Cows, cowboys and the Veda

Cows were considered a very important animal long ago, and the profession (job) of a cowboy for looking after and taking care of cows was recognized as being extremely valuable to society, nothing less than that of people engaged in other vocations including brahmins who were teachers and performed holy rituals etc. to God. There are several Vedic hymns dedicated to cows and cowboys, a few of which are listed below.

“The kine (cows) have come (after grazing) and brought good fortune: let them rest in the cow-pen and be happy near us.
Here let them stay prolific, many-colored, and yield through many morns (mornings, days) their milk for God.” ... Rig Veda (Book 6, Hymn 28.1)

“These (cows) are never lost, no robber ever injures them: no evil-minded foe attempts to harass them.
The master of the Kine, the cowboy, lives many a year with these, the cows, whereby he pours his gifts (to people and society) and serves God (in that way).” … Rig Veda (Book 6, Hymn 28.3)

Note that the above hymns do not indicate any type of discrimination or lowly feeling in society long ago about people working in any occupation or belonging to any caste (vocational undertaking). Thus the manual and menial worker, a cowboy, looking after cows and taking care of them is duly recognized as making an important contribution to society and even serving God directly in his own way, just like a brahmin would do at that time (help people and society and serve God) by teaching people and conducting yajnas and other religious rituals for others and himself.

In conclusion, since the manual work in society or tribe (like taking care of cows and cleaning animal sheds, etc.) used to be carried out by locals and the hired help (transients, outsiders, sudra) these hymns (mentioning and recognizing cowboys’ contribution to society and their service to God in that way, by contributing to society) point to the following long ago.

(i) All vocations, even manual and menial ones, were considered important to society and as a service to God, which implies that socially and religiously every vocation was seen equally important.

(ii) Caste (vocation) based discrimination and casteism (people in one type of vocation or caste deemed better than other) did not exist.

(iii) The ancients had a good sense of recognizing, encouraging and appreciating valuable contribution to society, no matter how humble and menial, and even include and mention it in the Veda. This shows that in society and religion even the manual and menial work was considered of great value and dignity and those doing it (whether locals or outsiders) in no way less than others (including brahmins).

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By: Dr. Subhash C. Sharma
Email: lamberdar@yahoo.com
Date: Oct. 9, 2009

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