Thought for the Week

A civilisation that highly revered co-existence, lived in blissful harmony, learned from nature and inhabitant animal life forms and held deepest gratitude for all once lived on the sunshine and moonshine filled land of Bharat.

New born babies, whose mothers failed to lactate, were given cow’s milk. Unlike formula milks in tinned cans available today. That milk was meant for its calf. There was sacrifice given by both the cow and calf to sustain a human baby. This type of understanding requires sensitivity at its core. The Indian system of Ayurveda used cow’s milk in some of its medicinal preparations.

The cow provided nourishment and healing through its milk just like a mother does, hence out of love she was called Gai Maata [ Mother cow]

You will see this depth of gratitude extended to rivers, as water is essential for life or for that matter even earth, as it nourishes and sustains us. Hence river Ganges is Ganga Maa [ Mother Ganges] and planet earth is Dharti Maa[ Mother earth].

We used to call the moon Chanda Maama [ maternal uncle] . Now this can be laughed upon, if considered from logical point of view. In Vedic times it was known that the moon light was equally important for plants to flourish. Everything was linked in the cosmos. There was interdependence and harmony and nothing was meant to be disturbed. The nature was there to be admired and learned from. Not dissected and destroyed.

With greater understanding, the values of preserving nature are coming back and that is the greatest gift humanity can give to its self and future generations

Cow dung facts :

1] Is a natural fertilizer. It was used prior to introduction of chemical fertilizers.

2] Produces bio gas known as methane, which is used for cooking and generating electricity

3] Has antibacterial properties

4]Stimulates production of serotonin [ happy neurotransmitters] from brain neurones , hence is a mood enhancer [ University of Bristol ]!

Dr Manjula Arora