Holy cow, it's Krishna's birthday!



(Himalayan Academy Publications)

Although Krishna doesn’t experience birth and death in the same way that humans do, his appearance on earth is nevertheless welcomed as a birthday.

That day is known as Krishna Janmashtami, and is “one of the biggest religious festivals in the world” according to krishna.com.  This festival is further described as “Christmas and New Year’s in one, a day of deep spiritual renewal and celebration that effectively finishes an old year and begins a fresh one.”  It is not only Krishna’s birth that is celebrated on this day, but also his childhood and overall “personable-ness.”

One of his endearing childhood attributes was his protection of cows.  In fact, two of Krishna’s popular names reflect this:  Bala

Gopala (“the child who protects the cows”) and Govinda (“one

who brings satisfaction to the cows”).  That’s because when he

wasn’t playing the flute, dancing, or otherwise divinely occupied –

he was tending cows.

According to Wikipedia, cattle are not only sacred in Hinduism, but also in Buddhism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism, and in religions of ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.  Some of this reverence has roots in ancient Vedic times when cows symbolized wealth.  The milk, as well as the dung, was cherished and thoroughly utilized.  In the Rig Veda, river goddesses such as Vipas and Sutudri are

favorably compared with cows.  In the Atharva Veda, the “cow’s body is represented by various devas…”

In the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Krishna says the following:  The holy places always stay in the cows’ hooves.  O father, Goddess Lakshmi always stays in the cows’ hearts…  A place where cows stay is holy.  One who dies there is at once liberated.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) therefore asserts, “Cow protection is not a relic from the ancient past – it’s the heart of Dharma.”  In order to assist with this protection, ISKCON has developed the New Vrindaban Goraksa Seva program, which promotes “environmentally sound farming practices.”  This not only protects the cows, but it also protects Mother Earth (which is “symbolized by a cow”).  

Resources

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna

http://www.krishna.com/how-celebrate-janmashtami

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_in_religion

http://newvrindaban.com/cowprotection/aboutcowprotection.html

Copyright August 22, 2011 by Linda Van Slyke  All Rights Reserved