Why Is Cow Considered Sacred In India ? Importance Of Cow In Vedas

Updated On: 1-May-2022

In India cows are worshipped and are considered very sacred within the hindu religious community. In India cow is also called as Kamadhenu or wish fulfilling cow.

Scriptures on cow worship

Cow or Kamdhenu has been praised by Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, in the Skandpurana.

Skandpurana
त्वं माता सर्वदेवानां त्वं च यज्ञस्य कारणम्।
त्वं तीर्थं सर्वतीर्थानां नमस्तेऽस्तु सदानघे।।
Meaning of the above sloka:

You are the mother of all gods and the cause of sacrifice and the great pilgrimage of all pilgrimages, salutations to you always. So Cow is given so much importance in scriptures.

In Different Vedas, Manu Samhita, Manusmriti scriptures Cow worship is mentioned multiple number of times and the cow is praised.

Festivals associated with the cow

There are a lot of Festivals where cow is worshiped. These are the two important festivals which are commonly known to people in India.
Diwali: The First day of celebration starts with Vasubharas where cow is worshiped.

Gopastami: It is an important festival of Indian culture. The prosperity of mankind is linked with the prosperity of the cow lineage. Therefore, on the holy festival of Gopashtami, one should pray for World Peace by worshiping the cow-mother. Gau Mata is revered, venerable and respected, her protection is the protection of the culture and civilization of Sanatan Dharma.

Pongal: In Mattu Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu, cow is worshiped.

Why cow became sacred ?

Let's find out why the cow is considered sacred. India was once the land of agriculture and most of them used to have cows for farming and other needs. At one point of time, the one who had more cow was considered rich. It was also used as money for trading. This was considered as social status in the society. Its similar to gold which we have now.

But still, how can you worship cows ? Scientific Study

The real reason for worshipping the cow is because of its benefits. Only the Indian cow has got these benefits. India cow is also called as BOS INDICUS(indigenous cow). Some of its breeds are as follows:

  • Gir
  • Kankrej
  • Sahiwal
  • Red sindhi

If you see these cows they all have a hump behind their back. Ancient Rishi used to believe that on the hump of these cow there is a suryakethu nadi which makes its byproducts more nutritious and beneficial. The by products are milk, cow dung and urine. One more unique factor of the Bos indicus cow is that it gives A2 protein while other cows available in other parts of the world give A1 protein according to scientists research.

  • A2 Cows are very less, may be around 5% of worlds population. So most of you are drinking A1 milk. A1 protein can't be digested well, so there are lots of chances of getting the disease.

    A2 protein major benefits

    1. Bone health - Helps to prevent osteoporosis or the weakening of bones
    2. Omega-3 fatty acids - Helps in lowering cholesterol levels
    3. potassium - Benefits your blood pressure
    4. vitamin D - Heart health, Calcium absorption, Immune functions
    5. vitamin A - More immunity, good for eyes
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    From A2 milk we can get B2, B3, B12, A vitamins. It has 8 types of protein, 25 types of minerals, 21 amino acids, phosphorous, glucose, carotene, iodine, etc. Cow dung contains elements like carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous.

    Indian (Desi) vs Crossbred cows comparative study
    Contents in the two types of cow dung, contents of calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were higher by 10.8%, 8.0%, 84.1% and 21.7% as compared to crossbred cows.

    Indian cow got anti septic and anti thermal property that's why old Indian home they used to paste cow dung and mug mixture on their walls. It is also a good fertilizer. Cow urine is a commercial product now for lots of diseases now. There is a lot of research regarding the use of cow urine for various diseases like anemia, liver ailments, diabetes, blood pressure, psoriasis, migraine, thyroid and more.

    Immunity of Indian cow is better than other cows and can stay in extreme climate. Lactation period is longer for Indian cow. Byproducts are better than other. Now many countries are importing Indian cows.

    Because of all these many benefits Indian cow could be considered sacred in Vedic scriptures in many places.