Namo Devyai Maha
Devyai
Surabhyai Cha Namo
Namah|
Gavam Bheeja Swaroopaaya
Namaste Jagad Ambike||
The above stotra is believed
to have been Indra's prayer
to the sacred Kamadhenu.
Translated in English, means
the following:
"Salutations to the great
Goddess,
The One who fulfils
devotees' wishes
The One who lived as a
seed in all cows,
Salutations to Her, the
Mother of the Universe"
Kamadhenu - The Sacred Cow - Brass Statue
Hinduism considers the
"Gomata" or the cow as an
utmost sacred symbol. Hindus
from all parts of the
country, belonging to all
cultures and languages,
believe in the worship of
the cow. This is due to the
fact that Hindus consider
all cows as aspects of
Mother Kamadhenu.
The name Kamadhenu came from
the Sanskrit root,
"Kamaduha", which literally
means, "the cow of plenty"
and "the one through whom
all desires are fulfilled".
Kamadhenu is worshipped as
the divine wish-fulfilling
cow goddess, according to
Hindu mythology. She is
considered as the mother of
all cows, as also of the
eleven Rudras. This sacred,
miraculous cow provides her
owner anything at all that
he or she ever desires.
Various Names of
Kamadhenu
Kamadhenu is referred to as
Surabhi, which, loosely
translated means "the
Fragrant One". It could also
mean the one with the
pleasing, soothing smell.
Generally, it could refer to
the typical smell that cows
emanate.
This deity is also sometimes
referred to as Matrika, the
Mother or the one who sets
an Example.
Her other names include
Sabala (the Spotted One) and
Kapila (the Red One).
Birth of and Stories
Relating to Kamadhenu
Samudra Manthan - Orissa Pattachitra Painting
There is no specific record
about the birth of
Kamadhenu. Different
scriptures provide diverse
versions of this phenomenon.
However, it is vastly
believed that the Divine
Cow, Surabhi, emerged from
the Samudra Manthan episode
- during the time when the
Milky Ocean was being
churned. Hence, she is
considered to be the
offspring of the Devatas and
the Asuras. She was then
gifted to the Saptarishis,
the great Sages. Brahma
ordained that she should
supply milk and ghee, to be
used for sacred Yagnas
(sacrificial rituals).
The Anushasana Parva states
that Kamadhenu was the
daughter of Daksha, the
God
who created the world.
According to this, Surabhi
was brought forth from the
belch of Prajapati (the
Creator) Daksha, after he
drank the Amrita (Nectar of
Immortality), which came
forth from the Samudra
Manthan. In due course of
time, Surabhi gave birth to
several golden cows, called
Kapila cows. These cows were
also regarded as the mothers
of the world. Some versions
narrate that Lord Brahma
drank a bit too much of the
Amrita and ended up vomiting
a bit of it. Surabhi emerged
from this nectarine fluid.
The
Ramayana states that
Surabhi is the daughter of
sage Kashyapa and
Krodhavasa, the daughter of
Daksha. However, the
Vishnu
Purana and the Bhagavata
Purana consider Surabhi as
the daughter of Daksha and
the consort of sage
Kashyapa, as also the mother
of cows and buffalos.
According to the Matsya
Purana, Surabhi is the
consort of Brahma and the
mother of the cow
Yogishwari, the eleven
Rudras, goats, swans and
certain species of animals.
Generally, she is described
as the mother of quadrupeds.
According to yet another
version, Surabhi is the
mother of Amrita, cows,
Brahmins and the Rudras.
Yet other scriptures claim
that either or both the
sages Jamadagni and
Vasishtha kept the cow with
them, in their hermitage,
for a period of time. During
this time, there were kings
who tried to steal her from
the sages and were severely
punished for their acts, by
Kamadhenu herself. In this
version, Kamadhenu played an
important role in the
hermitage, providing milk
and milk products for the
sage. She also had the
powers to produce fierce
warriors to protect him.
In the
Mahabharata and the
Devi Bhagavata Purana, the
cow, Nandini, is also
referred to as Kamadhenu and
is sometimes considered to
be synonymous with
Kamadhenu. At other times,
Nandini is sometimes
referred to as the daughter
of Surabhi-Kamadhenu.
According to Raghuvamsa of
Kalidasa, king Dilip, an
ancestor of Lord
Rama, once
failed to pay his respects
to Kamadhenu when he
happened to meet her.
Angered, she cursed him that
he would go childless all
his life. Dilip's guru, sage
Vasishtha, asked him to
propitiate Nandini,
Kamadhenu's daughter.
Accordingly, Dilip and his
wife served Nandini, who
nullified her mother's curse
and blessed them with a son,
Raghu.
Devi - the Devi Bhagavatam Retold
According to the Devi
Bhagavata Purana,
Krishna
and Radha were enjoying each
other's company one day,
when they felt thirsty.
Krishna created a cow,
Surabhi and a calf,
Manoratha, from the left
side of his body. He then
milked the cow, transferred
it to a pot and proceeded to
drink it. However, the pot
fell to the ground and
broke, spilling all the milk
onto the ground. This milk
became the Kshirasagara, the
Ocean of Milk. Several cows
miraculously emerged forth
from Surabhi. Krishna gifted
these cows to the Gopas, his
shepherd-friends. Then,
worshipping Surabhi, Krishna
ordained that she would
henceforth be considered the
symbol of prosperity and
would be worshipped on the
occasion of Diwali.
Kamadhenu is believed to be
dwelling in Goloka (the
realm of cows) and also
Patala (the Netherworld).
Kamdhenu with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva - Glitter Poster
Kamadhenu is usually
portrayed with the body of a
cow and a
female head, also
with breasts. Sometimes, she
is also shown as a
spotlessly white cow,
containing several deities
within her physical
structure.
Kamadhenu is regarded by
Hindus as the source of all
prosperity; verily as the
Devi herself. She is also
related to Prithvi or Mother
Earth, who incidentally, is
sometimes also described as
the serene, all-enduring
cow. To Hindus, the cow also
represents purity,
fertility, the ability to
sustain human life and a
selfless, sacrificing
nature.
The four legs of the
Kamadhenu embody the four
Vedas and are considered to
be as strong and enduring as
the Himalayas. Her horns
symbolize the Divine Trinity
of Brahma at the tip, Vishnu
in the middle part and
Shiva
at the base of the horn. In
her eyes reside the
sun and
moon Gods. Agni, the God of
Fire, and Vayu, the God of
Wind, reside in her
shoulders. In general, it is
believed that all the major
deities exist within the
person of Kamadhenu. This is
also how Kamadhenu is
usually represented in
portraits.
Kamdhenu - The Sacred Cow - Wood Statue
Another representation of
Kamadhenu, which is slightly
rarer, is that of a white
Zebu cow. This version of
Kamadhenu includes a
woman's
head, adorned with a crown;
impressive-looking eagle
wings and a peacock's tail.
She is portrayed in this
form in contemporary art.
Dattatreya on Laminated Board
Lord Dattatreya is commonly
depicted being accompanied
by a cow, which is often
identified with Kamadhenu.
Sometimes, Dattatreya is
shown holding the Divine Cow
in one of his hands.
Kamadhenu is closely related
with Brahminism, as against
dogs, which are given a
non-Brahminical aspect. She
also embodies the Pancha
Bhoota or the Five Elements.
Kamadhenu as the
Protector of Brahmins
In Hinduism, Kamadhenu is
usually associated with the
highest priest class of
Brahmins, sages included.
She symbolizes their entire
wealth, both material and
spiritual, while also being
a religious figure.
In Hindu tradition, cow's
milk and its derivatives,
especially, clarified butter
or ghee, constitutes a vital
part of Vedic Yagnas. These
Yagnas are conducted by
Brahmin priests and hence,
Kamadhenu is sometimes also
referred to the Homadhenu -
the Homa is also a fire
ritual. The cow hence takes
a sacred form, as it is
considered the source from
who oblations are drawn and
offered during the Yagna or
Homa.
Kamadhenu provided milk and
milk products for several
sages and their families.
Hence, she is seen as the
one who nurtures Brahmins,
offering them nourishing
food for sustenance.
Kamadhenu protected her
owner, sage Vasishtha, from
the wrongdoings of abusive
kings, who tried to steal
her away from him. She had
the power to produce hordes
of warriors to destroy the
armies that came to attack
the ashram (hermitage).
Hence, she also became the
symbol of protection of
Brahmins.
How Kamadhenu Protects
Jamadagni
Kamadhenu resided at sage
Jamadagni's ashram for some
time. According to the
Mahabharata, the
thousand-armed king of the
Haihayas, Kartavirya Arjuna,
severely damaged Jamadagni's
ashram and captured
Kamadhenu's calf.
Parashuram Avatar - Photographic Print
In an effort to retrieve the
calf, Jamadagni's son,
Parashurama, fought and
killed the king. The king's
sons in turn killed
Jamadagni. Greatly angered
and seeking revenge,
Parashurama destroyed the
entire Kshatriya (warrior)
race, 21 times over. His
father was resurrected soon
after Parashurama completed
his terrible mission.
Many other treatises narrate
a similar story regarding
Kamadhenu's stay at sage
Jamadagni's ashram. The
Bhagavata Purana states that
Kartavirya Arjuna abducted
both Kamadhenu and her calf
and Parashurama defeated and
slew him and brought back
the cow and her daughter to
his father.
According to the Padma
Purana, when Kartavirya
Arjuna tried to capture
Kamadhenu, she defeated his
entire army and then flew
away to the heavens. The
king, angered and
humiliated, killed
Jamadagni.
According to the Brahmanda
Purana, Kamadhenu used her
immense powers to create a
big city, in order to
accommodate Kartavirya
Arjuna's army, when they
came to visit Jamadagni's
ashram.
When they returned to their
own kingdom, Kartavirya
Arjuna's minister,
Chandragupta, persuaded him
to capture the divine cow.
The minister returned to the
ashram and requested the
sage to hand over the cow to
them. However, Jamadagni
flatly refused to do so. The
minister then tried to take
away the cow by force. In
the fight that followed, the
sage got killed and
Kamadhenu escaped to the
skies. However, Chandragupta
managed to get hold of her
calf.
The Brahma Vaivarta Purana,
which refers to the cow as
Kapila, states that she
produced a vast army and a
variety of weapons to help
Jamadagni defeat the king's
army. Kapila also instructed
her master in the martial
arts. Using her powers, she
defeated the entire enemy
several times, sparing the
life of the king each time.
However, the king used the
divine spear given to him by
Dattatreya to kill
Jamadagni.
Kamadhenu and Vasishtha
The Ramayana relates a story
similar to the above.
However, the sage here is
Vasishtha and the king,
Vishwamitra. Once, when
Vishwamitra arrived at
Vasishtha's ashram along
with his army, the sage
welcomed him and offered an
impressive banquet to all of
them. This elaborate meal
was created by Kamadhenu,
who was then referred to as
Sabala.
Amazed by Sabala's powers,
the king asked the sage to
hand her over to him, in
exchange for a thousand
ordinary cows, horses,
elephants, gold and money.
Vasishtha, however, refused
to part with Sabala. The
king tried to take her with
him by force, but Sabala
fought back and returned to
her master. At Vasishtha's
order, she produced Pahlava
warriors, who destroyed
Vishwamitra's entire army.
Thus, Sabala produced the
entire lineage of
Shaka-Yavana warriors. The
Kambhojas emerged from her
mouth and the Barvaras came
from her udder. The Yavanas
and Shakas came from her
hind and the Haritas,
Kiratas and other warriors
emerged forth from the pores
of her skin.
Sabala's army also killed
all the sons of Vishwamitra.
This incident lead to a
great enmity between
Vasishtha and Vishwamitra.
Smarting from the
humiliation, Vishwamirtra
renounced his kingdom in
order to become a great
sage; and proceeded to
undertake severe penance, so
as to defeat Vasishtha with
his powers.
Abodes of Kamadhenu
Different scriptures give
different accounts of
Kamadhenu's residence. The
Anushasana Parva of the
Mahabharata states that
Surabhi, the daughter of
Daksha, worshipped Brahma
for 10,000 years. Pleased
with her devotion, the Lord
blessed her, granting her
Goddess status, decreeing
that she and her children
would henceforth be
worshipped by all on earth.
She was also given an entire
world to rule. Thus, she
rules Goloka, which is the
cow-heaven, beyond the three
worlds. Her daughters reside
on earth, co-existing along
with human beings.
The Ramayana describes
Surabhi as living in the
city of Varuna, the Lord of
the Oceans. This city is
believed to be situated in
Patala. The sweet milk she
produced is believed to have
created the Kshirasagara,
the Ocean of Milk.
The Udyoga Parva of the
Mahabharata states that the
milk had 6 different
flavours and was the most
nourishing thing you could
ever find. This Parva also
narrates that Surabhi
resides in the Patala, along
with her four daughters, the
Dikpalis, or the guardians
of the cow goddesses.
Sauabhi guards the East;
Harhsika, the South;
Subhadra, the West; and
Dhenu, the North.
Some texts aver that though
there could have been one
Kamadhenu, all of them were
incarnations of the original
Kamadhenu, who is the mother
of all cows.
Other References to
Kamadhenu-Surabhi
In the
Bhagavad Gita, Lord
Krishna refers to Kamadhenu
as Kamadhuk. He also
declares here that among
cows, he is the Kamadhuk.
The Skanda Purana relates
that Lord Shiva once cast a
curse on Surabhi. Once,
Brahma and Vishnu were
debating over which among
them was superior. At that
time, a gigantic and fiery
linga emerged before them.
They then decided that
whoever found the end of
this pillar would be
considered superior. Brahma
flew to the heavens in order
to try to find the top of
the pillar, but sadly,
failed in the attempt.
Brahma then ordered Surabhi
to falsely testify to Vishnu
that Brahma had seen the top
of the linga. Angered by
Surabhi's lie, Shiva cursed
her so that her bovine
offspring would have to eat
unholy substances.
Worship of Kamadhenu
Unlike the other goddesses
of Hinduism, Kamadhenu has
never been worshipped as an
independent deity, nor does
she have temples exclusively
dedicated to her. Hindus
believe that the best and
most effective way to
worship Kamadhenu is to
venerate and respect all
cows in general.
Hence, cows are worshipped
and are often fed outside
temples, especially on
Fridays and on all special
occasions as well. All cows
are generally considered
incarnations of Kamadhenu by
pious Hindus the world over.
In Tantra Shastra, the
Kamadhenu, the
wish-fulfilling cow, is
considered as a form of
Saraswati Devi. This deity
rules knowledge, speech,
words, eloquence, music and
the Arts. She is also
represented as one of the
Shaktis and is the Divine
Consort of Brahma.
The Kamadhenu Tantra in
itself is a question-answer
session between
Parvati
(
Shakti) and Shiva. Parvati
queries Shiva about the true
significance of the 50
letters of the Sanskrit
alphabet - about their
relationship with the
tattvas.