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Goshalas and our ancient traditions
Written by Shri AM.Rajagopalan in Kumudam Jothidam. Translated by Vidya Murali

Our ancient texts proclaim that the Vedas, the holy rivers and even the very Gods are embodied in the cow which is sacred to our religion. This reverence for the cow has been reiterated by sages and learned men of Bharata Varsha.

When Our ParamaPurush, Sree MahaVishnu incarnated as Lord Sri Krishna, the bulls, cows and the calves were believed to be the Vedas and the Upanishads, which did not want to leave the Lord’s side, says SriMad Bhagavatam. Where the cows are worshipped, God is believed to stay there. Therein exist the eight forms of wealth, as well as Truth, Victory and Dharma.

Our legends are replete with instances that establish the primacy of the cow in the Hindu religion. In the Kritha Yuga, King Dileepan came forward to give his life to save the life of a cow.
In the Chola period, a cow is believed to have rung the bell of justice with tears filled eyes, because its calf was killed when struck down by the chariot of the crown prince of the Chola Kingdom. The Chola King is believed to have said in Silappadhikaram that the tears flowing down the cow’s eyes burnt his heart like boiling water.
“ Aavin Kadaimani uguneer nenju chuda…” – Silappadhikaram

During the peak of the Vijayanagara kingdom, those who killed cows were sentenced to death. The strength of Bharata Varsha lies in its spirituality or Dharma. The roots of our Dharma are our cows. But the cows that are one of the symbols of our Dharma are being subjected to torture and are killed for food in thousands. It is heart rending that this goes on in our very own land and we are powerless to stop it.

Goshalas
In this situation, in the intention of protecting at least some cows, Goshalas were built and old cows and bulls are being taken care of. Just as it is the son’s duty to take care of aged parents in their old age, it is our duty to take care of old cows that have stopped giving milk. Only a heartless person can look into those soulful eyes and condemn them to death because they are not of use any more.

Kanchi Goshala
In this world of apathy towards cows, the Kanchi mutt has taken up the responsibility of taking care of over 100 cows near Lord Ekambareshwarar Temple in Kanchipuram. However, the goshala run by the Sankara mutt has been shifted out of the Ekambareswarar temple premises following a directive from the State government’s Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Department. The goshala with about 100 cows had been functioning there for the past few years. It has shifted to a Mutt-run place in Enathur near Kancheepuram.
What sin have the animals done? Taking care of these cows was one of the numerous social activities that the Mutt has been doing. What is the connection between the cases against the Acharyas and these innocent animals? Why extend the petty politics to the dumb defenseless animals? The Goshala is said to have taken care of around 100 cows, 25 calves and 6 bulls. This is not just injustice but a grave sin too.
In the foreign countries, dogs, cats and other animals are taken care of as pets. In our country, even the vicious cobra is worshipped. In this context, imagine the disrespect shown to the cow that has given us its own blood as milk.

We should never harm the mute animals that are dependent on us. The repercussions will be far-reaching and very undesirable.


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