DHYAN FOUNDATION

Dhenu sadanam rayeenaam  (Atharvaved 11.1.34) Cow is fountainhead of all bounties The above sloka reflects the deep understanding of the creation as possessed by the Vedic seer. A special animal, it's every aspect is a boon to mankind. The Vedic seers called it the mother, the source of nourishment of creation.               This gentle bovine has garnered a considerable amount of interest and reference that go beyond ancient Vedic texts spanning other civilizations like Greece, Mesopotamia and Rome.                                                                                 The Egyptians worshipped her as Hathor, the Goddess of Fertility, while those from this side of the Indus called her the Kamdhenu (cow...

Mata Parvati was the daughter of a great king. When she chose to marry Lord Shiva, her parents objected and ridiculed her decision. They asked her why she would want to stay at Mount Kailash where there is nothing but snow, instead of marrying a man owning a huge kingdom and a palace. To this, she replied that all of these are temporary. When her parents didn’t believe her, she gave them a glimpse of their future. They were shocked to see that their lavish palace was nowhere to be seen, it didn’t exist. That is when they understood what their daughter was saying. That is when they got the gyan. Everything that is a part of the physical world—the body, property, relatives, friends and riches—is unreal and will leave us one day. It is only when you are able to access Shiva that this gyan flows and you get the darshan of what is real. The path leading to Shiva, however, is not easy. Sadhaks, who choose to tread this path, need to possess traits like Shiva—tapasya, vairag...

This was nearly 15 years ago, we were travelling to the higher reaches of Badrinath and on the way back we went into a restaurant just outside the temple. We asked for some cow milk and told the owner to be doubly sure that it was cow milk and not powdered milk; he assured us and went into the kitchen. We waited for 10 minutes and then I decided to take a look in the kitchen. Inside to my surprise, I saw him boiling water and adding powdered milk to it! On confronting, he cheekily replied, “Now where do I get cows here?” I told him that if you people won’t send your cows to the butchers then you would have them and your character would be devik and not asuric, for this is what you people have become. How can you fool people at the dham of Vishnu? Another time on my visit to Kedarnath, I found families thronging the shrine in a picnic and holiday mood, filmi songs blaring and card parties galore. Inside the dharamshalas surrounding the shrine, people dressed as Shiva waving their tr...

Back in 1993, the spread of the mad cow disease took a toll of many across the globe. As a result, many stopped consuming beef products. However, not eating beef does not guarantee an escape from the disease and infection that comes with abusing the cow. Cattle by-products today find their way into almost everything around us. Gelatine  is made by treating the bones of a cow with acid and finds its way into gel capsules, food products such as jellybeans, marshmallows and instant gelatine; as a setting agent for ice-creams and cheesecakes; as a coat on tablets and even to bind photo film. Fat from the dead cow is used in making soap, toothpaste as well as automobile tyres and also in asphalt. Glycerin derived from cow fat is used in manufacturing cosmetics. In war time, it’s used in the explosive nitroglycerine. Its hooves and horns adorn our shirts as buttons and also make up the foam of fire extinguishers. Its blood goes into making plywood and fertilisers. Its hide becomes le...

Our coming generations have a strong western bias and firmly believe that the vedic culture is mumbo-jumbo, and that there is no science behind the worship and rituals. I would like to present certain facts about the efficacy and the global acceptability of the vedic principles to the younger generation. Recently, I came across the diary of Sir Cunningham at the national archives. He had sketched out a calf and a cow on the third page of the diary and discussed the scientific and logical benefits of preserving this animal. One can find references to the cow across cultures. The Egyptians worshipped her as Hathor, the goddess of fertility, while those from this side of the Indus called her the Kamdhenu and Nandi. The Greeks knew her as Lo and the Nordics as Audhumbla, the primeval cow who licked ice and brought mankind into existence. So, what is it about the cow that caused it to be revered across cultures and also caught the attention of the learned archaeologist? The cow is in...