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| Hinduism's Sacred
Animal |
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It's becoming a routine
ritual on the crowded, colorful streets of Delhi, India:
A small team of men surrounds a wandering cow,
attempting to coax it on to a waiting truck for a trip
to a suburban reserve. But the cow catchers need to be
careful: To India's millions of Hindus, the cow is a
holy animal that cannot be harmed.
 The tender treatment is just one example of
our complicated relationship with cows -- a historic
partnership detailed by NATURE's HOLY COW. From a source
of meat and milk to a provider of labor and religious
inspiration, cows often play a central role in modern
life.
Few people, however, revere the cow like
the world's 900 million adherents of Hinduism. Since the
faith first evolved near Asia's river Indus more than
3,000 years ago, respect for animal life has been a
central theme in Hindu life. While many scholars say
early Hindus ate beef, most ultimately came to see the
cow as a sacred animal to be esteemed, not eaten. "If
someone were to ask me what the most important outward
manifestation of Hinduism was, I would suggest that it
was the idea of cow protection," Mahatma Gandhi, India's
legendary non violent leader, once
wrote.
Although Hindus follow no single set of
rules, reverence for cows can be found throughout the
religion's major texts. Some trace the cow's sacred
status back to Lord Krishna, one of the faith's most
important figures. He is said to have appeared 5,000
years ago as a cowherd, and is often described as
bala-gopala, "the child who protects the cows." Another
of Krishna's holy names, Govinda, means "one who brings
satisfaction to the cows." Other scriptures identify the
cow as the "mother" of all civilization, its milk
nurturing the population.
Today, in heavily Hindu
nations like India and Nepal, milk continues to hold a
central place in religious rituals. And in honor of
their exalted status, cows often roam free. Indeed, in
some places, it is considered good luck to give one a
snack, a bit of bread, or fruit before breakfast. On the
other hand, a citizen can be sent to jail for killing or
injuring a cow.
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