Guest guest Posted October 27, 1999 Report Share Posted October 27, 1999 "COM: Kasya (das) SS (Prague - CZ)" wrote: > [Text 2733058 from COM] > > Dear mataji, > > Please accept my most humble obeisances. > All glories to Srila Prabhupada! > > On behalf of all the Vaisnavas, I would like to know where it is mentioned, > how to properly honor the cow, apart from feeding her nicely and not killing > her. I know that devotees use to make arati for cows during go-puja > festival. Is it proper? From where this tradition comes? Is Krsna specially > pleased by that? > > Your servant > Kasya das *********************** We know that Srila Prabhupada did not approve of a daily puja for the cows. But on Govardhana Puja is also Go-Puja -- "Go" means "Cow" (it even sounds almost like "cow") and "Puja" means "worship." So this is the day when Krsna advised to worship the cows. Balabhadra or Madhava Gosh or Syamasundara or Rohita prabhus could tell you whether the cows were worshipped on Govardhana puja while Srila Prabhupada was present. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Letter to: Advaitacarya : 76-10-25 Vrindaban You are taking care of the cows. That is cow puja. Don't bother with anything else. Keep yourself in Krsna consciousness by strictly observing the regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. Letter to: Syama Dasi : 69-02-21 Los Angeles Regarding your next two questions, you may not put the initiation beads on the cow. Nor is it necessary for grhasthas to recite the Gayatri Mantra aloud. It should be silent or whispered. © 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust ----------------------- Other sources: Prabhupada Nectar, Vol. 4, by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, p. 11. (excerpt from a letter from Srutakirti dasa to Kirtananda Swami, September 27, 1972) "While engaged in talking about New Vrindaban during Prabhupada's massage yesterday, I mentioned how we used to do cow aratis. At that point Prabhupada frowned. I asked if they were okay to do, and he said no. I asked if there was anything special to do for the coes. He said keep them clean, brush them nicely, bathe them, and also you can polish their horns and hooves." *********************** The Supreme Lord, Krsna, desired to utilize the opulent financial strength of Maharaja Nanda for worship of the cows, and also He wanted to give a lesson to Indra, the King of heaven. Thus He advised His father to perform worship of go, or the pasturing land and the cows, with the help of learned brahmanas. PURPORT Since He is the teacher of everyone, the Lord also taught His father, Nanda Maharaja. Nanda Maharaja was a well-to-do landholder and owner of many cows, and, as was the custom, he used to perform yearly worship of Indra, the King of heaven, with great opulence. This worship of demigods by the general populace is also advised in the Vedic literature just so people can accept the superior power of the Lord. The demigods are servants of the Lord deputed to look after the management of various activities of universal affairs. Therefore it is advised in the Vedic scriptures that one should perform yajnas to appease the demigods. But one who is devoted to the Supreme Lord has no need to appease the demigods. Worship of the demigods by common people is an arrangement for acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, but it is not necessary. Such appeasement is generally recommended for material gains only. As we have already discussed in the Second Canto of this literature, one who admits the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not need to worship the secondary demigods. Sometimes, being worshiped and adored by less intelligent living beings, the demigods become puffed up with power and forget the supremacy of the Lord. This happened when Lord Krsna was present in the universe, and thus the Lord wanted to give a lesson to the King of heaven, Indra. He therefore asked Maharaja Nanda to stop the sacrifice offered to Indra and to use the money properly by performing a ceremony worshiping the cows and the pasturing ground on the hill of Govardhana. By this act Lord Krsna taught human society, as He has instructed in the Bhagavad-gita also, that one should worship the Supreme Lord by all acts and by all their results. That will bring about the desired success. The vaiçyas are specifically advised to give protection to the cows and their pasturing ground or agricultural land instead of squandering their hard-earned money. That will satisfy the Lord. ============ REF. SB 3.2.32 The clouds give forth rain when they are impelled by the mode of passion, and cowherds prosper by protecting the cows. Furthermore, the cowherds’ proper residence is in the forest and on the hills. Therefore you should offer worship to the cows, the brahmanas and Govardhana Hill. ============ REF. SB 10.24 Summary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 27, 1999 Report Share Posted October 27, 1999 "COM: Kasya (das) SS (Prague - CZ)" wrote: > [Text 2733058 from COM] > > Dear mataji, > > Please accept my most humble obeisances. > All glories to Srila Prabhupada! > > On behalf of all the Vaisnavas, I would like to know where it is mentioned, > how to properly honor the cow, apart from feeding her nicely and not killing > her. I know that devotees use to make arati for cows during go-puja > festival. Is it proper? From where this tradition comes? Is Krsna specially > pleased by that? > > Your servant > Kasya das *********************** We know that Srila Prabhupada did not approve of a daily puja for the cows. But on Govardhana Puja is also Go-Puja -- "Go" means "Cow" (it even sounds almost like "cow") and "Puja" means "worship." So this is the day when Krsna advised to worship the cows. Balabhadra or Madhava Gosh or Syamasundara or Rohita prabhus could tell you whether the cows were worshipped on Govardhana puja while Srila Prabhupada was present. your servant, Hare Krsna dasi Letter to: Advaitacarya : 76-10-25 Vrindaban You are taking care of the cows. That is cow puja. Don't bother with anything else. Keep yourself in Krsna consciousness by strictly observing the regulative principles and chanting sixteen rounds. Letter to: Syama Dasi : 69-02-21 Los Angeles Regarding your next two questions, you may not put the initiation beads on the cow. Nor is it necessary for grhasthas to recite the Gayatri Mantra aloud. It should be silent or whispered. © 1991 by Bhaktivedanta Book Trust ----------------------- Other sources: Prabhupada Nectar, Vol. 4, by Satsvarupa dasa Goswami, p. 11. (excerpt from a letter from Srutakirti dasa to Kirtananda Swami, September 27, 1972) "While engaged in talking about New Vrindaban during Prabhupada's massage yesterday, I mentioned how we used to do cow aratis. At that point Prabhupada frowned. I asked if they were okay to do, and he said no. I asked if there was anything special to do for the coes. He said keep them clean, brush them nicely, bathe them, and also you can polish their horns and hooves." *********************** The Supreme Lord, Krsna, desired to utilize the opulent financial strength of Maharaja Nanda for worship of the cows, and also He wanted to give a lesson to Indra, the King of heaven. Thus He advised His father to perform worship of go, or the pasturing land and the cows, with the help of learned brahmanas. PURPORT Since He is the teacher of everyone, the Lord also taught His father, Nanda Maharaja. Nanda Maharaja was a well-to-do landholder and owner of many cows, and, as was the custom, he used to perform yearly worship of Indra, the King of heaven, with great opulence. This worship of demigods by the general populace is also advised in the Vedic literature just so people can accept the superior power of the Lord. The demigods are servants of the Lord deputed to look after the management of various activities of universal affairs. Therefore it is advised in the Vedic scriptures that one should perform yajnas to appease the demigods. But one who is devoted to the Supreme Lord has no need to appease the demigods. Worship of the demigods by common people is an arrangement for acknowledging the supremacy of the Supreme Lord, but it is not necessary. Such appeasement is generally recommended for material gains only. As we have already discussed in the Second Canto of this literature, one who admits the supremacy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead does not need to worship the secondary demigods. Sometimes, being worshiped and adored by less intelligent living beings, the demigods become puffed up with power and forget the supremacy of the Lord. This happened when Lord Krsna was present in the universe, and thus the Lord wanted to give a lesson to the King of heaven, Indra. He therefore asked Maharaja Nanda to stop the sacrifice offered to Indra and to use the money properly by performing a ceremony worshiping the cows and the pasturing ground on the hill of Govardhana. By this act Lord Krsna taught human society, as He has instructed in the Bhagavad-gita also, that one should worship the Supreme Lord by all acts and by all their results. That will bring about the desired success. The vaiçyas are specifically advised to give protection to the cows and their pasturing ground or agricultural land instead of squandering their hard-earned money. That will satisfy the Lord. ============ REF. SB 3.2.32 The clouds give forth rain when they are impelled by the mode of passion, and cowherds prosper by protecting the cows. Furthermore, the cowherds’ proper residence is in the forest and on the hills. Therefore you should offer worship to the cows, the brahmanas and Govardhana Hill. ============ REF. SB 10.24 Summary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted October 29, 1999 Report Share Posted October 29, 1999 > We know that Srila Prabhupada did not approve of a daily puja for the cows. > But > on Govardhana Puja is also Go-Puja -- "Go" means "Cow" (it even sounds almost > like "cow") and "Puja" means "worship." So this is the day when Krsna advised > to worship the cows. Balabhadra or Madhava Gosh or Syamasundara or Rohita > prabhus could tell you whether the cows were worshipped on Govardhana puja > while > Srila Prabhupada was present. > > your servant, > > Hare Krsna dasi Well, they were honored. I don't remember ever actually performing arotikas directly to cows. Also, there is Gopastami, which even more so than Govardhan puja was especially for the cows. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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