If you keep the cows happy, then cow will supply large quantity of milk. If the cow knows that you are going to kill it, she is always afraid, always fearful: "Oh, this man will kill."

Making cows happy is good for the planet

Dairy cows at Guy Choiniere's farm in Highgate, Vermont

The Vegan objection to use of any animal products is rooted in the idea of ahimsa or nonviolence, and that it is unconscionable to exploit animals, but this idea does not rise to the level of actually protecting them. In fact, the organizations Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and PETA are responsible for killing thousands of animals in the name of mercy, supposedly to save them from being mistreated or neglected or from suffering from disease or injury, etc.

Vegans don't take any dairy products at all, but this policy is ultimately harmful to the cows. The very people who are opposed to violence on the principle of sentiment do not see any use for the cow in human society. Moreover, these same people now join forces with the environmentalists who proclaim that cows have a negative impact on the climate owing to their methane output. Thus the cow is relegated to a very inferior status and is seen as valuable only to the meat-eaters. This is the opposite of what should be.

Srila Prabhupada promotes cow protection as an important aspect of Krishna consciousness and the Krishna consciousness movement. — editor

Cows contributing to the well-being of the earth and human civilization

This is the description during the reign of Maharaja Yudhishthira. Maharaja Yudhishthira was the king of this earth, and he was so pious that on account of his piety, Krishna supplied everything sumptuously, sumptuously. Now, have you ever experienced...? Now, here it is stated, sishicuh sma vrajan gavah [Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4]. Now, we are hankering after milk, but in those days, during Maharaja Yudhishthira's time, milk was so sufficiently produced that before milking the cow, it supplied milk so sufficiently that the... What is called? Grazing grounds? Pasturing grounds, they became muddy. They became muddy with milk. Now, with the scarcity of grain, the earth also does not become muddy. It becomes dry earth. But in those days, with milk it was muddy. Just imagine how much milk was... And how it is possible? Sishicuh sma vrajan gavah payasodhasvatir muda [SB 1.10.4]. The milk bag was so fatty and full with milk. Why? Muda, they were so happy. They were so happy. So if you keep the cows happy, then cow will supply large quantity of milk. If the cow knows that you are going to kill it, she is always afraid, always fearful: "Oh, this man will kill." They can understand. I have seen in New Vrindaban. One cow, she was crying because her calf was taken away. So she was feeling so sorry. Now in our New Vrindaban, we see how the cows are happy, how they are dealing. They are not afraid. This is our duty, to keep the cows happy. Just like I want to see my wife and children happy, similarly, it is the duty of the human society to see that the cows feeling very happy. This is human civilization. Otherwise it is tiger civilization, meat-eaters. Meat is not eaten by human being. It is eaten by the dogs, by the tigers, by the animals.

So we have created a society for killing cows and eating the meat and maintaining slaughterhouse in the name of religion. This is going on. So how we can be happy? There cannot be happiness. It is not a sentiment. Therefore this is most sinful activity, meat-eating, cow killing. Most sinful activity. And you have to suffer for that. Unfortunately, these rascals, they do not know that what is the result of this sinful activity.

They think the life will go on, and there is no more life. "After finishing of this body, everything will be finished." Atheistic theory. Bhasmi-bhutasya dehasya kutah punar agamano bhavet. [Charvaka Muni, an atheistic philosopher: "If you have no money, then beg borrow or steal, but in some way secure ghee and enjoy life."] ...We get information from Krishna, tatha dehan tara-praptih: "Oh, you have to accept another body after finishing this body." But they are not responsible. They are so irresponsible, they do not care for the next life, the result of pious and sinful activities.

So it appears that how much strictly the cow protection was there so that the gavah, payasodhasvatir muda. The cows were happy.

You'll see Krishna. He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Krishna. And Krishna is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king's son, Maharaja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was... So just like the boys do. This was the children's life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the grown-up cows. Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows.

So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajan. Therefore Vrindavana is called Vrajabhumi, "where there are many cows." It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they were enjoying.

So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.

So our Krishna consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement. It takes care of all-round social organization. It is not something like religious sentiment. Everything should be take care of. Therefore we say cow protection, cow protection. Here it is said, kamam vavarsha parjanyah sarva-kama-dugha mahi [SB 1.10.4]. Mahi means land, bhumi. Agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-dishah... mahi. This is mahi. In another place, Brahma-samhita [5.51], it is said, mahi.

agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-dishash cha
kalas tathatma-manasiti jagat-trayani
yasmad bhavanti vibhavanti vishanti yam cha
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami

["The three worlds are composed of the nine elements, viz., fire, earth, ether, water, air, direction, time, soul and mind. I adore the primeval Lord Govinda from whom they originate, in whom they exist and into whom they enter at the time of the universal cataclysm."] This mahi word is used there in Vedas, Brahma-samhita. What is that mahi? Agnir mahi. You require fire. You require land. You require sky. Agnir mahi gaganam ambu. You require water. Agnir mahi gaganam ambu marut. You require air. You require space. These are requirements. Agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-dishash cha kalas tathatma. Atma, atma means this body, atma means the mind, and atma means the soul. So in the Brahma-samhita you see, agnir mahi gaganam ambu marud-dishash cha kalas tathatma-manasiti jagat-trayani yasmad bhavanti. Yasmad bhavanti. All these things, wherefrom they are coming? They do not know. Can the scientist say wherefrom so much water has come, so vast ocean, seas? But it has come from Krishna. Krishna says in the Bhagavad-gita [7.4]:

bhumir apo 'nalo vayuh
kham mano buddhir eva cha
ahankara itiyam me
bhinna prakritir ashtadha

["Earth, water, fire, air, ether, mind, intelligence and false ego—all together these eight constitute My separated material energies."] Bhinna me prakritih. It is Krishna's energy, Krishna's energy. So the mahi, the land, the land is there. Just like in America or in Australia there are so much land. In Africa, so much land lying vacant. But they do not know that this land can produce all the needs of life. Sarva-kama-dugha mahi. Sarva-kama, whatever you want. Actually we are getting... Just like this Western civilization has created so many slaughterhouses for eating purposes. But wherefrom they are getting? From mahi, from the land. If there is no pasturing ground, grazing ground, wherefrom they will get the cows and the bulls? Because there is grass on the land and the cows and bulls eat them, therefore they grow. Then you cut their throat, civilized man, and eat, you rascal civilized man. But you are getting from the mahi, from the land. Without land, you cannot. Similarly, instead of cutting the throat of the cows, you can grow your food. Why you are cutting the throat of the cows? After all, you have to get from the mahi, from the land. So as they are, the animal which you are eating, they are getting their eatables from the land. Why don't you get your eatables from the land? Therefore it is said, sarva-kama-dugha mahi. You can get all the necessities of your life from land. So dugha means produce. You can produce your food. Some land should be producing the foodstuff for the animals, and some land should be used for the production of your foodstuffs, grains, fruits, flowers, and take milk. Why should you kill these innocent animals? You take. You keep them muda, happy, and you get so much milk that it will moist, it will make wet the ground. This is civilization. This is civilization.

That was being maintained during the time of Maharaja Yudhishthira. That is being described. Maharaja Yudhishthira maintained this standard of civilization. Just see how the economic problems will be solved simply by one movement, this Krishna consciousness movement. Try to understand. Mahi. Because mahi will produce everything.

Cow protection and Brahminical culture are essential to human civilization

I am uncivilized and sinful due to my neglect of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection. Therefore I wish that my kingdom, strength and riches burn up immediately by the fire of the brahmana's wrath so that in the future I may not be guided by such inauspicious attitudes.

PURPORT
Progressive human civilization is based on brahminical culture, God consciousness and protection of cows. All economic development of the state by trade, commerce, agriculture and industries must be fully utilized in relation to the above principles, otherwise all so-called economic development becomes a source of degradation. Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness, and thus perfection of human civilization is achieved. The age of Kali aims at killing the higher principles of life, and although Maharaja Parikshit strongly resisted the domination of the personality of Kali within the world, the influence of the age of Kali came at an opportune moment, and even a strong king like Maharaja Parikshit was induced to disregard the brahminical culture due to a slight provocation of hunger and thirst. Maharaja Parikshit lamented the accidental incident, and he desired that all his kingdom, strength and accumulation of wealth would be burned up for not being engaged in brahminical culture, etc.

Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the advancement of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by Providence. If we want peace and prosperity in the world, we should take lessons from this verse; every state and every home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical culture for self-purification, God consciousness for self-realization and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and the best food to continue a perfect civilization.