Animal Figurine Cow ( Gau Mata )

GAU MATA

Cattle are considered sacred in world religions such as Hinduism, Jainism, Zoroastrianism and others. The cow has been a symbol of wealth since ancient days. However, they were neither inviolable nor revered in the same way they are today. The cow was possibly revered because Hindus relied heavily on it for dairy products and for tilling the fields, and on cow dung as a source of fuel and fertilizer. Thus, the cow’s status as a 'caretaker' led to identifying it as an almost maternal figure (hence the term gau mata). Hinduism is based on the concept of omnipresence of the Divine and the presence of a soul in all creatures, including bovines. Thus, by that definition, killing any animal would be a sin: One would be obstructing the natural cycle of birth and death of that creature, and the creature would have to be reborn in that same form because of its unnatural death. Krishna, one of the incarnations of god in Hindu mythology (Avatar), tended cows. The cow and bull represent the symbol of Dharma. Reverence for cows and bulls are in the major texts of the Vedic religion. In South India and some parts of Sri Lanka, a cattle festival is celebrated. It is called as Mattu Pongal. The Sanskrit word for cattle is pasu. Milk cows are also called Aghnya "that which may not be slaughtered .In the Rig Veda, the cows figure frequently as symbols of wealth and in comparison with river goddesses, like two bright mother cows that lick their young, Vipas and Sutudri speed down their waters. “Atharva Veda the cow's body is represented by devas and other subjects. The Harivamsha depicts Krishna as a cowherd. He is often described as Bala Gopala, "the child who protects the cows." Another of Krishna's names, Govinda, means "One who brings satisfaction to the cows." Other scriptures identify the cow as the "mother" of all civilization, its milk nurturing the population. The gift of a cow is applauded as the highest kind of gift. The cow's milk is believed to promote Sattvic (purifying) qualities. The ghee (clarified butter) from the milk of a cow is used in ceremonies and in preparing religious food. Cow dung is used as fertilizer, as a fuel and as a disinfectant in homes. Its urine is used for religious rituals as well as medicinal purposes. The supreme purificatory material, panchagavya, was a mixture of five products of the cow: milk, curds, ghee, urine and dung Kamadhenu, the miraculous "cow of plenty" and the "mother of cows" in Hindu mythology is believed to represent the generic sacred cow, regarded as the source of all.