Cows are auspicious – Story!
Did you know that having the breath of cows fall upon us is considered one of life’s great blessings?
Once, a wealthy man came in search of Ramana Maharishi.
He was a moneylender who earned his living by charging interest—
and a veritable miser.
He was afflicted with a severe skin ailment; white patches, resembling a rash, covered his entire body.
No matter how many renowned physicians or skin specialists he consulted, his disease remained uncured.
Eventually, the severity of the condition escalated to such an extent that he could not even bear to wear clothes.
He writhed in agony, tormented by both burning sensations and pain.
Upon hearing it, someone suggested that visiting Ramana maharishi might yield a solution, he made his way to Ramana Maharishi to seek his counsel.
Bhagavan Ramana looked at him and said:
“First, stop the practice of lending money on interest. Use the wealth you possess to perform acts of charity and benevolence for the poor and the needy. Work for one Cycle (a period of 48 days) in the Ashram’s Goshala (cow shelter). Bathe the cows, clear away their dung, and keep the Goshala clean!”
The wealthy man happily agreed and began working in the Ashram’s Goshala.
Exactly 48 days later, when he examined himself, every trace of the skin ailment had vanished from his body; he had been completely and miraculously cured.
Did Ramana not know that having cow dung and cow urine come into contact with our bodies and inhaling the very breath of cows acts as a medicine far superior even to Sanjeevani (the mythical life-restoring herb)?
To those suffering from incurable skin ailments:
Cast aside your sense of social status and pride;
Try dedicating just two hours each day to cleaning work at any Goshala.
You will then truly understand the profound greatness of Go-Seva (service to cows).
Every living being carries within it certain impurities or doshas.
However, the cow is the only living creature that is entirely free from any dosha whatsoever. It is a traditional belief that merely gazing upon a cow—even for a single day—or simply being present within a cowshed is sufficient to dispel grave afflictions such as Brahmahatya Dosha (the sin of killing a Brahmin) from the observer.
If the formidable Brahmahatya Dosha itself can be alleviated in this manner, is it not certain that ordinary skin ailments would also be cured?
If a woman, immediately upon waking in the morning—and before exchanging a single word with anyone—recites the following mantra while offering a handful of grass to a cow, she will be blessed with the boon of progeny.
“Sarva Kamadughe Devi, Sarva Teerthabhishechini,
Pavane Surabhi Shreshte, Devi Tubhyam Namostute.”
The Lord Himself is revered by the title ‘Go-Brahmana-Hita’—the Benefactor of Cows and Brahmins.
If even a speck of dust from a cow’s hooves touches our body, one attains the spiritual merit equivalent to having performed a holy bath in the sacred River Ganges.
Because he disdainfully cast aside and refused to consume food upon which cow-dust had settled, Vaisika—a renowned ascetic—was reborn as a Chandala (an outcast).
It was by rendering devoted service to a cow that King Dilipa was blessed with the birth of his illustrious son, Raghu.
The Cow Gayatri Mantra:
“Om Pashupatayecha Vidmahe,
Mahadevaya Dhimahi,
Tanno Pashudevi Prachodayat.”
He who offers water to a cow for even a single day ensures the salvation of his ancestors across seven generations.
(Forgiveness is the medicine – Story! READ HERE!)