By-HG Hrimati Devi Dasi (ACBSP)

namo brahmaṇya-devāya

go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca

jagad-dhitāya kṛṣṇāya

govindāya namo namaḥ

“My Lord, You are the well-wisher of the Cows and the brahmanas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world.” (Visnu Purana 1.19.65)

We talk so much about cow protection, but what does cow protection actually mean?

What does Go Raksha actually mean?

“Cow protection means just like Bhagavan, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. He is tending the cows. He is going, taking the cows personally from His royal palace going to the forest whole day, working there. Is it not, cowherd boy? And taken some little fruit, mother, whatever mother has given. They are playing that.So this is cow protection, not that ‘Somebody will give money and we shall keep some third class cows and feed there and become cow protector.’ That is not cow protection.”

“We must tend the cows very nicely so that they give us sufficient milk. And with that milk we shall live.”

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam Class 1.16.19

So, what does it mean to “tend the cows very nicely?”

First of all, we must learn what does a cow need to live a healthy life. This is not very difficult to know.

Cows need good feed, like organic fresh green grass, according to season and some preventive medical care. Cows need shelter from all harsh weather conditions — hot, cold or stormy. Cows also need to be groomed and kept clean and given facility to graze and socialize with other cows.

Cows and bulls that are lovingly kept like this in a clean environment will stay healthy and will give us back their love a hundred folds, in the form of all the 5 products of a cow, like milk, butter, yoghurt, go ark, etc., transportation on a bullock cart, and bull power in the agricultural sector.

“Protection of Cows is the single most important principle towards saving the whole world from both moral and spiritual degradation. Simply by protection of cows all the wonderful benefits of religiosity and piety will be automatically achieved without any separate endeavour.

The scriptures describe Go Seva and Go Raksha as a highly reverential duty that can be done by a man to please Lord Krishna and bring auspiciousness and harmony in the society!

“Lord Krsna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is the prime protector of brahminical culture and the Cows. Without knowing and respecting these pleasing personalities, one cannot realise the science of God, and without this knowledge, any welfare activities or humanitarian propaganda cannot be successful.”

SB 4.21.38 purport.

– SB: 8.6.12 (purport)

Tamil pāyasam and its etymon Sanskrit pāyasa, originally in sense ‘made of milk’ from payas milk.

Poori Payasam

A traditional Thanjavur dish made during Deepavali

**Ingredients**

Semolina(Rava) – 1 cup

Ghee – 1 tsp

Milk – 2 -3 tbsp (to make pooris)

Sugar – a pinch

Salt – a pinch

Water – 1/2 cup

Almond pulp – 1/2 cup

Sugar – 5-7 tbsp

Milk – 500 ml (to make badam kheer)

Saffron soaked milk – 2 tsp

**Method to make Pooris**

Mix the rava, salt, sugar, ghee and 2 tbspn milk well and let it rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 mins, make a stiff dough (add water only if needed).

To make pooris, divide the dough into equal sized small balls, flatten them and roll them into small round discs with a rolling pin and deep fry them in ghee or oil. Strain and remove the poori from oil when they puff up and turn golden brown in colour.

**For the almond pulp**

Soak 1/2 cup almonds in hot water for an hour. After an hour, strain the almonds, remove the skin and grind them with a little water to a thick paste/pulp.

**Badam Kheer**

Boil 2 cups water in a thick bottomed sauce pan. Reduce the heat to low-medium and add almond pulp to boiling water. Keep stirring as the mixture thickens and the raw smell fades.

Now add 3 cups boiled milk and soaked saffron. You can adjust the quantity of milk according to the desired thickness. Now add 4 tblspn sugar or according to taste. Boil until the sugar melts and blends well. Your badam Kheer is ready.

Add the fried pooris to the Badam kheer (warm or chilled) and let it soak for 3 to 4 minutes. Now Poori Payasam is ready to be offered to Gopalji!! serving.

Tips à Do not use all the badam kheer as the pooris tend to absorb. Keep some handy to add over the pooris, just before serving.

To see the Lord being carried by the bulls,Taraka and Paraka, was an unforgettable experience. According to ancient sacred texts, they are Dharma personified, in this case assuming the form of Kankrej bulls, members of a noble lineage. From ancient Indian archaeologists, we find records of these majestic bovines being displayed in the artwork of the Indus Valley civilization for their incredible beauty, distinguished b y their unique large sculpted horns.

It is said their horns have an effect on cooling their system as they serve as extensions of their bodies. The bulls have many functions in the blueprint of the universe and this is just one more of their distinguishing features.

A 20th century scientist of the Vedas, Rudolf Steiner, who applied his findings to many

fields, including agriculture with the bio dynamic system, stated that there are subtle

channels in the bovines connecting their horns and stomachs, and from that premise he developed a unique fertilizer. He recommends burying the horns of deceased bovines filled with cow dung to produce a fertilizer that potentialize the soil many folds. Here, the earth and bovines are also linked. Some say there is a great symmetry between the microorganisms present in the rumen of bovines, in human intestines and on the earth, creating a continuum of health. This once again proves the connection of bovines to human civilization.

This auspicious procession was designed to carry Their Lordships from Their present

residence to Their glorious new home, the temple of the Vedic Planetarium. The TOVP is a majestic offering to the mission of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, a temple that will broadcast His mission and the chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra to every town and village in the world.

As a global representative of agriculture and the cows and bulls, I was invited to sit on the

majestically-carved wooden bullock cart carrying Their Lordships. It is said that when the cows and bulls are in a happy mood it is to be understood that a community is entering

prosperity. A classic Indian scripture states as follows:

namobrahmaṇya-devāya
go-brāhmaṇa-hitāya ca
jagad-dhitāyakṛṣṇāya
govindāyanamonamaḥ

“Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto Lord Kṛṣṇa, who is the worshipable Deity for all
brahminical men, who is the well-wisher of cows and brāhmaṇas, and who is always
benefiting the whole world. I offer my repeated obeisances to the Personality of Godhead,
known as Kṛṣṇa and Govinda.” 
---[ViṣṇuPurāṇa 1.19.65]---

For a perfect human society, there must be the protection of go-dvija – the cows and the brahmaṇas.

In anticipation of this very auspicious moment, the residents of Sri Mayapur Dham

and many others, who came on pilgrimage to witness this unique moment, stationed themselves in every available space on each and every floor of the surrounding buildings.

The Brahmanas apprentices and their teachers led the procession chanting Vedic Hymns to please and attract the Supreme Lord. They were followed by loud drums announcing the passage of the Deities. The Brahmanas, with their turbans and beautiful decorations, spread a feeling of freshness andtranscendental bliss in the whole atmosphere. The citizens, elated by the transcendental picture in front of them, threw an incessant flow of flowers and petals onto Their Lordships and on the bulls as a sign of their ecstasy.

All of a sudden the meaning of this frequently recited mantra “namobrahmaṇya-devāya” was revealed to me. There, right in front of my eyes, there was a shower of transcendental response from the devotees to the presence of the Lord, the bulls and the Brahmanas. It was

very clear to everyone that some kind of magic was operating even though not all could ascertain its precise origin.

The impact of this moment penetrated deep into my heart.I feel the time is ripe and extremely conducive to engaging the bulls in the service of the Lord and activating Dharma in our lives.

Therefore, for the year 2022, The Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture is launching

the theme “Dharma and Agroecology in the mission of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu} for the

farm conference cycle. There will be many seminars, workshops, and conferences on this

topic. This knowledge has the purpose of revealing the pathway to abundance. For more

information, please visit the ministry website, https://mcpa.iskcon.org