Shri Krishna and the Cows

“Among cows I am the wish fulfilling cow.” Lord Krishna (Bhagavad-Gita 10. 28)

Dear Friends, Today I am going to write about the Cows who were always mentioned with Krishna in his Childhood days at Gokul/ Vrindavan. They were inseparable from the Lord! All his pastimes in Gokul/ Vraj has the mention of Cows in them! We come to know that when Shri Krishna used to come back at the afternoon, the dust from the hooves of the cows spread in the sky of Gokul as well as on the Lord also! They used to add to the Beauty of the Lord! His roop used to become ‘param manohar’ during this return journey.

Now I will try to mention some important points about cows, why are they considered ‘Holy’ in Hindu Religion. Hindu Religion has always involved respect for animals as one of its central themes. Cow is the most revered animal according to Hindu Religious beliefs. That status got reinforced by the Leelas of Shri Krishna. There are some very unique qualities which make them so special! Cows are like our mothers- Gentle and Generous, they give us Milk, which is a Complete (as well as a ‘Sattvik’) food, we have So Many products from Milk- like Butter, Curd, Chesse, Cream, Yogert etc. Milk is also very essential in any religious fuction. Even the waste products of the cows are So Useful in our daily life (i.e.- in the context of village life).

The life of Gokul was free, full of Happiness, peace, like many other villages, without the complicacies of City life (nagar jeevan). Krishna’s presence there was the source/ origin of all the ‘Contentment’ in the lives of all the creatures present at that time in Gokul. Nand Baba had So Many cows, Krishna used to know each and every cow with its name. Often they were categorized by colour and named according to that like- Dhavali, Pingala, Shyamala and so on.

Krishna Loved Everyone in this creation, He wanted us to experince the ‘Oneness of Spirit’ in the Whole Creation! His Spirit was always ‘in tune’ (‘Ekaatma’) with the Whole Creation! The same Love can be seen in his interactions with cows. He was very very fond of them in every single day. The Lord is So ‘Sharanagat Vatsal’!! All the cows loved Him! And He also adored them! With his flute, (which he used to play while he stayed in the field with the cows,) He used to Captivate the all the living beings of Gukul!

He was very fond of Surabhi cows, (those were like the 'wish fulfilling’ cows), the cows from whom one can get as much milk as one needs and we can milk the cows as many time as we want. This very concept of Surabhi cows were unknown to me before knowing about Shri Krishna! There must be some spiritual significance of this concept of Surabhi cows, will write about it if I find any in future.

Among many of his names, we have ‘Gopal’, and ‘Govinda’, which mean that He is the one who protects the cows, who takes care of them. Shri Krishna always loves any offering made to the cows, by this way we offer our respect to Him also.

Ramanand Sagarji has shown the explanation of the worshipping of the cows by Krishna in such a nice way in his Tele serial –‘Shri Krishna’. Will post the link of that part soon.

Now, here is a scene where Krishna is busy with cows and here we also have His mellifluous Flute. This is one my really favourite scene from 'Shri Krishna':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRhpOYTdGbo&playnext=1&list=PLE62B4A4E9F1C8FE4

Remembering the Lord with the cows, his sweet pastimes in Vraj, his playful attitude towards all the beings there- makes us filled with Joy and Bliss!

namo brahmanya-devaya

go-brahmana-hitaya ca

jagad-dhitaya krsnaya

govindaya namo namah [Vishnu Purana 1.19.65]

"I offer repeated obeisance's unto Lord Krishna, who is the protector and well-wisher of the cows and the Brahmans.

Jai Shri Krishna!

'Ranchhodh'- Origin of the name of the Lord: Some scenes from 'Mahabharat' and 'Shri Krishna' TV Serials

Here I am posting a dialogue from my favourite Mahabharat where Krishna discusses about the reason and the implications of the name 'Rannchhod'.




After completing Gurukul, Krishna and Balaram join Mathura in their war against Jarasandh. The following scene comes just after Krishna and Balaram triumph over Jarasandh.

Mathura Raajsabhaa

('Krishna-Balaram ki Jay'- can be heard from the background)

Ugrasen- Yadi Krishna aur Balaram thik samay par na aa gaye hote, to Mathura ka paraajay aaj nishchit tha. To Mathura par in dono ka ek aur rinn chadh gaya.

Krishna – Kshama chaahta hoon Maharaaj, parantu maatrubhoomi kabhi rini nahi hoti. Aur yadi koi yeh soche ki usne ya uske parivaar ne maatrubhoomi par koi upkaar kiya hai, to yeh uski bhool hai. Maine jo kiya, wo mera kartavya tha. Aur aaj ke pashchaat mai jo kuchh karunga, wo keval kartavyapaalan hi ke liye karunga. Vijay ki is kshan me mai yeh kehna chaahta hoon ki Magadh Naresh Jarasandh phir aakramann karenge.

Balaram- To is me chintit hone ki kya aavashyakta hai? Yaduvanshiyon ko yun Magadh Naresh se ghabarana shobha nahi deta.

Akrur- Mai Balaram se sehmat hoon, Maharaaj.

Ugrasen- Phir bhi hume Krishna ki baat to sunni hi chaahiye. Hum yeh kaise bhul sakte hain ki yeh Devaki ka aathvaan putra hai, jo Mathura ko hi nahi, balki poori Vraj-bhoomi ko, Kans se mukti dilaane ke liye aaya hai.

Akrur- Parantu Mathura to Kans se mukt ho gayi hai Maharaaj.

Vasudev- To yeh Jarasandh kya hai? Aur yeh baar baar Mathura par aakramann kyun kar raha hai? Abhi yeh yuddh samapt nahi hua hai Maharaaj.

Krishna – Mai Pitaashree se sehmat hoon Maharaaj.

Balaram – Yadi yeh yuddh samapt nahi hua hai Pitaashree, to Jarasandh ko aane dijiye. Is baar yeh yuddh samapt hi kar dete hain.

Krishna- (smiling) Veer Purush ko yuddh ke liye itna utaavalaa nahi hona chaahiye Dau. Balveer ki to pehchaan hi yeh hai ki wo aavashyak aur anaavashyak yuddh ka antar samajh sakta hai. Anaavashyak yuddh to keval abhimaani karte hain.

Vasudev – To kya hum Magadh Naresh ke paas yeh praarthana leke jaayen Putra ki yuddh me hamaare haathon paraajay to avashya hui, parantu hum par daya karo, hum ladnaa nahi chahte?

Krishna – Yadi yeh kehne se yuddh tal jaye, to yeh kehne me bhi kshati nahi hai Pitaashree.

Darbari – Yeh tum kya keh rahe ho Vaasudev Krishna? Kya hum Yaduvanshi us Jarasandh ke aagey ghutne tek den?

Krishna – Nahi, ghutne to keval kaayar tekate hain, to yeh mai kaise keh sakta hoon? Apni rakshaa ke liye, raashtra ki rakshaa ke liye ladanaa to hamaarakartavya hai.

Balaram – To phir tum keh kya rahe ho? Kabhi to do bol seedhe bol liya karo…

Krishna – Mera prastaav yeh hai ki hum Yaduvanshiyo ko Mathura chhod deni chahiye.

Public – Hum Mathura nahi chhodenge … Hum Mathura nahi chhodenge…

Krishna – Krodh ki kataar krodhi ki buddhi ko kaat deti hai. To koi aise shastra ka upyog hi kyun kare?

Balaram – Baaten na banaao Krishna … Tum yehi keh rahe ho na ki Jarasandh se darr ke hum ghar bhi chhod den aur rann bhi?

Akrur – Parantu itihaas to isse kaayarta kahega.

Balaram – Yeh kehkar Nandgaon ke maakhan ka apmaan to na karo Krishna.

Krishna – Yeh kehkar mai Nandgaon ke maakhan ka apmaan nahi kar raha hoon, Dau. Uski rakshaa kar raha hoon. Magadh Naresh ki ladaai to mere saath hai na? Ki maine Mama Kans ka vadh kiya hai? Unki do putriyan to mere kaaran vidhawa hui hain. To Magadh Naresh ke krodh ki agni me Mathura kyun jale?

Balaram – Haan, to tum akele hi unke liye bahut ho.

Krishna – Prashna yeh nahi hai, Dau… Parantu yuddh tabhi hona chahiye jab doosre saare maarg bandh ho chuke hon.

Vasudev- Parantu Jarasandh ne kaunsa maarg khula chhoda hai Putra?

Krishna – Ek maarg hai Pitashree. Mathura ko yuddh ki agni se bachaane ka ek maarg ab bhi khula hai.

Ugrasen – Kusnsa maarg khula hai Vats?

Krishna – Mathura se kahin aur chale jaane ka maarg, Maharaaj.

(Genaral public are astonished by this suggestion… They all stand up…)

Krishna – Mathura me hamara yug samaapt ho gaya hai. Naye yug ke swaagat ke liye hume ek Dwarika banaani chaahiye.

Balaram – Yeh kyun nahi kehte ki rann chhodne ka prastaav rakh rahe ho?

Vasudev – Yadi tumne aisa kiya to log tumhe 'Rannchhod Shri' kehne lagenge Putra.

Krishna – Jis Mathura, jis Vraj-bhoomi ko swayam maine Kans ke atyachaaron se mukti dilaayi hai, usse Magadh Naresh Jarasandh ki badle ki bhaavna se bachaane ke liye mujhe yeh bhi swikaar hai ki log mujhe 'Rannchhod' kahe. Naamo me kya rakhha hai? Naam to pukaarne ka ek saadhan hai. Aur bus log mujhe chaahe jis naam se pukaaren, parantu jab mujhe aisa lagega ki pukaarnewala mujhe pukaar raha hai, tab mai avashya bolunga. Aur rahunga mai wohi, jo hoon.

Balaram – Main to phir bhi kahunga ki Sudarshan Chakra nikaalo aur…

Krishna – Har gardan Sudarshan Chakra ke yogya nahi hai, Dau!Yaduvanshiyonko apne abhimaan se pyaar hai to hum yehi rahenge. Aur yadi unhe apni Vraj-bhoomi se pyaar hai, to hume swadesh tyaag karna hi padega.Kehna mera kartavya tha, maine kar diya. Ab nirnay lena Maharaaj ka kartyya hai.

Ugrasen – Mai Vaasudev Krishna se sehmat hoon.



(After this discussion, Krishna calls Dev-Shilpi Vishwakarma, tells him about Dwarika and Vishwakarma shows the plan of Dwarika.)


All the introductory dialogues by all the other characters were necessary to reach the nice ones ….The way Krishna says- 'Naamo me kya rakhha hai? Naam to pukaarne ka ek saadhan hai. Aur bus log mujhe chaahe jis naam se pukaaren, parantu jab mujhe aisa lagega ki pukaarnewala mujhe pukaar raha hai, tab mai avashya bolunga. Aur rahunga mai wohi, jo hoon'- is just Awesome!

And here is the same topic covered in Ramanand Sagar's Shri Krishna, in the song , where Kaalyavan follows Shri Krishna for a battle. The signifcance of the song is there in this video itself. Love to watch this scene and love the Lyrics of this song! The way Swapnil has enacted in this sc is really Great!

Link of the Song: 'Nath Bhagaawat, Khel Khilaavat':

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD6CUEzlunc&feature=related