Protect A Cow

In Christian religion it is clearly stated, "Thou shalt not kill." And most of the slaughterhouses are in the Christian countries

750302LE.ATL                 Lectures
The definition of "native" means one who has taken birth in that land. That is called native. So the cow is also native. So why this law, that for the benefit of the human being, the cow should be slaughtered? And he is giving milk; he is working for you. What is this philosophy? In Christian religion it is clearly stated, "Thou shalt not kill." And most of the slaughterhouses are in the Christian countries. Why? This is all misunderstanding of spiritual life. Therefore... Just like the discussion went on with the Kazi and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There was no philosophy. He first asked him that "Cow is your mother. Bull is your father. Why you are killing father and mother? What is your religion? Is that very good philosophy, that you shall kill your father and mother and eat them?" This was the first question. According to Vedic civilization, cow is to be given all protection. The Hindus or followers of the Vedic religion, why they are interested to give protection to the cows, not to the..., not so much to the other animals? And Lord Christ is more liberal. He said, "Thou shalt not kill." He does not name any animal's name. Every animal. Every animal should be given protection. That is also the Vedic idea. Why these poor animals should be killed? By killing, killing, killing, you become sinful and entangled. Therefore now it has begun--one is killing his own child.
   So this is going on. So in this way we cannot be happy. We shall become more and more entangled in sinful resultant action. And we have to take different types of body. So perpetually it will go on. Therefore this movement, Krsna consciousness movement, is to awaken every man to God consciousness and just to stop his activities in sinful life, so that he will be purified and he will understand God. Without being purified, nobody can understand what is God. That is not possible.                                                            

 

They openly kill animals daily by the thousands for no purpose other than the satisfaction of the tongue. Because of this the entire world is suffering in so many ways.

Madhya 24.250  The Sixty-One Explanations of the Atmarama Verse                         TEXT 250

                                    TEXT

 vyadha tumi, jiva mara----'alpa' aparadha tomara
         kadarthana diya mara'----e papa 'apara'

                             SYNONYMS

   vyadha tumi--you are a hunter; jiva mara--your occupation is to kill animals; alpa--slight; aparadha--offense; tomara--your; kadarthana diya--unnecessarily giving them pain; mara'--when you kill; e papa apara--this sinful activity is unlimited.

                           TRANSLATION

   "Narada Muni continued, 'My dear hunter, your business is killing animals. That is a slight offense on your part, but when you consciously give them unnecessary pain by leaving them half-dead, you incur very great sins.'

                             PURPORT

   This is another good instruction to animal killers. There are always animal killers and animal eaters in human society because less civilized people are accustomed to eating meat. In Vedic civilization, meat-eaters are advised to kill an animal for the goddess Kali or a similar demigod. This is in order not to give the animal unnecessary pain, as slaughterhouses do. In the balidana sacrifice to a demigod, it is recommended to cut the throat of an animal with one slice. This should be done on a dark-moon night, and the painful noises expressed by the animal at the time of being slaughtered are not to be heard by anyone. There are also many other restrictions. Slaughter is only allowed once a month, and the killer of the animal has to suffer similar pains in his next life. At the present moment, so-called civilized men do not sacrifice animals to a deity in a religious or ritualistic way. They openly kill animals daily by the thousands for no purpose other than the satisfaction of the tongue. Because of this the entire world is suffering in so many ways. Politicians are unnecessarily declaring war, and, according to the stringent laws of material nature, massacres are taking place between nations.

                       prakrteh kriyamanani
                     gunaih karmani sarvasah
                       ahankara-vimudhatma
                       kartaham iti manyate

   "The bewildered spirit soul, under the influence of the three modes of material nature, thinks himself to be the doer of activities, which are in actuality carried out by nature." (Bg. 3.27) The laws of prakrti (nature) are very stringent. No one should think that he has the freedom to kill animals and not suffer the consequences. One cannot be safe by doing this. Narada Muni herein says that animal killing is offensive, especially when animals are given unnecessary pain. Meat-eaters and animal killers are advised not to purchase meat from the slaughterhouse. They can worship Kali once a month, kill some unimportant animal and eat it. Even by following this method, one is still an offender.

THE HARMONIST MAGAZINE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF PARAMAHANSA BHAKTI SIDDHANTA SARASWATI GOSWAMI (SEE PHOTO ALBUMS FOR ENTIRE ISSUE)

The Words of Caitanya Mahaprabhu,the Greatest Authority

Village life

   

a civilization in which there is no respect for the cows and brahmanas is condemned

   

Bhagavad-gita Ch. 16 ~ The Divine and Demoniac Natures

             

So at the present moment we are in a very, very deplorable condition, no good government. Simply by changing, by so-called parties, the government cannot improve.

720925SB.LA                  Lectures
Prabhupada: Yes. That was the custom. Not that by removing the king from the throne or killing the king, the brahmanas and the sages would come there to sit down on the throne. No. His son will be given chance to become king. The descendant was picked up, and they would take charge of the minor king, advise him, but they will never touch the throne. There are many instances. Just like Vena Maharaja. He became too much atheistic. He was also killed by the brahmanas and the sages. Then his son Prthu Maharaja became king, and he was a good administration, administrator. So in this way, things were going on.
    So the aim was how to make people happy by enlightening them in spiritual knowledge. Not that how to make better arrangement for eating, sleeping, mating, and defending. That was also going on. But the main purpose of life was brahminical culture. Brahma-druha. When the kings were neglectful to see that the people are being enlightened about spiritual self-realization, that was good administration. Without that aim, no nation can become happy. No community can become happy.
   So the responsibility was that time to the administrator. They would see that everyone, every brahmana, is following the rules and regulation of a brahmana; every ksatriya is following the rules and regulation of ksatriya. Vaisya, sudra... And nobody can interfere the other's business. Everyone is employed in his own business. And tax. Tax. The brahmana had to pay no tax. Only ksatriyas, they were tax collector. And sudra also, they had no property; therefore there was no tax. Only the vaisya class, the productive class, they had to pay tax. And that tax also was very simple. There was no encroachment. You simply give one fourth of your profit to the government. That's all. No more tax. Sales tax, this tax, income tax, excise tax, this tax--simply tax, tax, tax. No. Not like that. Whatever he has got profit. "Got" means whatever profit he has made... If he has no profit, there is no tax. That was the government system. So how he will pay if he has not made any profit this year? Just like we are hearing there is no good monsoon in India this year. So there will be no very much good production. But if there is no good production, the government should not levy any tax. But now, at the present moment, "You go to hell, but you must pay the tax. And we divide the tax amongst ourself." That's all. Finished. Or we employ the taxes for fighting, for declaring war. That's all.
   So at the present moment we are in a very, very deplorable condition, no good government. Simply by changing, by so-called parties, the government cannot improve. The government can improve when there are Krsna conscious person. So if some day you turn all the people Krsna conscious, then you become president.
   Thank you very much.

because of a sinful desire to condemn brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, for which the state is responsible.

S.B. 1/19/4

Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness.....

S.B. 1/19/3

Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the advancement of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by Providence.

The bulls and cows are offered special protection by followers of the Vedas.

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 16 Verse 20

But in this age of Kali, people will exploit the body of the bull and the cow as they like, and thus they will invite sufferings of various types.

A society devoid of cow protection and brahminical culture is not under the direct protection of the Lord

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto 1 Chapter 14 Verse 34 

Without cow protection and cultivation of the brahminical qualities in human society, at least for a section of the members of society, no human civilization can prosper at any length. 

There is no law to protect the descendants of Surabhi, who can give all protection to men by supplying the miracle food, milk.

Surabhi is the name of the cows which exist in the spiritual planets and are especially reared by Lord Sri Krsna Himself. As men are made after the form and features of the Supreme Lord, so also the cows are made after the form and features of the surabhi cows in the spiritual kingdom.

Human civilization means to advance the cause of brahminical culture, and to maintain it, cow protection is essential.

There is a miracle in milk, for it contains all the necessary vitamins to sustain human physiological conditions for higher achievements.

Similarly, the children of the state, the cow, the diseased person, the woman and the old man specifically require the protection of the state

Srimad Bhagavatam Canto One Chapter Fourteen Verse Fourty One  

                         kaccit tvam brahmanam balam
                         gam vrddham roginam striyam
                         saranopasrtam sattvam
                         natyaksih sarana-pradah

kaccit--whether; tvam--yourself; brahmanam--the brahmanas; balam--the child; gam--the cow; vrddham--old; roginam--the diseased; striyam--the woman; sarana-upasrtam--having approached for protection; sattvam--any living being; na--whether; atyaksih--not given shelter; sarana-pradah--deserving protection.

                                     TRANSLATION

     You are always the protector of the deserving living beings, such as brahmanas, children, cows, women and the diseased. Could you not give them protection when they approached you for shelter?

                                      PURPORT

     The brahmanas, who are always engaged in researching knowledge for the society's welfare work, both materially and spiritually, deserve the protection of the king in all respects. Similarly, the children of the state, the cow, the diseased person, the woman and the old man specifically require the protection of the state or a ksatriya king. If such living beings do not get protection by the ksatriya, or the royal order, or by the state, it is certainly shameful for the ksatriya or the state. If such things had actually happened to Arjuna, Maharaja Yudhisthira was anxious to know about these discrepancies.