Worshipping the cow

[Guest guest]

"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

[Guest guest]

>

> 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.

[Guest guest]

>>Hare Krsna dasi

>>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.

 

> Madhava Gosh

> 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.

 

Comment:

Gopastami is more appropriate, but I have been instructed by Jaya Pataka

Maharaj that it is not proper to preform arotik to the cows, garlands and 'cow

cookies' and painting are recommmended.

 

Our worship of them lies in how we treat them and use their by-products - that

is what most pleases them and the Lord.

ys, Rohita dasa

[Guest guest]

Actually, I never found out much about Gopastami until last year.

 

Could you explain the story to it and how you observed it in Srila Prabhupada's

presence. Thanks.

 

your servant,

 

Hare Krsna dasi

 

"COM: Madhava Gosh (das) ACBSP (New Vrindavan - USA)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2736734 from COM]

>

> >

> > 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.

[Guest guest]

Haribol prabhus,

PAMHO AGTSP

 

Well I'd like a clear yes or no, because it's coming soon. Do we or don't we

worship the cows on GO Puja day, because we certainly have been doing it for

years here. At least most years. So if this is not appropriate, then what do

we do? Do we celebrate them without Arotik or when is Gopastami, as I'm

working on a BBT and not a Vaisnava detailed calender. To date it hasn't

ever figured much that I can think of. My point being, that it's the only

day we can get a whole temple focused on the cows, THEIR cows. For at least

one day, they see that the cows have personality, are easy to groom and

touch, and respond to association. Maybe the impact isn't too lasting on

adults, I can't say, but certainly it marks well in the children's memories.

My son who is now a grown man, can still remember dressing up to 'lift

Govardhana Hill' and the cow when she passed stool in front of everybody. He

remembers, which is a big difference from hearing from another adult devotee

some years ago commenting that we spoke about the cows like they had real

personalities, or that they were just like other devotees, and that was

during a conversation to assist the cow programme. So please can we clarify

this so we can arrange SOMETHING at SOMETIME, otherwise how do we educate

and raise the profile in a personal way?

[Guest guest]

"COM: Ananda Maya (dd) SDG (Derrylin - Northern Ireland)" wrote:

 

> [Text 2747694 from COM]

>

> Haribol prabhus,

> PAMHO AGTSP

>

> Well I'd like a clear yes or no, because it's coming soon. Do we or don't we

> worship the cows on GO Puja day, because we certainly have been doing it for

> years here.

 

Well, I can only give you my opinion. If the question is should you honor

the

cows, then a yes. If you mean do arotik, then I would say, based on the

Srila Prabhupada quote, no..

 

Hare Krsna dasi asked how we did it when Srila Prabhupada was present.

Truthfully, I don't remember. I do remember one Gopastami, we set up a Vyas

asana in one of the miiddle stalls of the row in the tie stall barn. The

arotik

was performed to Srila Prabhupada. I can't remember if Srila Prabhupada was on

the planet or not, can't remember if their was a murti or a picture on the

vyasa sana.

 

One reason is that my vantage point was in the feed aisle behind the vyasa

asana, so my memory was from that vantage point. Why I remember that

particular year, is that my good friend, now gone from his body, Taru was

involved in a caper. He was either doing the arotik or else standing right

behind the vyasa sana. Only a couple of us were behind, most were crowded in

front of the vyasa sana.

 

After the offering was made, the pujari sliped the plate under the vyasa sana

and started the arotik. The devotee behind the vyasa sana reached under it

and

slipped the plate out from under neath, then fled from the barn with it.

Naturally, havingmore interest in the high fat content of the plate then in

the

subtler ecstasy of worshipping the guru, I followed him. When the puja

emerged from the barn, we transfered the contents and dealt with them

according

to our own motivations.

 

Sorry for rambling. Do what you feel called to do, but if you were to take a

picture/murti of Srila Prabhupada to the barn, if that is where the festivities

take place, and do a guru puja, I feel you would be pretty safe. You can

still brush and decorate the cows, and associate with them, and all that,

have a parade, dramas, whatever, but make the actual arotik a guru puja.

 

In New Vrindaban, they used to take some cows to the temple for Govardhana

puja, and then have Gopastami actually at the barn. I don't know your physical

setup where you are, if the barn is near the temple, it is a lot easier.

 

The calendar I am looking at shows Govardhana puja Nov 8, Gopastami Nov. 16.

The go puja reference is more towards the land in the form of Govardhan hill.

 

I have always thought that go means the land, the cows, and the senses.

[Guest guest]

Dear Prabhu;

 

When Srila Prabhupada was present we definitely performed arotika for the

cows on Gopastami. I was here on New Talavan from 1974 and Srila Prabhupada

visited here in 1975.

Every year we performed arotik for the cows on Gopastami. One year I

remember the local sheriff happended to come up for something just while we

were performing arotik. I went greet him and to try and explain the

ceremony. He just drawled whatever yall do is yalls business. I guess he

would have a hard time understanding all the devotees in full dress waving a

lamp around the cows decorated with flowers and painted up so nicely. I

guess that story circulated around the local stockyards for awhile. anyway

I know that Srila Jayapataka gave sanction to the arotik on Gopastami also.

I hope this helps. YS Dvibhuja Das

 

COM: Ananda Maya (dd) SDG (Derrylin - Northern Ireland)

<Ananda.Maya.SDG (AT) bbt (DOT) se>

WWW: Rohita (Dasa) ACBSP (New Talavan MS - USA) <talavan (AT) com (DOT) org>; COM:

Cow (Protection and related issues) <Cow (AT) bbt (DOT) se>

Monday, November 01, 1999 11:30 PM

Re: Worshipping the cow

 

 

>[Text 2747694 from COM]

>

>Haribol prabhus,

>PAMHO AGTSP

>

>Well I'd like a clear yes or no, because it's coming soon. Do we or don't

we

>worship the cows on GO Puja day, because we certainly have been doing it

for

>years here. At least most years. So if this is not appropriate, then what

do

>we do? Do we celebrate them without Arotik or when is Gopastami, as I'm

>working on a BBT and not a Vaisnava detailed calender. To date it hasn't

>ever figured much that I can think of. My point being, that it's the only

>day we can get a whole temple focused on the cows, THEIR cows. For at least

>one day, they see that the cows have personality, are easy to groom and

>touch, and respond to association. Maybe the impact isn't too lasting on

>adults, I can't say, but certainly it marks well in the children's

memories.

>My son who is now a grown man, can still remember dressing up to 'lift

>Govardhana Hill' and the cow when she passed stool in front of everybody.

He

>remembers, which is a big difference from hearing from another adult

devotee

>some years ago commenting that we spoke about the cows like they had real

>personalities, or that they were just like other devotees, and that was

>during a conversation to assist the cow programme. So please can we clarify

>this so we can arrange SOMETHING at SOMETIME, otherwise how do we educate

>and raise the profile in a personal way?

[Guest guest]

Haribol prabhus,

PAMHO AGTSP

 

Thanks for the various opinions. I think we'll go more with M.Gosh's date of

the 16th for specialised honour of our cows here, but unfortunately our barn

and yarn are not really suitable, but we'll do our best. Anyway, a couple of

devotees were interested in seeing the cows on Govardhana Puja, but I guess

Sri Govinda is in His Govardhana mood of 'rocking the boat' so to speak, as

they'll have to come across the water to do so (normally we take a cow

across the lake to the temple, but there's no engine for the boat, and I

don't believe that we should make her swim just so we can honour her!). Even

if they don't, my family have always spent a little extra time and endeavour

on them on that day. I appreciate all the devotees help in these matters.

ys