gods have cow as their prime temple (all devas reside in the cow). Deva means to give, the strength to give, the ability to give more and take the minimum. This is known as Devata. The cow takes very less from us and gives us more. Therefore the Indian people have shown this with the help of strict devotion and dedication. Thus the cow has a prominent place in the Indian life and economy. Wealth, religion, enjoyment and salvation are accomplished with the service of the cow. The Indian farmer used to be known as king, or the giver of grains, due to the tradition developed in India thousands of years back. Our entire life is dependent on the cow.

The whole world takes the cow as their mother. The reason is that the birth-giving mother gives milk to its child only for one or two years, but the mother cow gives milk throughout its life, which is like nectar. A black cow is tied in the Shiva temple, and when we see the Shiva along with the black cow then we are able to overcome the malefic effects of planets in our natal horoscope. When we see the ankles of the cow we protect ourselves from sudden deaths. Circumambulating the cow is equivalent to visiting all of the holy places. As the peepal tree and tulasi plant give oxygen, similarly the cow is the only animal which purifies the air. If one spoon of pure ghee is poured on burning cow dung (in homa) then they can produce one-ton of pure air, therefore ghee made with cow milk is used in sacrificial fires and havans. There is no better method to remove pollution.

Cow milk, butter, ghee and buttermilk are like nectar. The cow dung is not faeces, but a purifier. It helps produce the best quality grains, fruits, and vegetables when used as manure. Cow urine is a divine medicine and is a natural pesticide for crops. Pure ghee made with cow milk poured on burning cow cakes dung, produces a smoke that subsides the effect of poisonous gas. Cow urine contains copper, which is converted into gold inside the human body. It removes all toxicity. Drinking cow milk gives strength and increases the pure qualities in the human mind.

The horns and back hump of the cow are like two powerful pyramids. We receive the strengths of the stars and sun through the medium of cow dung, milk, curd, ghee, etc. The place where the cow is tied does not produce any vastu related ill effects. If there is any malefic effect of any planet, serving the cow with chapatti and jaggery calms down the malefic effect.

The following are some of my personal experiences treating people with cow urine therapy. A person was suffering with cancer and had been told that they would not survive for long; cow therapy was done on many such cases. Out of the many patients, who were suffering with cancer for the last 4 years, many are now leading a healthy life. In the same way, a diabetes patient who was taking insulin and having a sugar level of 488 or 420 did not have the necessity to take insulin after the treatment of cow urine. In the same way AIDS, asthma, psoriasis, eczema, blood pressure, heart disease, prostrate, piles, etc., also have been cured with this treatment.

Premchand Rathore was suffering from asthma and isnophilia. He had palpitations and cough along with phlegm. He is now enjoying a healthy life after taking cow urine therapy. The cough and phlegm reduced. Mrs. Sharda Jalani was having varicose veins and dysmenorrhea. She used to have swollen nerves, pain, and swelling as soon as she used to stand up and it was very painful at the time of menses. She was advised to undergo operation for both of these problems. But she went for cow urine therapy and is now healthy. Omprakash Paul suffered a heart attack. He had high levels of cholesterol and chest pain. After taking cow urine therapy he is able to walk up to four kilometers, he does not get chest pain and his cholesterol level is also normal. Chandmal Gurjar suffered with cancer of the food pipe four years back, he could not take liquids also. Now he is able to eat and drink properly, he is healthy and working in the rice fields. There are thousands of people who have recovered from serious diseases after taking this therapy.

Today many AIDS patients are taking cow urine therapy. People who were suffering with migraine and headache for the past 15 years have recovered within six months of taking this therapy. In the past few years the Cow Urine Treatment and Research Center, Indore has treated 150,000 people. Out of the total patients 85 to 90 percent were also suffering from constipation. There is an old saying that if the stomach is clean half of the diseases get cured automatically. The patients taking cow urine therapy are able to enjoying sound heath within one month of this therapy.

Sushma Khurana had a thyroid complaint. Before taking this therapy her T3 level was 4, T4 was 15, TSH was 0.2. After six months of this treatment T4 was 9.97, TSH was 1.35 and today she is free of this problem. This therapy is also beneficial in the case of eczema, ringworm, itching and other skin problems. Old eczema patients have gained a lot from this therapy. Also school and college aged children can be free from the menace of pimples and acne with this simple therapy.

Chemical composition of distilled cow urine: Nitrogen (N2, NH2): Removes blood abnormalities and toxins, Natural stimulant of urinary track, activates kidneys and it is diuretic. Sulphur (S): Supports motion in large intestines. Cleanses blood. Ammonia (NH3): Stabilize bile, mucous and air of body. Stabilizes blood formation. Copper (Cu): Controls built up of unwanted fats. Iron (Fe): Maintains balance and helps in production of red blood cells & haemoglobin. Stabilises working power. Urea CO(NH2)2: Affects urine formation and removal. Germicidal. Uric Acid (C5H4N4O3): Removes heart swelling or inflammation. It is diuretic therefore destroys toxins. Phosphate (P): Helps in removing stones from urinary track. Sodium (Na): Purifies blood. Antacid. Potassium (K): Cures hereditary rheumatism. Increases appetite. Removes muscular weakness and laziness. Manganese (Mn): Germicidal, stops growth of germs, protects against decay due to gangrene. Carbolic acid (HCOOH): Germicidal, stops growth of germs and decay due to gangrene. Calcium (Ca): Blood purifier, bone strengthener, germicidal.

 

Salt (NaCl): Decreases acidic contents of blood, germicidal. Vitamins A, B, C, D, E: Vitamin B is active ingredient for energetic life and saves from nervousness and thirst, strengthens bones and reproductive ingredient for energetic life and saves from nervousness and thirst, strengthens bones and reproductive power. Other Minerals: Increase immunity. Lactose (C6H12O6): Gives satisfaction., strengths heart, removes thirst and nervousness. Enzymes: Make healthy digestive juices, increase immunity. Water (H2O): It is a life giver. Maintains fluidity of blood, maintains body temperature. Hipuric acid (CgNgNox): Removes toxins through urine. Creatinin (C4HgN2O2): Germicide. Aurum Hydroxide (AuOH): It is germicidal and increases immunity power. AuOH is highly antibiotic and anti-toxic.