The Sacred Cow

My last public lecture in Lithuania was on the evening of 4 November 2008 in the city of Elektrenai. I was very happy to see that the city's cultural center was filled up with people eager to hear our message. At the end of my lectures I always allow time for questions and answers. During that evening's question and answer session one nice lady who had been to India asked why is it that in India the cow is considered sacred. I explained to her that because our mother nurtures us with her breast milk she is very dear to us. And who is it that gives us her breast milk after our mother stops giving us her breast milk? That second mother is the cow. So just as the first mother is dear, our second mother, the cow, is very dear to us and is thus given all love and protection throughout her entire life. To this very day those in India who are strictly following Hindu culture treat the cows with the highest respect just as any gentleman would treat his mother.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari

Elektrenai Cultural Center Public Lecture

Presenting Srila Prabhupada's Books

Audience Floods the Book Table

Answers According to the Vedic Version:

Question: First Life Forms Were the Size of Bacteria?

I was puzzled by your 4 November 2008 "Thought for the Day" entitled "Charles Darwin and the Monkeys". Could you please explain to me whether you agree or disagree with the statement that many million years ago the first life forms to appear were the size of bacteria and such a huge variety of living beings developed only gradually? Or do you rather think that all varieties of material forms were created in one go? Maybe you could tell me in which scriptures should I look for reference upon the matter, are there any in Bhagavad-gita?

Your reader

Answer: No. Highly Developed Super Humans

Thank you very much for you sincere inquiry.

Your statement that many million years ago the first life forms were the size of bacteria and such a huge variety of living beings developed only gradually is incorrect. We have authoritative information from the Vedic literatures confirming that the first life form in this universe was Lord Brahma, a highly powerful and intelligent being who was then empowered to create the 8,400,000 different species.

The first four sons of Brahma are known as the four Kumaras. They are described as follows in the Srimad Bhagavatam:

sa eva prathamaṁ devaḥ
kaumāraṁ sargam āśritaḥ
cacāra duścaraṁ brahmā
brahmacaryam akhaṇḍitam

"First of all, in the beginning of creation, there were the four unmarried sons of Brahma [the Kumaras], who, being situated in a vow of celibacy, underwent severe austerities for realization of the Absolute Truth."
---SB 1.3.6

Neither Brahma nor his first offspring, the four Kumaras, were the size of bacteria. They were fully developed, highly intelligent beings.

Sankarshan Das Adhikari