Serving the Cow is equal to serving the Lord; and it is also equal to serving the Guru. Cow is said to be the Mother of our Universe and holds a prominent place amidst all animals. It is believed that the Cow has descended upon Earth from the ‘Gau-loka’, a realm close to the ‘Brahma-loka’, and is therefore considered more virtuous than a human being.

For all auspicious occasions, we have a practice of purifying the place by sprinkling Gau-mutra all over. Even in the event of a death in the house, the place is purified with gau-mutra. During the house warming ceremony (Gruha-pravesh), it is the Cow that is first taken into the new house. According to the Sanatana Dharma, it is considered to be fortunate when the Cow urinates, excretes or cries ‘Amba’ within the house. The excreta of all the animals are obnoxious but that of the Cow is very pure. Its dung consists of almost eleven medicinal properties.

In Indian tradition, we have been using cow-dung for almost all our rituals. Even as early as fifty years ago, the common practice was to spread cow-dung all over the earthen stove before using fire-wood as fuel for cooking. Scientists have agreed that smell of cow-dung repels most small insects and bacteria. Spreading of cow-dung helped to maintain the cleanliness in the kitchen. When the fire-wood was lighted, cow-dung would also get heated, and the moisture of the cow-dung would combine with air to form a protective ‘Ozone Layer’ in the kitchen.

The age-old traditions of using cow-dung have now stopped, and hence illnesses and ailments have become more rampant now. The ‘Omkara’ sound (‘Amba’) that emanates from a Cow is considered more sacred than its dung and urine. In a new house, this sound is believed to be more powerful than the sound of a conch that is used to dispel the negativities of that place.

Our highly intelligent ancestors never depended upon any human doctor. To counter ailments, they used the cow products – butter, ghee, butter-milk, cow-urine and cow-dung. They possessed the advanced knowledge to prepare more than 1000 medicines with these cow products. Hence, there were hardly any instances of heart attacks during the olden times. Modern technology has distanced us from the Cow and therefore, both the young and the old suffer from illnesses. In the olden times, there was a practice to blow a conch at the time of sunrise. It was also the right time to milk the Cow and collect cow-urine as the Cow was known to urinate during this period.

In order to prepare the unique elixir ‘Panchgavya’ – cow-urine should be collected in a clean vessel. The Cow should then be milked and also the cow-dung should be collected in a separate vessel. Thereafter add ½ (half) glass of water to the dung and filter it. Next, collect 3 (three) spoons of this filtered cow-dung water in a vessel and add to it 3 (three) spoons of milk, 3 (three) spoons of ghee, and 3 (three) spoons of curd. This mixture that is prepared is called the ‘panchagavya’ mixture. If ‘Panchagavya’ is consumed daily at sunrise, one shall live a healthier life. Our ancestors who consumed this elixir, were healthier and far more intelligent too.

It is a fact that a complete inner transformation takes place when one lives in association with the Cow. Mental stress can be cured by just sitting and watching the Cow’s eyes. One who is unable to sleep can get restful sleep by watching the Cow’s eyes for about 30 minutes. One who lives with the Cow may even have a life-span of upto 120 years. The Cow is believed to be a perfect physician. In serving the cow at the time of sunrise, the ‘Brahma Gyana’ rays which flow from the hump situated on the Cow’s back, will enter our ethereal body. Hence, the one who is serving the Cow in the morning will lead a peaceful and harmonious life. Such a person may even reach the Gau-loka, after death. This is also one of the routes for self-realization. Later, one can progress on to the Brahmaloka. Therefore, I advise you to keep serving the cow in our Ashram. To serve the Cow, is to serve Lord Krishna. To lead a life of peace and harmony, humanity needs the blessings of the divine Cow.