Panchagavya (पञ्चगव्य)

The 5 ingredients of cow and their greatness

There are five things that appear from cows and how do they have symbolic meaning? Let’s see from Taitriya Brahmana 1.4.8: It is explained, Sruthi is the one who makes everyone pure. “pavana” ”Pavamanihi” and it is explained that it is coming from the Rushis and considered as transcendental rasa and one who understands this way, Saraswati svarupini, the personification of Saraswati, Sruthi becomes the best of the dhenu or milk giving cow “su dugha hi payaswati” and therefore the sadhaka can take milk, butter, honey and water: “kshiram sarpi madhu udakam” in this way he can get iha and para. (“Imam lokam atho amum”) therefore such cow which is very pure, the devathas because of such udder, which is flowing the milk, the devathas are getting purified “

yena devanam pavitrena atmanam punate sadatena sahasra dharina” by consuming such milk let us become brahamavith. “tena brahma vidoyam” in this way the glorification Veda has come. Here kshira and sarpi are symbolic and there is no doubt about this and in the Shathpath Brahamana 8.5.123, the dadhi or yogurt, ghritha or ghee, madhu or honey they represent respectively: the bhumi or prithvilok, anthariksh and dyu lok. (Bhu, bhuha, svaha,) They represent vyaharthi. It is explained that these are the experience of the three lokas. “sara sarvasva” essence of all sara. This ingredient. “dadhi hai vasyath lokasya rasa grithamantharikshasya madhu amushya ” Similarly madhu means “madhu madhukarasya dharabhi” Sri Sayana explains in Rk Samhita 3.40.6. It is also explained soma shabdh is alternatively called brahmananda: it indicates brahmananda. Therefore when devathas offer the havisya that is coming from the cows, that makes devathas powerful in yajna and is good for society and for creation such gavyak are the most important. Therefore in the Sruti and Smrithi the bhashyakaras have abundantly shown what we are supposed to see. Therefore when Agni performs his prarthana or when we perform prayers to Agnideva, we call “hey Angi deva please accept this grutha which we have offered to you and please enjoy the madhu and by this please protect the brahmacari who like a son to father.” “gritham pithva madhu ucarugavaym pitheva putram abhhirakshatat imam” Taitriya Samhita 1.3.14. In the Taitriya Aranyak 2.9 the description of how rushis came into being is explained. When the cows who were immortal, when they performed tapasya, Lord Brahma offered them integral vision. Those people became rushis. This is rushi tattva. Here it is explained, “ajan prashnin” these words have come as an alternative word for go or cow. When the rushis who are yajna kama and desire of the yajna when they worship the go which is vedamai so that time, all the rushis especially those who have studied Rg veda they were standing on the banks of ksheera dhara. Those who have studied Yajur Veda were standing on the banks of ghee. Samashakadai –Soma rasa they were standing on Soma rasa platform and those studied the Atharva Veda were standing on the banks of river and offering oblation to his fore fathers. When the devathas are satisfied they give long life, teja, dominance, influence, prosperity, success and influence of understanding of brahma varchus and he also provide unlimited food and makes him satisfied. So when the go is accepts as the symbolic meaning, it is explained that the dharma becomes like milk which is not against dharma, the kama which is not against dharma becomes yogurt and dharma itself becomes butter and when it is melted, it becomes ghee and that is moksha-ananda (the happiness of moksha) . In this way the symbolic meaning is found in many places in the Vedas. The devi who actually bestows her mercy the Sruthi mayi, vakya svarupini, who is personification of power of speech and the kaamadhenu and Aditi explain that this animals have never diseases and no one should kill them. This is the order of Vedas. “magam anagam Adityam vadishtaha” Rk Samhitha 8.101.15. Therefore killing the cow in reality and symbolically –they both are greatest sin. Therefore when we join the cow and one who symbolizes that cow, a Brahmana “go brahmanebhya subhamasthu nityam” this prayer has been chanted since thousands of years. Just like how all the devathas reside in the body similarly all the devathas reside in the Brahmana and therefore those who understand the real meaning of the Vedas, such brahamans, should be respected and nobody should speak badly about them. Only devathas become very satisfied to hear this “yavathir vair devatha tas sarva veda vidi brahmani vasanthi. Tasmad brahmanebhyo veda vidbho deve dive namaskuryath nashkulyam kirtayet etaiva devathaha prinathi” A brahamana who is actually a vedavith he is also respectable as cow and it is a respect given to a man with wisdom (it is not written by selfish brahamans) A question might be raised: Are there such brahmanas? The answer is yes, if you look for them, you will find them. But they will not come wherever you want them to come. Wherever they are, the worship will go to them. This is the greatness of Indian culture, the degradation of cow and the degradation of a Brahmana, they are all dependent on the brahmanas. When brahmanas doesn’t want Vedas it is like the salt losing saltiness and who will give the salt? That’s what people will ask the question. Therefore who are braham nishta brahaman, one how is practiced vedavit he can challenge or face any kind of adharma by strength of his satya tyaga and dama. This is the story which was famous in Karnataka called “Punya Kuti”. This is described. Now unfortunately the story of cow: “govi na kathe” has become “golina( pain) kathe ( story) Therefore it’s everyone responsibility to deliver the cow.