By Ms Shashi.
Cow Mother – Go Matha:
In India we honour our cow as Mother.
Gomatha, we worship her during the festivals like Deepavali, Gopuja is a day, marked for her.
Today, let us offer our salutations to our Primal Divine Mother Cow Surabhi.
Surabhi is the celestial cow, in Indian mythology she has a world of her own, Goloka and that is where she resides.
She personifies the caring loving attributes of a Mother.
Milkmaids and others who tend cows tell us how, the cow manages to keep some milk for her calf in a secret chamber in her udders, which she releases only for her calf, after the milkmaid has milked her dry!
Once the calf is born, she moos and nudges the calf to stand and has her way of negotiating it to her udders. Once the calf gets the taste of milk, knows its way to food.
Her affection does not stop there. She knows her saliva is protection to the young one against infection, so, keeps licking all over.
Gomatha – mother cow is favorite to Radha and Krishna
She is a boon to humanity,not only her milk but also her urine and dung which is used for purification and manuare
She is the epitome of truth and dharma
Story of Punyakoti cow is an affirmation to her qualities
Legend says it is a true story.
Watch a beautiful video of this story in Kannada language below. I also have given the story below the video.
Long time ago, when the jungles were thick with vegetation, animals roaming fearlessly, food was plenty, pastures were rich and vibrant. On the outskirts of jungles, were small villages, where man and animal lived with mutual understanding not to trespass on another’s territory.
In one such village lived a farmer with a small patch of cultivable land and a cow-shed of four cows and two bulls.
In the morning the farmer would let his herd to the forest for grazing. At dusk he would sound a call and all of them would return home to the shed.
One day his favorite young cow gave birth to a beautiful fawn like calf with big black eyes and a beautiful brown coat, the calf was loved by all the other cows. They would watch it frolicking around the shed in and out between their legs, each one showering their affection by licking it, Punyakoti, the mother was proud of her beautiful daughter.
The calf was one week old, the mother (Punyakoti) promised the calf she would go grazing and be back soon,the farmer tied the little calf under the shade of a huge tree.
The cows were out grazing, Punyakoti was very hungry since she had come to the pasture after a long time .
Unwittingly she walked away from the herd towards the mouth of a cave, which was home to a tiger by name Arbhuta.
The tiger, Arbhuta was not really hungry. He was lazing perched atop the cave. Smell of fresh grass reached his nostrils. He opened one eye and saw a cow large and beautiful grazing towards the cave. His mouth salivating, who would let go of such a sumptuous meal even though he was not actually hungry?
One leap and the cow was ambushed.The tiger was facing the trembling Punyakoti (cow), who realized there was no escape but to be his meal.
Punyakoti remembered her calf and the promise she made to come early and feed her.
The tiger came closer. The time lost thinking of her calf shortened the distance between her and the tiger.
She sent up a short prayer for help and told the tiger – she was mother to a week old calf and that she would go meet her, nurse her and come back to be his meal which she said was a promise.”
The tiger gnarled out loud and growled whether she thought him to be a fool to believe her words.
Punyakoti said
“Truth is my mother and father.
Truth and promise are my relatives.
If I do not abide by the truth, will God ever forgive me?
Listen! oh Tiger!!
I promise on my calf, l will abide by my words, will feed her and then become your food.” Tears welled in her large eyes,feeling weak she feel on her knees near the tiger.
The jungle hero, forgot his natural instincts and asked the cow to go feed her calf and come and that he would wait for her.
Punyakoti slowly made her way home, heart heavy with sorrow, grieving for her calf who would soon be orphaned. She looked around all the other cows had reached home, she was late.
From a distance she saw her calf restless and the others of the herd trying to play with her.
She realized her calf was in safe hands and that momentary glance at the cowshed made her feel at peace.Her calf was in safe and caring company.
She nudged the door open,went inside. The calf left everybody and rushed to her udders heavy with milk, Punyakoti licked the calf to her hearts content, pushed her aside and told the herd, her story.
Huge tears fell off her eyes as she asked and pleaded with each cow and bull in the herd to take care of her child. She glanced at her calf for the last time and went out into the dark night towards the cave where the tiger was waiting
Punyakoti ,went to the tiger hung her head low and said,” here l am. I have come as promised, you can eat me”
The tiger walked upto her and growled ” you have raised my spirits high, but weakened my self esteem, you go back to your calf!” he said.
Punyakoti could not believe what she heard, she went past the tiger,l ooked at him with grateful eyesand wept tears of joy and gratitude.
The tiger walked past her, his pride shaken, and jumped off the cliff and died.
How do we relate this story in modern times
Somewhere in the US, a woman was caught shoplifting,the lady constable told her she would be jailed for this behavior.
The lady guilt written all over her face with trembling fingers removed the packet from under her shirt,gave it to the constable and said,l will be back in half hour, trust me.
The constable let her go, but sent a plain-clothes-man behind her, the woman went into a shack,the man peeped in and saw the lady clutching her sick child and saying ” l will be away for two days. Sorry l could not get you food, there is medicine for two days near the pillow, which you should have in my absence. I have an important work pending ,once done l will be back with lot of food for both of us”,
She hugged and clung to her sick child,wept bitter tears and left crying oblivious to the plainclothes officer peeping through the makeshift tent.
The officer radioed what transpired, to the constable and as he reached the post , the lady was trudging towards the Constable her head lowered in grief and remorse, there is ” no God, no God”, she whispered between her breaths and stood in front of the constable .”Here I am”, the woman said, wiping her tears and smiling with confidence .The constable glanced at her and asked her to wait,and disappeared into the mall
The Constable came out in sometime with two paper bags full to the brim with food and a job offer letter at the Mall.
Truth and honesty exposes us to dangerous situations,but also finds us solace once the trying period is over.
So hang on to truth and honesty! Come what may!!
Pranams,
Shashi