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

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In India, it is customary to treat all animals with special awe, but it is the cow that causes real reverence among the Hindus. Many legends and myths are associated with this artiodactyl, most of which go 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 with 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, unselfishly cares for and protects them. For this reason, in India it is forbidden to offend 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 by the Hindus.

Sacred cow in Indian legends and myths

One of the ancient Indian legends says that after the death of a Hindu, in order to be in heaven, you need to swim across a deep and wide river. He can cope with this task with the help of a cow, holding on to the tip of her tail. In this regard, the Indians are kind to cows during their lifetime, they try to appease them so that after their physical death, the animals will help them get into the other world.

According to another legend, the gods who created the Earth one day pulled out the wonderful Surabhi cow 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 Surabha and, with respect for her, 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. From time immemorial, the main occupation of the Hindus was agriculture, and the main helpers of people were bulls and cows. Artiodactyls helped the Indians to plow the land, saved them from starvation in a crop failure. 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 disadvantaged years. Thus, the respectful attitude of Indians towards cows and bulls is also a kind of gratitude to animals for their support in difficult times. To this day, the problem of hunger in India is helped to solve artiodactyls, which coexist peacefully 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 religion of the Hindus is ghee, which is used in the organization and conduct of ancient religious rites. Magical properties are even attributed to cow urine, which in India is used in various rituals and used in the treatment of diseases. Indians still use cow litter for a variety of purposes. They fertilize rural lands, repel insects and even fumigate dwellings.

Offending a cow in India means incurring misfortune, so artiodactyls still roam freely along city streets to this day, surprising tourists. For the murder of a sacred cow in the state, a very severe punishment is provided, so even travelers visiting India are required to treat this animal with respect.

India. Cows. Cows in India. Everyone knows that cows are considered sacred in India. But what does that even mean? Are they idolized? Are they worshipped? How is the life of these minions of fate? Is it true that they just walk the streets of Indian cities? That they don't belong to anyone?

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Let's figure it out.

Hinduism does give cows a special status. Since ancient times, they have been considered symbols of wealth and abundance. By the way, this was not only the case with the Indians - the ancient Egyptians and Romans also saw status animals in them. But among the Hindus, this respect moved to the next level - the cow was not just a breadwinner, but also a source of heat (cow dung cakes in India are still used as fuel), fertilizer and labor.

In the ancient religion of India, the earth goddess Prithivi appears in the form of a cow. And although in Hinduism the cow is already a deity, its meat is Taboo for believers. The cow is considered the embodiment of selflessness - after all, it gives a lot of useful things to a person. How can you eat the meat of such a creature?

Walking through the streets of Indian cities, cows are indeed encountered every now and then. Even in the huge () Delhi there are areas where they are, and even in smaller cities, almost at every turn.

Olga also parked

At first glance, it may seem that all these cows are ownerless. Actually it is not. Each cow has an owner who releases it to "graze" on what lies badly.

Boris decided to get acquainted with the proposals of local farmers

Cows roam freely through the streets of the city all day long, and in the evening they return home. By the way, as they explained to me, bulls, unlike cows, often do not really belong to anyone. What is the point of keeping an animal that does not give milk, the Hindus argue. Bulls just live on the street, and sometimes walking cows fly from them.

Antonina loved to go out to the sacred river. There she thought better about eternity.

At the same time, Indians treat cows without undue trepidation. If necessary, they are whipped with rods and even beaten with sticks. Shouts drive them away from places where they can not. That is, there is no question of any worship, or even special reverence.

Sergei was embarrassed. He was at this wedding the only guest from the groom.

You can often see cows grazing on piles of city garbage. A lot of food waste is dumped right on the street, and the cattle do not hesitate to chew it with a peaceful, thoughtful look. But some are not averse to tasting "strong" treats, nibbling pieces of iron from landfills, or even trying to bite rusty cars.

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Cows love to lie down in the middle of the street, which greatly annoys local tuk-tuk and rickshaw drivers. In old cities, the streets are narrow, and sometimes you can’t get around the lying animals.

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But they get along well with other residents of Indian streets - dogs.

She felt responsible for these cute (but generally useless) dogs - after all, she tamed them.

And Indian cows have learned to walk up and down stairs. This is a very comical sight, it is clearly not easy for clumsy animals to go down the stairs, but nevertheless they have pricked up and do it every day.

Michael treated the steps philosophically. Down there was the most delicious garbage

The Hindu ban on eating cow meat has played an important role in the history of the country more than once.

For example, in the middle of the 19th century, the British had entire armies of mercenaries from the local population in the service of the British. They were called sepoys. Once there was a rumor among them that new packages of cartridges were rubbed either with cow or pork fat. (Some part of the sepoys were Muslims who should not eat pork). The fact is that the soldiers of that time, in order to load the gun, had to break this packaging with their teeth. The British authorities were quick to assure the soldiers that they were not using any animal fat, and offered to supply the sepoys with unlubricated cartridges. But with this they only confirmed the original rumors, and in 1857 the soldiers rebelled. The Sepoy Rebellion lasted over a year and is considered by some to be India's first (albeit unsuccessful) war of independence.

"Am I not a sacred animal?" Thought Grigory, "Who, if not me, should eat from this urn?"

When, a hundred years later, India gained its independence from the British, the ban on cow meat again affected the political situation. Many Muslims lived on the territory of the country, who were very fond of eating beef. They were not ready to give up such an important part of their diet. The desire of the Indians to impose a ban on the slaughter of cows exacerbated the already strong friction between Hindus and Muslims, and eventually Pakistan broke away from India, becoming an independent state in which Islam is the official religion.

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To date, the slaughter of cows is prohibited in the vast majority of states, although there is no such law at the federal level. And some states even prohibit the sale of cows (this is disrespectful to the animal!) It is also often illegal to transport cows from one state to another, although this does not stop anyone.

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It should be noted here that some of the cows are actually buffaloes (and therefore buffaloes ... buffaloes?) To my untrained city eye, they are all the same, but for Indians the difference is quite significant. After all, the slaughter of buffaloes no longer falls under either religious or legislative prohibitions!

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If you are offered beef in India, be skeptical about it. It may well be that this is actually buffalo meat. It is not as tasty and much tougher than the meat of "real" cows, which we are all used to.

Kristina tried to popularly explain to her colleagues the advantages of a market economy over a planned one.

True, they say that there are illegal slaughterhouses where real cows are also slaughtered. Since 24 out of 29 states have laws against it, there are ten times more of these underground companies than legal ones.

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But enough of the sad stuff. Most cows (and even buffaloes) in India live happily and serenely. You look at them from the outside - here they are, the masters of life. Where can you find these animals? I, for example, at the station, met several people right on the platform.

Katyukha hoped that the train would not be too late.

I didn’t understand, to be honest, it was they themselves who wandered here, or the owners dragged them, and were going to load them onto the train. To be honest, after what I saw on Indian trains (), I would not be surprised in the least.

Yashka was very afraid to stumble upon the controller, as he forgot his ticket in other trousers

Some more photos of Indian cows in their natural environment:

“I don’t see anything difficult in this,” Yana thought, “I’m sure I can do it”

Evgenia has recently started doing yoga

Anna got up on the wrong foot, everything pissed her off today

Veselchak Victor got some gourmet straw

Not all of them lead carefree lives. Some are harnessed - in the literal sense. It's not clear if it's a cow or a buffalo? How to distinguish?

It's good to be a sacred animal. I want here too. And you? Would you agree to be reincarnated as an Indian cow?

Hello, dear readers - seekers of knowledge and truth!

Many people know that in India there is a special attitude towards cows. But why is the cow a sacred animal in India? This is what we'll talk about today.

This article will reveal the religious and ethical reasons behind this cult, as well as whether cows are milked in this country, what Mahatma Gandhi said about them, and how cows live in modern India. And at the end of the article, you will learn some interesting facts that you probably have not heard about yet.

What does the cow symbolize

Indians have always treated all animals with special trepidation and tender love, even insects and snakes - this is what the law of ahimsa teaches, that is, not causing harm to all things. But the cow holds a special place in the heart of every Indian.

Here they say: "Gau-mata", which means "Cow-mother" in translation.

And the cow is indeed considered the mother of all the inhabitants of India. Just like a mother, she carries self-sacrifice, kindness, mercy, modesty, wisdom, peace, abundance.

The cow is sacred and pure, because she feeds people and all animals, without demanding anything in return. She is considered to be a sattvic - blissful - being, which is why Indians do not eat cows under any circumstances.

The only caste that can eat beef are the pariahs. But such people are considered the lowest class in India, standing outside the life of society. Therefore, they can eat the meat of slaughtered cows and dress their skin.

View of religion

Hinduism, common in Indian and Nepalese territories, does not accept the killing of any living beings, and many Hindus even practice vegetarianism. “Burenkas” are revered here, they are protected even at the state level.

Cows are closely associated with brahmins - priests. Killing a cow is like killing a Brahmin, and for this crimein ancientIndia people were waiting for the death penalty.

Cows are given special attention because they have become the symbol of some devas and deities, as well as the heroines of folk myths:

One myth says that after death, on the way to heaven, the deceased needs to cross the river. A cow can help in this difficult matter - you just need to grab onto her tail.
The sacred Vedic scripture "Purana" tells about God Indra, who is closely associated with a cow named Kamadhenu, the peculiarity of which is that she has to fulfill desires. Indians see Kamadhena in every cow that passes by.
The mount of God Shiva is the bull Nandu.
The Supreme Personality of Godhead in the Vedic culture, Lord Krishna, liked to be in the company of his cowherd girlfriends, surrounded by cows in the pastures of Vrindavan.
Eating beef is forbidden by many Vedic texts: Rig Veda, Dharma Sutras, Baudhayana, Mahabharata, Laws of Manu.
In Hindu rituals and in the preparation of sacred food - prasada - ghee oil, which is obtained from baked cow's milk, is widely used.

Vedic culture says that in ancient times, monks sometimes sacrificed cows, but for this they used only the sick and old - so that they would stop suffering and quickly incarnate in a new body. It is believed that in our era, Kali Yuga, there are no brahmins who would know how to properly perform sacrifices, so they are not practiced in our time.

worldly view

The cult of the cow in India is also explained by the fact that it is of great importance in the daily life of the Indian family:

The milk that a cow gives is the main source of nutrition for vegetarians, who are very numerous among Indians. Judge for yourself how many dairy products you can get thanks to the “burenki”: kefir, yogurt, cream, sour cream, cottage cheese, cheese, yogurt, lassi, butter.
The Hindus have a special element called "panchagavya", which is able to purify. It consists of five components, and all of them come from the sacred animal: milk, ghee, lassi, urine, excrement.
Litter is used as fuel.
Burnt excrement is an excellent fertilizer.
The smoke from burning manure drives away harmful insects and annoying mosquitoes.
Cow's milk is fed to newborn babies when their mother does not have her own.
Bulls are used in agriculture as a carrier, they walk with a plow.
Milk whey can be part of many medicines.

The great Mahatma Gandhi worshiped cows and called them "mothers of millions" of Indians.

Cow life in India

Indian cows live pretty good lives for themselves. They imposingly stroll along the eight-lane roads of large cities, such as Delhi, bask on the beaches of Kerala and Goa, go into other people's gardens and eat the new crop without a twinge of conscience. At the same time, the owners only rejoice - after all, this is a sign of future happiness.

There are always a lot of cows on the streets of India, domestic and ownerless. But none of them will remain hungry, because everyone is trying to feed them.

The best start of the day is to treat the cow with a roti cake from the altar, and then she will give goodness and goodness. When an animal blocks the way, in no case do they beat her, but only wave their arms or a stick so that she herself leaves.

When a cow dies in the house, this is a bad sign. If this happens, the owner must go on a pilgrimage to the shrines of Hinduism, so he releases the old individuals in advance. This explains such an insane number of "homeless children".

Curious facts about cows

When food was not wrapped in plastic non-degradable packaging, and the garbage was mostly organic, these animals served as street orderlies - they simply ate all the garbage.
Slaughter is restricted throughout Indian territory except in the states of Kerala and West Bengal.
In pharmaceuticals, their excrement is used.
The profession of a shepherd is honorable because Krishna loved the shepherd's occupation.
Domestic cows are usually milked for milk. Street animals are not accustomed to milking, so they do not need to be milked.
The bull is the personification of dharma.
Being in India on vacation, you should not shout at them, beat, push - you need to respect the culture of our country.

Conclusion

Thank you very much for your attention, dear readers!

Share comments, join us - subscribe to the blog - there is still a lot of interesting things ahead.

India is a unique country. Many people know that the sacred animal in India is the cow. It seems strange and unusual for people who grow it for slaughter. The people of India treat all animals with respect, but the cow is the leader. This is a kind and bright creature, endowed with wisdom, peace 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, one must look back. Cow legends are passed down from generation to generation:

One day the Rajah's son became very ill, no one could help him. The boy was getting weaker day by day. The father called on the help of the gods, spending days and nights in prayer. One day a stray cow came to the house. The Raja thought it was a sign of heaven. The child was given milk to drink, and he began to get better. Since then, it is believed that cow's milk has great power, helps with various ailments.
Ancient writings testify that during the creation of the world, the Gods took out a cow from the ocean, capable of fulfilling any desire. Today it is believed that any cow can fulfill wishes, the main thing is to find the right approach to it.
Another legend says that a cow is needed to move to another world after death, only it can help a person overcome this path. The deceased must hold on tightly to the tail so as not to get lost along the way.

Why a cow is 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 can not be beaten, scared, kicked out. For killing a cow, they go to jail. They can walk where they see fit: along the road, pedestrian crossings, they can bask on the beach, 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 seize the moment and cross the road with her.

Another explanation why the cow is a sacred animal is practical. The Hindus consider her the Great Nurse, and they are right. During her life, she feeds a person with milk, gives manure for, 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.

Not always a sacred animal lives happily. Hindus love and revere 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 the house. That is why there are so many stray cows in India.

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

These animals roam freely even on the runways of the airfield. In order to make room, the recorded sounds of the tiger's growl are used.

Indians treat all animals with respect, but the cow is the leader

The holy cow is a Divine being, to offend her means to anger God.

In order to provide yourself with benefits in the afterlife, you need to care for, protect, wash and feed the animal.
Even if a resident of India were to die of hunger, he would not eat a cow walking quietly nearby.
The Vedic texts say that the cow is the universal mother.
Cow's milk is able to awaken the most good qualities.
Clarified butter, or ghee, is used in religious rituals.
Even cow dung has tremendous power. It is used to cleanse the home.
Hindus have worshiped the cow as a deity since ancient times. It is believed that the peace and tranquility of existence depend on the animal. The place where she was was energetically clean and bright.
The Hindu cow is able to protect from evil and dark forces, help a person to 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. A special tiger festival exists in Nepal. Vietnam is famous for its many tiger temples. It is considered a good tradition to decorate the entrance to a temple or dwelling with images of a tiger. This animal, according to the indigenous people, is able to drive away evil spirits and evil spirits.

The inhabitants of Thailand are kind to white elephants, seeing them as the embodiment of the souls of the dead. Europe and America attaches special 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 debauchery, anger and meanness.

The Turks consider the horse a sacred animal. Many representatives of the Islamic world are in solidarity with them. The horse is both a friend and an ally. A real warrior and ruler is always on horseback.

But India has gone the furthest. Not only the cow in India deserves attention. Dogs are 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 spectacle snakes around his neck as an ornament. The most sacred snake is the cobra.

Service to animals, reverence and worship - this is zoolatry. Animals become objects of worship. Hindus build temples in honor of sacred animals, protect them, dedicate holidays, dances and festivals to them. In ancient times, warriors performed special ceremonies to achieve the favor of an 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 they worshipped. Multiple drawings on stones and in caves make it possible to better understand the significance and importance of these rituals. This is how the world of ancient people was arranged. 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 through them God speaks to people. 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. It originated as a Dravidian belief. When the Aryans came to this territory, conquering the lands, they contributed to religious teachings. Presumably, they 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, cattle breeding. Which type of activity the tribe preferred depended on climatic conditions. The areas near the rivers were suitable for growing various crops. The steppes were used for cattle breeding. The Aryans could not engage in agriculture, as the soil was unsuitable. Raising livestock was the only way to feed themselves. The choice was small:

Tour. This animal successfully exists in the herd. It was not difficult to domesticate him. Initially, its manure was used for fertilizer.
Sheep. It was noticed that she grows quickly, gives good offspring. The meat was used for food, and the warm skin was useful in everyday life.
Goat. Kept for milk. Goat's milk tasted good, healthy, but it was always in short supply.
Cow. The first thing people noticed was that milk yield is much higher than that of a goat. She gave milk much longer, and it was more satisfying and healthier. The manure did a good job of fertilizing the soil. In the future, they began to use the skin, which increased the 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 that the cow is a sacred animal. 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. So these tribes reached India. The Dravidians were subjugated, the Aryans planted their religion, views and teachings. Thus, the veneration of the cow and love for it came here. The cow is a sacred animal of India, the Great Mother, holy and immaculate. God Shiva rides on a white bull, and no one dares to doubt the divine origin of the cow.

Hinduism is one of the most ancient religions. Originated as a Dravidian belief

Some people find this attitude ridiculous. Others look at it with tenderness. An important and necessary condition is respect for traditions when crossing the border. In whatever city of India a person comes, one must remember that a cow is a sacred animal. After all, as you know, ignorance does not exempt from punishment.

India is a country that is located in the southern part of Asia, most of it is located on the Hindustan peninsula. This state washes the Indian Ocean, namely its Bengal and Arabian bays.

Animal world of India

The territory of this country is inhabited by many species of mammals, birds, insects and reptiles. The fauna of India is very diverse. The most common here are such representatives of the fauna as camels, monkeys, elephants, cows, snakes.

Camel

These are the most common animals in India, they are mainly used for transporting goods, as well as for riding, in ancient times they even participated in battles.

There are two types of this animal - dromedary and bactrian, that is, one-humped and two-humped. Camels are herbivores. They are able to feed on those desert plants that are not eaten by any other animals. This, for example, An adult animal weighs about 500-800 kilograms, and it lives 30-50 years. The body of camels is very well adapted to survival in the desert. Due to the specific form of erythrocytes, a camel can drink an impressive amount of water at a time - 60-100 liters. Thus, the animal makes a supply of fluid, which can be enough for two weeks. When a camel goes without water for a long time, his body gets it by burning fat, while the animal can lose most of its weight. In India, the milk of this animal is often eaten. It has a number of useful properties: it contains vitamins C and D, trace elements (calcium, magnesium, iron and others). Another positive feature of this product is that it contains very little casein, which makes milk difficult to digest.

Indian elephant

Elephants are also very common animals in India. In addition to the animal that lives in this state and bears the corresponding name, there is also another type of elephant - African. The Indian differs from it in that it has smaller ears, and is smaller in size than the African. It is also interesting that both males and females have tusks, while Indian ones have only males. These animals are the largest land animals (they are only surpassed in size but they live in the ocean). Elephants are used as a means of transport in the jungle. In India, these animals are very fond of because of their complaisant nature. In addition, elephants often participate in religious celebrations.

Monkeys

These are very common animals in India. Here live their species such as macaques, langurs and others. Many live even in big cities.

King of beasts - Indian tiger

Now only 3,200 individuals of this species remain on the territory of this state. Many of them live in mangrove forests. Previously, these animals often attacked people, so they were exterminated in large numbers, but it is not easy to hunt tigers.

What snakes live in India?

On the territory of this state lives on Earth - the king cobra. However, people very rarely suffer from her bites, as she lives far in the forests, hunting small animals there. Much more dangerous for humans are the sand efa. The first reaches 1.5-2 meters in length, has a rich yellow color and a dark pattern on the head, which is somewhat reminiscent of glasses, hence the name. The second belongs to the same family with vipers. Its length is small - about 70 centimeters. It is a brown snake with a zigzag pattern on the sides.

Peacock

Many of these birds are associated with Indian culture. They are often found not only in the mythology of a given country, but also in Persian and Islamic traditions. Even in Christianity there is a mention of a peacock - it is a symbol of life. In Indian art, this bird is very common - both in literature, and in music, and in painting. Peacocks are very common on the territory of this state, they live almost everywhere.

What animals are considered sacred in India?

First of all, these are cows. Since ancient times, these are the sacred animals of India. They were considered as such in ancient Egypt. In the mythology of this country, there is a belief that after death you can reach heaven if you swim across the river while holding on to the tail of a cow. This is also due to the fact that the milk of this animal is very often eaten. Therefore, the cow is considered a symbol of life.

Another Indian is elephants. They are considered a symbol of wisdom, kindness and prudence, they are often depicted in dwellings and on temples. There are also sacred animals of India, which are representatives of certain gods. These are, for example, monkeys - they are considered the incarnation of the god Hanuman, an ally of Rama. In addition, sacred animals in India are rats. There is even a whole temple dedicated to them - thousands of these animals live there. In India there is a legend associated with them. According to her, Karni Mata was a Hindu saint, and when one of her children died, she began to pray to the god of death, Yama, to return her son to her, and he turned all her sons into rats. Also in India there is a cult of the snake. According to ancient legends, these animals are the patrons of the waters of the valley. If we turn to mythology, we can find out that snakes are the sons of Kadru. In myths, these animals are described in human images, they are endowed with such features as wisdom, beauty and strength. In addition, a peacock is also found in Indian mythology - Krishna's headdress was decorated with its feathers. Temples dedicated to this god are painted with images of this bird.