Cow is revered in Indian culture and tradition

By Samira Vishwas On Jul 5, 2026

Hridaynarayan Dixit,
Former Assembly Speaker UP

There were many movements in India against cow slaughter. Gandhiji called ban on cow slaughter a part of Swaraj. Cow is the mother of Indian economy, the revered center of social system and cultural system. Despite this, there is support for cow slaughter. Such elements are dreaming of creating some kind of India by taking the side of beef. Such an act of insulting our history, culture and past is condemnable. Such suicidal thoughts are not found in any nation in world history. This is an insult to India. This is a ridiculous attack on Sanatan culture and tradition.

Tamil Nadu government is a constant attacker on Indian culture. The government has gone to the Supreme Court against the decision of the High Court, in which the court had banned cow slaughter. The government has said that the cow is fit for slaughter, but the cow is respected like a mother in Indian culture. Cow has respect from Vedic period till modern times, but elements having fanaticism towards ideology talk about cow slaughter. The meaning of mantras has its own views. Vedic society considered cow as Aghanya/Avadhya. In Rigveda (1.164.27) she is Aghanya (not capable of being killed), she is the giver of good fortune. Cow is the center of reverence for the entire Vedic literature. In Atharvaveda he is Virat Brahma. She is the deity of a Sukta (9.12), ‘The upper jaw of the cow is Dyuloka, the lower is Prithvi, the tongue is Vidyutya, the teeth are Marudgana, the abdominal part is space, both the shoulders are Mitra and Varuna etc.’

Before this, it is said in Rig Veda (8.101.215), ‘She is the mother of Rudras, daughter of Vasus, sister of Adityas and navel of nectar. This is inevitable. The same mantra has also been repeated in the Atharvaveda with some changed words. Yajurveda is also full of glory of cow. Atharvaveda (12.4) describes the punishment for those who hurt the cow, ‘Those who hurt the ears of the cow, it is as if they attack the gods, those who make identification marks on the cow, their wealth is destroyed, those who cut the hair of the cow for decoration, due to this crime, their children get death. ‘The Gopati in front of whom the crow plucks the hair of the cow, his children die etc.’ Then about cow slaughter (Atharva 12.9) he said, ‘Cow slaughter is punishable both in this world and the next world.’

On the basis of a mantra of Rigveda (8.4.11) ‘Ukshatraya, Vashatraya, Sompashtraya Vedhase’, McDonnell and Keith have described the Aryans as beef eaters in the ‘Vedic Index’. Here the sages pray to Agni. He used Uksha to mean bull and Vasha to mean cow. According to them, Agnidev is a meat eater. These scholars did not pay attention to the words ‘annay’ (food) used with uksha and vasa. Satwalekar said in the translation of this mantra, ‘We worship Sompith Agni, the one who irrigates the food with juice and makes the food delicious.’

There was no food and meat in India. Mantra 17 of the 27th Sukta of the 10th Mandala is also used in favor of eating beef. They take ‘Pivan Mesh’ of Mantra 17 to mean cooking of sheep, but Ludwig has used ‘Pivan Mesh’ to mean a cloud inflated with water. Satyaketu Vidyalankar said, ‘These mantras are in the form of riddles. Here Aries does not mean sheep but means cloud sign. The meaning of ‘Pivanamesh’ is to shine the constellation of Aries. (Vedic era of ancient Indian history, p. 213) Deity is the reverence of man.

Man offers his favorite food to the gods. Cow milk is the favorite drink of the Vedic society. A sage wants to give milk to Agni, but he does not have ‘Aghanya Cow’. (R., 8.102.19) The sage says to Indra, ‘Aghanya gives her milk to you.’ (9.1.9) Indra is the ‘Aghanya protector’ (8.69.2), then how can he and his followers be Aryan Aghanya eaters? Aghanya also gives milk to the Ashwini gods. (1.164.27) Cows reached the status of sages in the Rig Vedic society itself. She praises Soma. Atharva. Well, they are gods after all. Ghee is the food of fire. Vedic society ate barley. He also fed barley to Agni. He used to mix Soma in cow’s milk and offer it to Indra. One grain was Dhana/Dhaniya. They used to feed grains to Indra. (Rh. 4.24.7)

The sage says to Indra, ‘Come every day and eat the grains.’ (Rh. 3.53.7) The god of agriculture was Pushan. He is a ‘Karambh’ lover. Marxist thinker Dr. Ramvilas Sharma said, Karambh was roasted grain. Karambh Indra Pushan is everyone’s favorite, but ‘Apoop’ prepared mixed with ghee is also eaten by the Maruts along with other gods. (R. 3.52.7) McDonnell and Keith have described another Vedic dish ‘purodas’ as ‘sacrificial bread’. The sage says to Indra, ‘Listen to the prayer, eat the purodais.’ (R.4.32.16) One who feeds Purodas to Indra, Indra protects him from sins (R.8.31.2). The Vedic society’s love for barley, grains, Karambh, Apup, Puradas, milk and ghee is prevalent in all the four Vedas.

There is no mention of feeding beef. Cows are Shraddha. Food is edible. One god is Jupiter. He sent the cows to graze up to the sky (R. 2.24.14). McDonnell wrote, ‘He goes into the clouds and calls the cows.’ (R.10.68.12) From Rigveda to Mahabharata and present day, cow is revered in Indian culture and tradition. Tulsidas cited cow prosperity as one of the reasons for Ram’s birth, ‘Vipra Dhenu Sur Santhit Linh Manuj Avtaar.’ In Gita, Krishna also described Arjun as a cow as one of his many forms. Was Krishna Gopal. Kautilya also called cow protection important. Ancient India was a cow worshipper. Cow was prestige, cow was prosperity, cow was opulence. The 4th century Chinese traveler Fa Hien and the 7th century Hiuen Tsang conclude that there are no carnivores in India.