How and why is a COW considered to be
sacred by Hindus?
Is it because the COW
1. appears to be calm
and serene?
2. is the source of
milk and dairy products ?
3. was praised as
descendent of SHABALA aka KAAMADENU?
4. has been worshipped
traditionally, as it was mentioned in Puranas that the Gods reside in it?
(Or)
Something else?
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The COWs were mentioned as SACRED in the Rig Veda, which was the source of various SPIRITUAL concepts to the subsequent literature like brAhmanas, Upanishads, ithihasas (Ramayana and Mahabharata) and purAnas.
The cows are
called aghnya - अघ्न्य ,"that which may not be slaughtered"
in Rig Veda. In Ramayana, the story fight between Sage Vashishta and King
Vishvamitra, due to a DIVINE cow Shabala, was narrated. It should be understood in esoteric sense.
In Puranas, the Mother earth was in the form of a cow, successively milked of beneficent substances for the benefit of humans, by deities starting with the first sovereign: Prithu milked the cow to generate crops for humans to end a famine.
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A question may arise as to whether the Hindus consider the COW as sacred just because the seers of Rig Veda mentioned the COW as aghnya - अघ्न्य ,"that which may not be slaughtered"?
Was it because COWs are the source of milk, milk products and sustenance (or) was there any esoteric meaning for their act?
Esoteric, the quality of having an inner or secret meaning, intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest, while others will understand the outer meaning only.
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With the available scarce material on Rig Vedic period, it is quite natural for anyone, with ordinary intelligence, to conclude that the people at that point of time were used to be agro based. And, that cow is major source for their sustenance.
The early translators of Rig Veda into English sowed this idea, due to their own misunderstanding of Rig Vedic concepts, as they translated the Rig Vedic mantras with their own limited understanding.
Subsequent translators followed the suit.
They understood that the Rig Vedic seers prayed Indra for release of their cattle from Vrtra/Vala, for their sustenance.
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Rig Vedic seers enjoy speaking in symbolic language or coded language. Some enlightened people say there are many puzzles and riddles in the Vedas. In fact, the same verse or mantra or Rik in Rig Veda can be interpreted in physical sense as well as in SPIRITUAL sense.
It was mentioned in Rig Veda itself that speech can be of 4 different ways and humans can understand the last one (Rig Veda 1.164.45)
चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर्ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः ।
गुहा त्रीणि निहिता नेङ्गयन्ति तुरीयं वाचो मनुष्या वदन्ति ॥
English
translation:
“Four are the definite grades
of speech; those Brahmaṇas, who are wise know them;
three, deposited in secret, indicate no meaning; men speak the
fourth grade of speech.”
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The composition of Rigveda Samhita was fixed by Indologists between c. 1500 and 1000 BCE, although a wider approximation of c. 1900–1200 BCE had been allowed. However, there is no concrete evidence to stick to this dating.
Yāska was an ancient Indian grammarian and linguist [est. 7th–5th century BCE]. Yāska preceded Pāṇini, the author of Aṣṭādhyāyī, a sutra-style treatise on Sanskrit grammar. Yāska is traditionally identified as the author of Nirukta, which covers etymology, and is the study concerned with correct interpretation of Sanskrit words in the Vedas.
Vedic language had become antique with obsolete words by the time of Yaska. He counts more than 400 words of which he did not know the meaning. This shows the big gap between the time of Yaska and the Samhitas.
Thus, there was almost a 2,000 years gap between Yāska and Sāyaṇa. When Yāska himself could not understand the meaning of 400 words used in Rig Veda, how could the Indologists believed and followed Sāyaṇa, who came into existence much later to the former?
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According to Shri Aurobindo, in the Rig Veda the cows sometimes symbolize "light" and "rays". Shri Aurobindo wrote that Aditi (the supreme Prakriti/Nature force) is described as a cow, and the Deva or Purusha (the supreme being/soul) as a bull.
Light might be an outcome of attaining wisdom
Rig vedic rishis might be indicating cow in an esoteric manner the light/wisdom attained.
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Further, the spiritual meaning of aghnya - अघ्न्य may be “that which cannot be destroyed”- which indicates the indestructible SOUL. This spiritual meaning might have been lost to the subsequent generations, leaving behind the physical meaning of "that which may not be slaughtered".
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In Rig Veda there are 2 Hymns, i.e, 10.19 and 10.169, dedicated completely to COW, as Devatā. Some verses were partially dedicated in 6.28 and 8.101 to COW.
माता रुद्राणां दुहिता वसूनां स्वसादित्यानाममृतस्य नाभिः ।
प्र नु वोचं चिकितुषे जनाय मा गामनागामदितिं वधिष्ट ॥
English translation:
Mother of the Rudras, daughter of the Vasus, sister of the
Ādityas, home of immortality—
I now proclaim to observant people: do not smite the
blameless cow—Aditi.
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Please
note that the COW was stated to be none other than Aditi, the nirguna
and saguna brahman.
On Spiritual side the seer described the COW, the light or wisdom, as Aditi and in physical sense it can be viewed as a COW, which provides milk to humans.
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The name Aditi includes the root "da" (to bind or fetter) and suggests another attribute of her character. As A-diti, she is an unbound, free soul and it is evident in the hymns to her that she is often called to free the petitioner from different hindrances, especially sin and sickness. (Rig veda 2.27.14)
अदिति (aditi) literally means 'unbounded', 'the boundless Heaven', or according to others, 'the visible infinite, the endless expanse beyond the earth, beyond the clouds, beyond the sky'.
According to Yāska अदिति- रदीना देवमाता (aditi- radīnā devamātā), and the verse beginning with अदितिर्द्यौः (aditirdyauḥ) &c. Ṛgveda 1.89.10. he interprets by taking अदिति (aditi) to mean अदीन (adīna) i. e. अनुपक्षीण, न ह्येषां क्षयोऽस्ति इति (anupakṣīṇa, na hyeṣāṃ kṣayo'sti iti).
adīna a. Not low or depressed, high-spirited; mighty, not poor; rich, happy.
anupakṣita p. p. Not injured or destroyed (anupakṣīṇa).
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In Rig Veda, Aditi, the mother of Gods, is described both as Nirguna as well as Saguna brahman, in a subtle manner (Rig Veda 1.89.10)
अदितिर्द्यौरदितिरन्तरिक्षमदितिर्माता स पिता स पुत्रः ।
विश्वे देवा अदितिः पञ्च जना अदितिर्जातमदितिर्जनित्वम् ॥
English translation:
“Aditi is heaven; Aditi is the firmament; Aditi is mother, father and son; Aditi is all the gods; Aditi is the five classes of people; Aditi is what has been born, Aditi what is to be born..”
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Hence, the COW is SACRED to Hindus.
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