Why is Cow considered holy in Hinduism?

Why is the cow considered to be holy in Hinduism? Here’s the tea. First, we consider all animals holy as all beings have an atman that is part of the Super Soul, the Bhraman.

The cow rose to importance around 4500 BCE - the animal was a major part of our nourishment & economy during the phase called the “Pontic steppe” - in fact, it was so important that we evolved to become the only animal on earth who can consume her milk.

While eating beef wasn’t off limits, milk-giving cows were given protection & killing them was likely barred by kings such as Chandragupta Maurya. Even when animal sacrifice was practiced, it was done with the promise of giving the animal a higher life & only old animals were selected.

But the first Hindu texts like the Rig Veda in 1500 BCE talked about the sweet doccile cow as being a symbol of ahimsa, which is very central to Hinduism. And she was praised for being the most generous of all animals, giving us panchagavya (5 essential items).

In foundational Hindu scriptures, like the Srimad Bhagavad Gita, the Srimad Bhagavatam & others, even God is said to manifest in the cow - she’s considered to be a form of Aditi, the OG Mother. In fact the Kamdhenu mata (mother of all Cows) is shown with having all Goddesses, Gods & vedas within her body.

In legends, the Earth is said to have manifested in the form of Cow & asked Vishnu for protection. Many Gods, especially Krishna, are paired with her & in fact, Krishna is called Go-Pala, meaning the “Protector of cows.”

In today’s modern context, we Hindus need to realize that most of the milk products we have are heavily contaminated & industrialized - so being vegan or plant-based is one of the crucial ways to protect our cows & prevent their abuse at scale.