The thought of Krishna always comes with the cows.
Two of the top verses of Divya Prabhandam on
Sharanagathi (Surrender to God) and Moksha portray him with cows. One is Andal’s Thiruppavai where she asks Him to accept her
surrender and another is her father Periyaazwar’s
final verse where he addresses him as an Ayan (Yadava) by praising whom one
attains Moksha.
Andal’s reference has an implicit meaning on why
Krishna was born in Yadava kulam.
She says, “PeRRam mEytthuNNum kulaththil piRanthu
nee,
kuRREval engaLaik koLLaamal pOgAdhu”.
பெற்றம்
மேய்த்துண்ணும் குலத்தில் பிறந்து நீ
குற்றேவல்
எங்களைக் கொள்ளாமல் போகாது
This means “as one born
in a kulam where you eat after making sure that the cows are fed well, you cannot
afford to reject our appeal to serve you”
Why Andal makes this reference to the cows being fed
before taking one’s own meal?
The cows are in lower rung than humans. But the
Yadava man would make sure that the cows eat first and then only he would fill
his own stomach. Krishna was born such a Kulam in a kind of symbolism for his
role via-a-via his devotees. He would not and cannot
rest until he has overseen that his devotees’ requirements are met. The
cows and we people are on the same boat by this comparison and which is also
true.
Our food does not come to us as a charity from Sonia
but because of the grace of God by whom our karmic obstacles are removed and we
get our food. It is because of this reason the kitchen is known as “Thiru maa-p-
padi (திருமாப்படி) in Vaishnavite’s homes. It
is He who decides how much we get to eat – He is the Padi – aLappavan (படி அளப்பவன்) – a term we come across in temple inscriptions
and Bhakthi literature. One can refer to Thiruvaluvar
too on “Marunthu” chapter where he says food is the medicine and because mistakes
in food gives rise to diseases, giving / donating food is considered as a
medicine which offers a release from bad Karma (bad karma gives rise to
diseases).
The
basic and first food is milk and the cow that gives that milk is mother of all
people. Krishna was born in a Kulam that took up the responsibility of giving
food to the cows themselves. That symbolism is reflected in Periyazwar’s last
10 pasurams starting with “Senni Ongu” where he calls the Almighty who offers
Moksha as “Ayar ERu” (ஆயரேறு).
He
is the one who protects the giver of food to all humans. The saddest fact of today is
that giver has been made into a food in our country where killing a cow is equated
to killing one’s own mother and father. Most inscriptions on donations
found in our country make a declaration that those who obstruct or appropriate
the donation would incur the sin that one gets for killing a cow or killing one’s
mother and father.
In
such land of ours, cows are being killed for food. Many articles have been
posted in this blog in the past condemning this dastardly act, but today I am
bringing to the notice of readers a noble soul who is engaged in saving the
cows that are taken to slaughter houses and providing them shelter and medical
treatment.
Yesterday’s
Kumudam Jothidam carried a lead article on his service which the writer
Sri AMR had written after visiting the Goshaala
maintained by him. It was a moving article in which Sri AMR had a raised a
pertinent question on cow traffickers. Didn’t these people have any other
business than this trafficking?
Publishing
here some of pics of the cows and buffaloes that had been rescued from those
murderers.
This
cow was actually given free under Jayalalithaa’s scheme of free cows to develop
individual’s and rural economy. The mark within the circle shows that this cow
was given under that scheme.
This
buffalo was beaten at the back very badly while transiting it to the slaughter
house in Kerala. This was rescued and given treatment, but the damage to the
back is beyond redemption.
Sri
AMR with a rescued calf.
A pregnant
cow, rescued and under treatment.
A
rescued cattle yet to recover.
These
cattle are being taken care of by one Mr Iyappan in Tirupur of Tamilnadu.
He
had personally stopped 2 lorries carrying the cattle and rescued the animals.
In one of the attempts, he was attacked with a sickle and has since recovered.
Donating
a cow or feeding a cow is one of the foremost pariharas (propitiations) told in
astrology when Sun or moon or Jupiter are afflicted in one’s horoscope. This
parihara is also told for Preta shpa, Sarpa dosha and curse of women and
brothers. I used to tell people in such circumstances to donate a cow to a Veda
Patashala or feed any cow that they see in their surroundings with banana or
spinach. Now I think I can ask them to contribute their mite towards the medical expenses and upkeep of the
cattle that have been rescued from slaughter houses.
One
of the issues raised by the police in rescuing the cattle is where to house
them or what to do with them after the rescue. It is here that people like Mr
Iyappan must be supported by all of us. By helping persons like him in the
treatment and upkeep of these cattle, we would be doing our part in some small way.
I would say that even those who are looking for suitable recipients for
donation as an astrological remedy, can help these cattle that need attention.
From
AMR’s article, I am furnishing the address of Mr Iyappan who is doing this noble
service through a Trust called “Gangothri Seva Samithi”
He
can be contacted at the following address.
Mr C.K. Iyyappan,
A.T.colony
back side,
Guruvayurappan
Nagar,
Poyampalayam
(East),
Abhirami
Theatre Road,
Tirupur
district,
Tamilnadu.
Ph:
9488384568 and 9940891967.
On this day of Krishna Jayanthi, let
us make a vow that we protect the cows from slaughter. Service to the cows means service to Krishna.
Related articles:-
On
sacredness of cow and against animal slaughter
(by Subramanian Swamy)
http://bharatabharati.wordpress.com/2013/05/29/cattle-rustling-in-new-delhi-gardiner-harris/ (From Bharatabharati)
11 comments:
Dear Madam
thanks for this post on Sri Jayanthi. its our duty to create awareness in desi cow protection. those who donate cows should include maintainence and monitor the cows periodically than thinking as onetime affair.
oflate i have also taken interest in local temple goshala, we have made a community of like minded friends to help milkmen with desicows & goshala . we pooled resource to collect vegetable peels, greens to feed cows which otherwise go as waste.
Happiness & satisfaction in serving cows is to be experienced
Sheela
Jayasree Madam
A very timely and thought provoking post.
Along with this post, for on line remittance, details like bank account details - name of the bank, name of the branch, name of account holder, account number, Code Number - are also provided, it would be helpful for me to make my contribution.
With regards
Dr Guru.Raghavan
//Happiness & satisfaction in serving cows is to be experienced//
Very true. Nice to know that you are feeding the cow in some way. May your tribe grow.
Cows are saatvic and an embodiment of Shuddha satva. If a person spends his time near cows, he too starts developing saatvic tendencies. The Gothra was infact a derived idea from Go-shaala where the rishis spent their time. River Yamuna was known as "Thozunai" in Tamil which means Gothra or the home of cows. I have written about this in my Tamil blog on Indus streets that look like Brindavan streets.
http://thamizhan-thiravidana.blogspot.in/2011/11/82.html
My comment in that article on my experience in Shreenath Dwaraka on the occasion of Govardhan puja :
தொழுவம் என்றாலும் கோத்ரம் என்றாலும் ஒரே அர்த்தம் தான். மாட்டுத்தொழுவத்தில்தான் ரிஷிகளும் உண்டானார்கள். கோத்ரம் என்னும் சொல்லைப் பலரும் ஆராய்ந்திருக்கிறார்கள். கோத்ரம் என்றால் தொழுவம் என்பது பொருள். தொழுநை (ஆறு) என்றாலும் தொழுவம் என்றே பொருள். கோத்ரத்தில்தான் ரிஷிகளும், அவர்கள் கோத்ர சிஷ்யர்களும், அவர்கள் வழியில் இன்றைக்கு இருக்கும் எல்லா பாரத மக்களும் உண்டானார்கள் என்று சொல்லப்படுகிறது. இதற்கு என்ன அர்த்தம் என்று யாராலும் புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியவில்லை. ஆனால் பசுக்களை வாழ்வின் ஒரு அங்கமாகவும், தெய்வமாகவும் கருதியதை யோசிக்கும் போதும், அந்தப் பகுதிகளைச் சென்று பார்த்த போதும், ஒரு தாயாக இருக்கும் அந்த வாயில்லா ஜீவனின் அருகாமையில், நமக்கும் உன்னத எண்ணங்கள் மனதில் உதிக்கின்றன என்று தோன்றுகிறது.
உயர்ந்த அறிவான ஆன்மீக அறிவைப் பெற வேண்டுமானால் மாடு மேய்த்து வா என்று சத்யகாம ஜாபாலிக்கு கௌதம ரிஷி சொன்னார் என்று இந்தத் தொடரில் 78 ஆவது கட்டுரையில் சொல்லியிருப்பேன். பசுக்கள் அதி-சாத்வீகப் பிராணிகள். தெய்வத்தைப் போல அவையும் சுத்த சத்துவமானவை. அந்த சுத்த சத்துவம், aura எனப்படும் சக்தியாக அவற்றிலிருந்து பரவுகின்றன. அது அவற்றின் அருகில் இருப்பவர்களது aural energy ஐ சாத்வீகமாக ஆக்குகிறது போலும். பசுக்கள் இல்லாமல் ஒரு ரிஷி உண்டானதாகக் கதை கிடையாது.
ஸ்ரீநாத் துவாரகாவில் கோவர்தன பூஜையின் போது நான் இருந்தேன். கிருஷ்ணர் வளர்த்த பசுவின் வம்சாவளிப் பசுக்கள் இரண்டு இன்னும் இருக்கின்றன. அவற்றைப் பார்த்தாலே நல்ல ஜாதிப் பசுக்கள் என்று தெரிகிறது. அந்த மாதிரி பசுக்களை நான் தமிழ் நாட்டில் பார்த்ததில்லை, பசுப் பண்ணைகளிலும் பார்த்ததில்லை. அவற்றுக்கு ஒரு அழகு, லக்ஷ்மிகரம் இருக்கிறது. அவற்றுடன் கிட்டத்தட்ட 60 பசுக்களை கிருஷ்ணர் மூர்த்தியின் முன்னிலையில் பூஜை செய்கிறார்கள். அங்கு கூடியிருந்த மக்களது மன நிலையும், பக்தியும், பிரேமையுமாக இருந்தது. அப்படிப்பட்ட பிரேமை கலந்த பக்தியைத் தமிழ் நாட்டில் கண்டதில்லை.
அந்த பசுக்களுக்கருகே இருந்த ஒரு மணி நேரமும் மனதில் இனம் சொல்ல முடியாத உணர்வுகள் இருந்தன. ஆயர்பாடியில் ஆநிரைகள் மேய்த்து, கிருஷ்ணனது புல்லாங்குழலில் மயங்கிய மக்களது மன நிலை எப்படி இருந்திருக்கும் என்று புரிந்தது. ஆன்மீகத்தைத் தேடுபவனுக்கும், ஆன்மீக ஞானம் கிடைக்கும் என்று தோன்றுகிறது. என்னென்னவெல்லாம் தேடுகிறார்களோ அவையெல்லாம் கிட்டும் என்று தோன்றுகிறது. அதனால்தான் பசுவைக் காமதேனு என்கிறார்களோ?
Dear Dr Guru Raghavan,
I have given the mobile numbers of Mr Iyyappan in the article. Please contact him and do the needful.
Jayasree Madam
Thank you for your immediate response. Personally visiting a bank, making out a DD and then reaching out to Post Office for mailing the DD are all cumbersome process and in these days of time conscious and time priority management, our noble and spontaneous response to contribute normally take a back seat. Hence I proposed availability of on line remittance details would help and serve our immediate purpose. However, as advised by you, I contacted immediately Mr Iyyappan and requested him to provide the details. Understand from him that he has made application for opening an account in the name of the trust and this would be completed in about a week or ten days’ time. After this, he has assured me that he would get in touch with me.
Thanks for this opportunity to interact.
Regards
Guru.Raghavan
Dear Dr Guru. Raghavan,
Good to know this from you. This Goshala was personally visited by Sri AMR and written by him in the latest issue. If any further interaction are there, kindly share with us in this blog for everyone to know.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: BR Haran
Date: Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 12:20 PM
Subject: Re: Non-random-Thoughts:Make a vow on this Krishna Jayanthi to save the cow.
To: jayasree
Thanks Jayasreeji
I have posted it on my fb page.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005817043473
Respected Madam,
I would like to introduce another organization that does similar activity. They recently rescued lot of cows. It is People for Cattles In India. The facebook page link give more information
https://www.facebook.com/pfcii?ref=profile
Pranams
Skandan
Jayasree Madam
Very nice article. Our heritage and system had strong relationship with animal for thousands of years. Cows are such a nice animals.
I know one event, where an ox broke the leash and ran all the way back to his previous owner, brought him to rescue & save current owner. The current owner's house was set to fire and locked outside by a competitor. It is inhuman to kill such animals.
The below is http://www.panachallenge.com/challenge/show_entry.php?entry=8159&challenge=142 my photo, I took on my pilgrimage with B R Haran ji. When I took photo, the goon in the top of truck showed flash light to find out what we are doing.
- Kargil Jay
Thanks for the link Mr Skandan. Donors may get in touch with them.
Thanks Mr Kargil Jay for the link. Kudos to your courage in taking that pic.
Even though not many of us are capable of stopping a lorry trafficking the cattle while we spot it on a highway travel, a timely click by the camera of the lorry no could help. If readers could get us the contact numbers of persons or organizations working on rescue of these cattle, we can immediately call them up upon citing these vehicles on our way. We can store those numbers in our mobile permanently and alert the people immediately.
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