There Is No Expenditure Of Keeping Cows

The Vedic civilization, the brahmanas, they used to live in the forest, and the king would offer them some cows. So they will draw some milk. And in the forest there are fruits, so they will eat fruits and milk. And if the disciples go to the village, beg some food grain, then sometimes they cook some food grains. Otherwise the brahmanas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don’t require any other foodstuff. Only this cow’s milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig’s brain. So it is so important thing. Other…, why Krsna says go-raksya? He did not say that “pig-raksya.” No. “Dog-raksya.” No. Now they are interested in dog-raksya instead of cow-raksya. This is the civilization. They’ll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow.

So this kind of civilization will not bring any peace and prosperity. You have to take Krsna’s civilization if you want actually… That is human civilization. That is stated in the Bhagavad-gita:

bhoktaram yajna-tapasam sarva-loka-mahesvaram suhrdam sarva-bhutanam jnatva mam santim rcchati [Bg. 5.29]

If you actually want santi, peace, then you try to understand only three things. What is that? Sarva-loka-mahesvaram: Krsna is the proprietor of everything. Just like we ask every day, “Who is the proprietor of the sea?” They do not know. Theories. But Krsna said, “I am the proprietor,” sarva-loka-mahesvaram, “not only of this sea.” This Pacific Ocean is only one, insignificant. There are millions of Pacific Ocean flying in the sky. So who is the proprietor? Sarva-loka- mahesvaram. Krsna says, “I am.” You are not proprietor. There must be some proprietor. So who is that proprietor? Krsna says, “I am the proprietor.” You have to know it, whether Krsna is not proprietor. He says, “I am proprietor,” but if you are doubtful, prove that He is not proprietor. But that you cannot do. Or bring another person who can claim like that, that “I am the proprietor.” Therefore you have to accept Krsna as the proprietor. And it is accepted by all great personalities. Vyasadeva, Narada, Asita, Devala, all the acaryas, Nimbarka, then Madhvacarya, Ramanujacarya, and our worshipable Deity, Caitanya Mahaprabhu. Everyone has accepted. So unless we are grand fool, we can’t deny this. It is not possible. Evam parampara-praptam. We have to take knowledge by the disciplic succession.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.21
by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada
Honolulu, May 21, 1976