Cow Quote #8

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Light of the Bhagavata - 9

 

A picturesque scene of green paddy fields enlivens the heart of the poor

agriculturalist, but it brings gloom to the face of the capitalist who lives

by exploiting the poor farmers.

 

With good rains, the farmer’s business in agriculture flourishes.

Agriculture is the noblest profession. It makes society happy, wealthy,

healthy, honest, and spiritually advanced for a better life after death. The

vaiya community, or the mercantile class of men, take to this profession.

 

In Bhagavad-g…t€ the vaiyas are described as the natural agriculturalists,

the protectors of cows, and the general traders. When Lord ®r… KŠa

incarnated Himself at Vnd€vana, He took pleasure in becoming a beloved son

of such a vaiya family. Nanda Mah€r€ja was a big protector of cows, and

Lord ®r… KŠa, as the most beloved son of Nanda Mah€r€ja, used to tend His

father’s animals in the neighboring forest. By His personal example Lord

KŠa wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. Nanda Mah€r€ja is

said to have possessed nine hundred thousand cows, and at the time of Lord

®r… KŠa (about five thousand years ago) the tract of land known as

Vnd€vana was flooded with milk and butter. Therefore God’s gifted

professions for mankind are agriculture and cow protection.

 

Trade is meant only for transporting surplus produce to places where the

produce is scanty. But when traders become too greedy and materialistic they

take to large-scale commerce and industry and allure the poor

agriculturalist to unsanitary industrial towns with a false hope of earning

more money. The industrialist and the capitalist do not want the farmer to

remain at home, satisfied with his agricultural produce. When the farmers

are satisfied by a luxuriant growth of food grains, the capitalist becomes

gloomy at heart. But the real fact is that humanity must depend on

agriculture and subsist on agricultural produce.

 

No one can produce rice and wheat in big iron factories. The industrialist

goes to the villagers to purchase the food grains he is unable to produce in

his factory. The poor agriculturalist takes advances from the capitalist and

sells his produce at a lower price. Hence when food grains are produced

abundantly the farmers become financially stronger, and thus the capitalist

becomes morose at being unable to exploit them.