Prabhupada Quotes

Room Conversation with Allen Ginsberg
May 11, 1969, Columbus, Ohio
Allen Ginsberg:
 We have a farm also now in upstate New York. There we have vegetarian table also in the farm. We have a cow, goats. But…

Prabhupada: From economic point of view, if one man has got a cow and four acres of land, he has no economic problem. That we want to start. He can independently live any part of the world. Simply he must (have) one cow and four acres of land. Let the people be divided with four acres of land and a cow, there will be no economic question. All the factories will be closed.

Allen Ginsberg: Four acres, you think?

Prabhupada: Four acres.

Allen Ginsberg: Maybe.

Prabhupada: That I am instructing Kirtanananda, to show this example in New Vrindaban.

Bhagavad-gita Lecture 13.35
Geneva, June 6, 1974

Ksetra means field of activities. Just like in agricultural land. You get a piece of land, and you produce your own food grain, or as you like. The government gives you a piece of land, and you have to pay a little tax, and you can grow your food grains as you like.

….The same example: You are given a field, a piece of land. You can grow twice, thrice in a year very nice foodstuff, sometimes pulses, sometimes paddy, sometimes the mustard seed. Any land… In India, we have seen that a cultivator produces three, four kind of food grains in a year. That is the system… (Aside:) Not this…

That is the system that in India every man is producing his food grains independently. Now it is stopped. Formerly, all these men, they used to produce their food grain.

So they used to work for three months in a year, and they could stock the whole year’s eatable food grains. Life was very simple. After all, you require to eat. So this Vedic civilization was that keep some land and keep some cows. Then your whole economic question is solved.

The whole economic question can be solved. If you have got excess, then you can trade, you can send to some place where there is scarcity. But every man should produce his own food. That is Vedic culture. You get a piece of land and produce your family’s foodstuff.

….So this example is given: idam sariram ksetram. That means to own a certain piece of land is the basic civilization. Everyone must have a portion of land to produce his food. There will be no economic problem.

….So anyway, the whole world situation is degrading, that people are not producing their own food. This is the problem, real problem. Ksetra-ksetrajna. This example is given. As every man must possess a piece of land… Therefore this… Because it is very common thing, this example has been given. Ksetra-ksetrajnah.

Adi-lila
Chapter Seventeen, Text 111
TRANSLATION
“In My last birth I was born in the family of cowherd men, and I gave protection to the calves and cows. Because of such pious activities, I have now become the son of a brahmana.”

PURPORT
The words of Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the greatest authority, herein clearly indicate that one becomes pious simply by keeping cows and protecting them. Unfortunately, people have become such rascals that they do not even care about the words of an authority.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1: Chapter Nineteen, Text 3
Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness, and thus perfection of human civilization is achieved.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 8: Chapter Twenty-four, Text 5: PURPORT
Without protection of cows, brahminical culture cannot be maintained; and without brahminical culture, the aim of life cannot be fulfilled.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 7: Chapter Three, Text 13: PURPORT
In Vedic culture, the welfare of the cows and the welfare of the brahmanas are essential. Without a proper arrangement for developing brahminical culture and protecting cows, all the affairs of administration will go to hell.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 6: Chapter Eighteen, Text 52: PURPORT
One cannot become spiritually advanced without acquiring the brahminical qualifications and giving protection to cows.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1: Chapter Seventeen, Text 20: PURPORT
The conclusion is, therefore, that the sufferings of the representative of religion and the representative of the earth, as present before Maharaja Pariksit, were planned to prove that Maharaja Pariksit was the ideal executive head because he knew well how to give protection to the cows (the earth) and the brahmanas (religious principles), the two pillars of spiritual advancement.

Prabhupada, Hyderbad, 1977,
as related by Teijas, ISKCON Farm News, Vol. 2, No. 1, p. 5.:
“We should establish this varnasrama-dharma in America. The varnasrama is centered around the cow.”

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-one, Text 38: PURPORT
Lord Krsna, the Supreme personality of Godhead, is the prime protector of brahminical culture and the cow. Without knowing and respecting these, one cannot realize the science of God, and without this knowledge, any welfare activities or humanitarian propaganda cannot be successful.

Room Conversation Paris
June 11, 1974
Prabhupada: So use this. This is one of the business. Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. We don’t stop trade. We don’t stop food, producing food grains. But we want to stop these killing houses. It is very, very sinful. Therefore in Europe, so many wars. Every ten years, fifteen years, there is a big war and wholesale slaughter of the whole human kind. And these rascals, they do not see it. The reaction must be there. You are killing innocent cows and animals. Nature will take revenge. Wait for that. As soon as the time is ripe, the nature will gather all these rascals, and club, slaughter them. Finished. They will fight amongst themselves, Protestant and Catholic, Russian and France, and France and Germany. This is going on. Why? This is the nature’s law. Tit for tat. You have killed. Now you become killed. Amongst yourselves. They are being sent to the slaughterhouse. And here, you’ll create slaughterhouse, “Dum! dum!” and killed, be killed. You know. You showed me?

Science of Self Realization
Chapter Four :Understanding Krsna and Christ
Srila Prabhupada:
 The problem is that the Christians do not follow the commandments of God. Do you agree?

Father Emmanuel: Yes, to a large extent you’re right.

Srila Prabhupada: Then what is the meaning of the Christians’ love for God? If you do not follow the orders of God, then where is your love? Therefore we have come to teach what it means to love God: if you love Him, you cannot be disobedient to His orders. And if you’re disobedient, your love is not true.
All over the world, people love not God but their dogs. The Krsna consciousness movement is therefore necessary to teach people how to revive their forgotten love for God. Not only the Christians, but also the Hindus, the Muhammadans, and all others are guilty. They have rubber-stamped themselves “Christian,” “Hindu,” or “Muhammadan,” but they do not obey God. That is the problem.

Visitor: Can you say in what way the Christians are disobedient?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes. The first point is that they violate the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” by maintaining slaughterhouses. Do you agree that this commandment is being violated?

Father Emmanuel: Personally, I agree.

Srila Prabhupada: Good. So if the Christians want to love God, they must stop killing animals.

Father Emmanuel: But isn’t the most important point–

Srila Prabhupada: If you miss one point, there is a mistake in your calculation. Regardless of what you add or subtract after that, the mistake is already in the calculation, and everything that follows will also be faulty. We cannot simply accept that part of the scripture we like, and reject what we don’t like, and still expect to get the result.
For example, a hen lays eggs with its back part and eats with its beak. A farmer may consider, “The front part of the hen is very expensive because I have to feed it. Better to cut it off.” But if the head is missing there will be no eggs anymore, because the body is dead. Similarly, if we reject the difficult part of the scriptures and obey the part we like, such an interpretation will not help us. We have to accept all the injunctions of the scripture as they are given, not only those that suit us. If you do not follow the first order, “Thou shalt not kill,” then where is the question of love of God?

Visitor: Christians take this commandment to be applicable to human beings, not to animals.

Srila Prabhupada: That would mean that Christ was not intelligent enough to use the right word: murder. There is killing, and there is murder. Murder refers to human beings. Do you think Jesus was not intelligent enough to use the right word–murder–instead of the word killing? Killing means any kind of killing, and especially animal killing. If Jesus had meant simply the killing of humans, he would have used the word murder.

Father Emmanuel: But in the Old Testament the commandment “Thou shalt not kill” does refer to murder. And when Jesus said, “Thou shalt not kill,” he extended this commandment to mean that a human being should not only refrain from killing another human being, but should also treat him with love. He never spoke about man’s relationship with other living entities, but only about his relationship with other human beings. When he said, “Thou shalt not kill,” he also meant in the mental and emotional sense–that you should not insult anyone or hurt him, treat him badly, and so on.

Srila Prabhupada: We are not concerned with this or that testament but only with the words used in the commandments. If you want to interpret these words, that is something else. We understand the direct meaning. “Thou shalt not kill” means, “The Christians should not kill.” You may put forth interpretations in order to continue the present way of action, but we understand very clearly that there is no need for interpretation.
Interpretation is necessary if things are not clear. But here the meaning is clear. “Thou shalt not kill” is a clear instruction. Why should we interpret it?

Father Emmanuel: Isn’t the eating of plants also killing?

Srila Prabhupada: The Vaisnava philosophy teaches that we should not even kill plants unnecessarily. In the Bhagavad-gita (9.26) Krsna says:
patram puspam phalam toyam yo me bhaktya prayacchati tad aham bhakty-upahrtam asnami prayatatmanah
“If someone offers Me with love and devotion a leaf, a flower, a fruit, or a little water, I will accept it.” We offer Krsna only the kind of food He demands, and then we eat the remnants. If offering vegetarian food to Krsna were sinful, then it would be Krsna’s sin, not ours. But God is apapa-viddha–sinful reactions are not applicable to Him. He is like the sun, which is so powerful that it can purify even urine–something impossible for us to do. Krsna is also like a king, who may order a murderer to be hanged but who himself is beyond punishment because he is very powerful. Eating food first offered to the Lord is also something like a soldier’s killing during wartime. In a war, when the commander orders a man to attack, the obedient soldier who kills the enemy will get a medal. But if the same soldier kills someone on his own, he will be punished. Similarly, when we eat only prasada [the remnants of food offered to Krsna], we do not commit any sin. This is confirmed in the Bhagavad-gita (3.13):
yajna-sistasinah santo mucyante sarva-kilbisaih bhunjate te tv agham papa ye pacanty atma-karanat
“The devotees of the Lord are released from all kinds of sins because they eat food that is first offered for sacrifice. Others, who prepare food for personal sense enjoyment, verily eat only sin.”

Father Emmanuel: Krsna cannot give permission to eat animals?

Srila Prabhupada: Yes–in the animal kingdom. But the civilized human being, the religious human being, is not meant to kill and eat animals. If you stop killing animals and chant the holy name Christ, everything will be perfect.

Krsna
Chapter Fifty-seven: Five Queens Married by Krsna
Thus Arjuna went to the forest with his bow and infallible arrows. He dressed himself with suitable protective garments, for he was to practice killing many enemies. He specifically entered that part of the forest where there were many tigers, deer and various other animals. Krsna did not go with Arjuna to practice animal killing, for He doesn’t have to practice anything; He is self-sufficient. He accompanied Arjuna to see how he was practicing because in the future he would have to kill many enemies. After entering the forest, Arjuna killed many tigers, boars, bison, gavayas (a kind of wild animal), rhinoceroses, deer, hares, porcupines and similar other animals, which he pierced with his arrows.

Some of the dead animals that were fit to be offered in sacrifices were carried by the servants and sent to King Yudhisthira. Other ferocious animals, such as tigers and rhinoceroses, were killed only to stop disturbances in the forest. Since there are many sages and saintly persons who are residents of the forest, it is the duty of the ksatriya kings to keep even the forest in a peaceful condition for living.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 10: Chapter One, Text 69 :PURPORT
Vina pasu-ghnat. The word pasu means “animal.” An animal killer, pasu-ghna, cannot enter into Krsna consciousness. In our Krsna consciousness movement, therefore, animal killing is completely prohibited.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-seven, Text 11 :PURPORT
Those who are involved in the mode of ignorance manufacture religious systems for killing animals. Actually dharma is transcendental. As Lord Sri Krsna teaches, we must give up all other systems of religion and simply surrender unto Him (sarva-dharman parityajya). Thus the Lord and His devotees and representatives teach the transcendental dharma, which does not allow animal-killing at all.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-seven, Text 11 :PURPORT
There are two ways of animal-killing. One way is in the name of religious sacrifices. All the religions of the world–except the Buddhists–have a program for killing animals in places of worship. According to Vedic civilization, the animal-eaters are recommended to sacrifice a goat in the temple of Kali under certain restrictive rules and regulations and eat the flesh. Similarly, they are recommended to drink wine by worshiping the goddess Candika. The purpose is restriction. People have given up all this restriction. Now they are regularly opening wine distilleries and slaughterhouses and indulging in drinking alcohol and eating flesh.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-seven, Text 11 :PURPORT
Actually, those who are in knowledge of everything are determined to execute Krsna consciousness, but those who are rascals (mudhah), sinners (duskrtinah) and the lowest of mankind (naradhamah), who are bereft of all intelligence (mayayapahrta jnanah) and who take shelter of the demoniac way of life (asuram bhavam asritah), are disinterested in Krsna consciousness. As such they become implicated and take on so many activities. Most of these activities center around the killing of animals. Modern civilization is centered around animal-killing.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-six, Text 6
TRANSLATION
If a king is too attracted to eating flesh, he may, according to the directions of the revealed scriptures on sacrificial performances, go to the forest and kill some animals that are recommended for killing. One is not allowed to kill animals unnecessarily or without restrictions. The Vedas regulate animal-killing to stop the extravagance of foolish men influenced by the modes of passion and ignorance.

PURPORT
Because demoniac people want to be cheated, so many cheaters are present to cheat them. At the present moment in this age of Kali-yuga, the entire human society has become an assembly of cheaters and cheated.
For this reason the Vedic scriptures have given us the proper directions for sense gratification. Everyone is inclined in this age to eat meat and fish, drink liquor and indulge in sex life, but according to the Vedic injunctions, sex is allowed only in marriage, meat-eating is allowed only when the animal is killed and offered before the goddess Kali, and intoxication is allowed only in a restricted way. In this verse the word niyamyate indicates that all these things–namely animal-killing, intoxication and sex–should be regulated.
…If a king is allowed to hunt in a forest, it is not for his sense gratification. We cannot simply experiment in the art of killing. If a king, being afraid to meet rogues and thieves, kills poor animals and eats their flesh comfortably at home, he must lose his position. Because in this age kings have such demoniac propensities, monarchy is abolished
by the laws of nature in every country.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 4: Chapter Twenty-five, Text 8 :PURPORT
Narada Muni wanted to draw King Pracinabarhisat’s attention to the excesses of killing animals in sacrifices. It is said in the sastras that by killing animals in a sacrifice, one immediately promotes them to human birth. Similarly, by killing their enemies on a battlefield, the ksatriyas who fight for a right cause are elevated to the heavenly planets after death. In Manu-samhita it is stated that it is necessary for a king to execute a murderer so that the murderer will not suffer for his criminal actions in his next life.

On the basis of such understanding, Narada Muni warns the King that the animals killed in sacrifices by the King await him at his death in order to avenge themselves. Narada Muni is not contradicting himself here. Narada Muni wanted to convince the King that overindulgence in animal sacrifice is risky because as soon as there is a small discrepancy in the execution of such a sacrifice, the slaughtered animal may not be promoted to a human form of life.
Consequently, the person performing sacrifice will be responsible for the death of the animal, just as much as a murderer is responsible for killing another man. When animals are killed in a slaughterhouse, six people connected with the killing are responsible for the murder. The person who gives permission for the killing, the person who kills, the person who helps, the person who purchases the meat, the person who cooks the flesh and the person who eats it, all become entangled in the killing. Narada Muni wanted to draw the King’s attention to this fact. Thus animal-killing is not encouraged even in a sacrifice.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1: Chapter Seventeen, Text 8 :PURPORT
The protection of the lives of both the human beings and the animals is the first and foremost duty of a government. A government must not discriminate in such principles. It is simply horrible for a pure-hearted soul to see organized animal-killing by the state in this age of Kali. Maharaja Pariksit was lamenting for the tears in the eyes of the bull, and he was astonished to see such an unprecedented thing in his good kingdom. Men and animals were equally protected as far as life was concerned. That is the way in God’s kingdom.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1: Chapter Seven, Text 37 :PURPORT
A cruel and wretched person who maintains his existence at the cost of others’ lives deserves to be killed for his own well-being, otherwise he will go down by his own actions.

PURPORT
A life for a life is just punishment for a person who cruelly and shamelessly lives at the cost of another’s life. Political morality is to punish a person by a death sentence in order to save a cruel person from going to hell. That a murderer is condemned to a death sentence by the state is good for the culprit because in his next life he will not have to suffer for his act of murder. Such a death sentence for the murderer is the lowest possible punishment offered to him, and it is said in the smrti-sastras that men who are punished by the king on the principle of a life for a life are purified of all their sins, so much so that they may be eligible for being promoted to the planets of heaven.
According to Manu, the great author of civic codes and religious principles, even the killer of an animal is to be considered a murderer because animal food is never meant for the civilized man, whose prime duty is to prepare himself for going back to Godhead.

He says that in the act of killing an animal, there is a regular conspiracy by the party of sinners, and all of them are liable to be punished as murderers exactly like a party of conspirators who kill a human being combinedly. He who gives permission, he who kills the animal, he who sells the slaughtered animal, he who cooks the animal, he who administers distribution of the foodstuff, and at last he who eats such cooked animal food are all murderers, and all of them are liable to be punished by the laws of nature.

No one can create a living being despite all advancement of material science, and therefore no one has the right to kill a living being by one’s independent whims. For the animal-eaters, the scriptures have sanctioned restricted animal sacrifices only, and such sanctions are there just to restrict the opening of slaughterhouses and not to encourage animal-killing. The procedure under which animal sacrifice is allowed in the scriptures is good both for the animal sacrificed and the animal-eaters. It is good for the animal in the sense that the sacrificed animal is at once promoted to the human form of life after being sacrificed at the altar, and the animal-eater is saved from grosser types of sins (eating meats supplied by organized slaughterhouses which are ghastly places for breeding all kinds of material afflictions to society, country and the people in general). The material world is itself a place always full of anxieties, and by encouraging animal slaughter the whole atmosphere becomes polluted more and more by war, pestilence, famine and many other unwanted calamities.

Srimad-Bhagavatam
Canto 1: Chapter Three, Text 24 :PURPORT
Then, in the beginning of Kali-yuga, the Lord will appear as Lord Buddha, the son of Anjana, in the province of Gaya, just for the purpose of deluding those who are envious of the faithful theist.

PURPORT
Lord Buddha, a powerful incarnation of the Personality of Godhead, appeared in the province of Gaya (Bihar) as the son of Anjana, and he preached his own conception of nonviolence and deprecated even the animal sacrifices sanctioned in the Vedas. At the time when Lord Buddha appeared, the people in general were atheistic and preferred animal flesh to anything else. On the plea of Vedic sacrifice, every place was practically turned into a slaughterhouse, and animal-killing was indulged in unrestrictedly.

Lord Buddha preached nonviolence, taking pity on the poor animals. He preached that he did not believe in the tenets of the Vedas and stressed the adverse psychological effects incurred by animal-killing. Less intelligent men of the age of Kali, who had no faith in God, followed his principle, and for the time being they were trained in moral discipline and nonviolence, the preliminary steps for proceeding further on the path of God realization.
He deluded the atheists because such atheists who followed his principles did not believe in God, but they kept their absolute faith in Lord Buddha, who himself was the incarnation of God. Thus the faithless people were made to believe in God in the form of Lord Buddha. That was the mercy of Lord Buddha: he made the faithless faithful to him.
Killing of animals before the advent of Lord Buddha was the most prominent feature of the society. People claimed that these were Vedic sacrifices. When the Vedas are not accepted through the authoritative disciplic succession, the casual readers of the Vedas are misled by the flowery language of that system of knowledge. In the Bhagavad-gita a comment has been made on such foolish scholars (avipascitah).

The foolish scholars of Vedic literature who do not care to receive the transcendental message through the transcendental realized sources of disciplic succession are sure to be bewildered. To them, the ritualistic ceremonies are considered to be all in all. They have no depth of knowledge. According to the Bhagavad-gita (15.15), vedais ca sarvair aham eva vedyah: the whole system of the Vedas is to lead one gradually to the path of the Supreme Lord. The whole theme of Vedic literature is to know the Supreme Lord, the individual soul, the cosmic situation and the relation between all these items. When the relation is known, the relative function begins, and as a result of such a function the ultimate goal of life or going back to Godhead takes place in the easiest manner.

Unfortunately, unauthorized scholars of the Vedas become captivated by the purificatory ceremonies only, and natural progress is thereby checked.

To such bewildered persons of atheistic propensity, Lord Buddha is the emblem of theism. He therefore first of all wanted to check the habit of animal-killing. The animal-killers are dangerous elements on the path going back to Godhead. There are two types of animal-killers. The soul is also sometimes called the “animal” or the living being. Therefore, both the slaughterer of animals and those who have lost their identity of soul are animal-killers.

Maharaja Pariksit said that only the animal-killer cannot relish the transcendental message of the Supreme Lord.
Therefore if people are to be educated to the path of Godhead, they must be taught first and foremost to stop the process of animal-killing as above mentioned.

It is nonsensical to say that animal-killing has nothing to do with spiritual realization. By this dangerous theory many so-called sannyasis have sprung up by the grace of Kali-yuga who preach animal-killing under the garb of the Vedas. The subject matter has already been discussed in the conversation between Lord Caitanya and Maulana Chand Kazi Shaheb. The animal sacrifice as stated in the Vedas is different from the unrestricted animal-killing in the slaughterhouse.

Because the asuras or the so-called scholars of Vedic literatures put forward the evidence of animal-killing in the Vedas, Lord Buddha superficially denied the authority of the Vedas. This rejection of the Vedas by Lord Buddha was adopted in order to save people from the vice of animal-killing as well as to save the poor animals from the slaughtering process of their big brothers who clamor for universal brotherhood, peace, justice and equity.

There is no justice when there is animal-killing. Lord Buddha wanted to stop it completely, and therefore his cult of ahimsa was propagated not only in India but also outside the country. Technically Lord Buddha’s philosophy is called atheistic because there is no acceptance of the Supreme Lord and because that system of philosophy denied the authority of the Vedas. But that is an act of camouflage by the Lord. Lord Buddha is the incarnation of Godhead. As such, he is the original propounder of Vedic knowledge. He therefore cannot reject Vedic philosophy. But he rejected it outwardly because the sura-dvisa, or the demons who are always envious of the devotees of Godhead, try to support cow-killing or animal-killing from the pages of the Vedas, and this is now being done by the modernized sannyasis.

Cow Trusts:
(SPL to Yasomatinandana dasa, 28th November, 1976)
“You say we must have a gosala trust, that is our real purpose: krsi-go-raksya vanijyam, vaisya-karma svabhava-jam (Bhagavad-gita 18.44). Where there is agriculture there must be cows. That is our mission: Cow protection and agriculture and if there is excess, trade. This is a no-profit scheme. For the agriculture we want to produce our own food and we want to keep cows for our own milk. The whole idea is that we are ISKCON, a community to be independent from outside help. This farm project is especially for the devotees to grow their own food. Cotton also, to make their own clothes. And keeping cows for milk and fatty products.

Our mission is to protect our devotees from unnecessary heavy work to save time for advancing in Krsna consciousness. This is our mission. So there is no question of profit, but if easily there are surplus products, then we can think of trading. Otherwise we have no such intention. We want a temple, a gosala and agriculture. A community project as in Europe and America. We are making similar attempts in India in several places. Immediately I’m going to Hyderabad to organize the farm project there. We have six hundred acres. We have the permission from the government. There is no question of ceiling.”

Lord Krsna was a Cowherd
In the Srimad Bhagavatam 10.35.21.
Purport by Srila Prabhupada.
Srila Jiva Gosvami explains that in the afternoon Sri Krsna dressed Himself in new clothing and then went out to call the cows home. Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti gives the following information about the transcendental cows of Vrindavana: For each of the four colors of cows – white, red, black and yellow – there are twenty five subdivisions, making a total of one hundred colors. And such qualities as being colored like sandalwood-pulp tilaka (speckled) or having a head shaped like a mrdanga drum created eight further groups. To count these 108 groups of cows, distinguished by color and form, Krsna is using a string of 108 jewel-beads… (gems) …..”Those in the group with tilak marks on their foreheads are called Citrita, Citra-tilaka, Dirgha-tilaka and Tiryak-tilaka, and there are groups known as Mrdanga-mukhi (having a head shaped like a mrdanga drum), Simha-mukhi (lion head) and so on. “Thus being called by name, the cows are coming forward, and Krsna, thinking that when it is time to bring them back from the forest none should be forgotten, is counting them on His jewel-beads.”

In S.B.10.19.7..it says..
The Supreme Personality of Godhead called out to the animals in a voice that resounded like a rumbling cloud. Hearing the sound of their own names, the cows were overjoyed and called out to the Lord in reply.

The description of cow protection

Srimad-Bhagavatam 2.9.3 –Melbourne, April 5, 1972
Prabhupada:
 … We have to keep some cows. Never mind we are totake payment from others. That is not cow protection. Cow protection meansjust like Bhagavan, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, He is tending thecows. He is going, taking the cows personally from His royal palace going tothe forest whole day, working there. Is it not, cowherds boy? And taken somelittle fruit, mother, whatever mother has given. They are playing that. Sothis is cow protection, not that “Somebody will give money and we shall keepsome third class cows and feed there and become cow protector.” We must tendthe cows very nicely so that they give us sufficient milk. And with thatmilk we shall live.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19 — Hawaii, January 15, 1974
Prabhupada:
 ….So in this movement, our one program is to respectthe cows. We chant this mantra, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitayaca. The brahminical culture and the cows… Why they have selected thecows? There are so many animals. Why cow protection is so important in Krsnaconsciousness? Why Krsna personally Himself became a cowherd boy and wastaking the care of the cows and the calves? Oh, that is very essential.

And here also, we see that the Dharmaraja is inquiring about the comforts ofthe cow. Amba, kaccid bhadre, what is, anamayam atmanas te.Amayam means disease. So “Whether you are quite comfortable by your health?”This is very essential to keep cows very comfortably. If they feelcomfortable, then you get the most nourishing food, milk. We are practicallyseeing in our New Vrindaban center, because the cow are feeling secure inour custody, they’re delivering milk up to the eighty pounds daily. You’llbe surprised. So if you get milk products, milk, then you can prepare somany preparations full of vitamins, which will nourish your brain.

Bhagavad-gita 2.46-47 — New York, March 28, 1966
Prabhupada:
 Vaisya means the mercantile community. They are meantfor giving protection to the animals, and produce grain, and distribute andmake trade on them. That’s all. Because formerly there was no industry –people generally depended on agricultural work — therefore the mercantilecommunity, they used to produce food grains and distribute them, andprotection of cow was their duty. As the king was entrusted to protect thelife of the citizens, similarly, the vaisya class, or the mercantile class,they were entrusted to protect the life of cow. Why particularly cow isprotected? Because milk is very essential food for the human society,therefore cow protection is the duty of the human society. That is theconception of Vedic literature.

Sunday Feast Lecture — Atlanta, March 2, 1975
Prabhupada:
 ….Therefore… Just like the discussion went on withthe Kazi and Caitanya Mahaprabhu. There was no philosophy. He first askedhim that “Cow is your mother. Bull is your father. Why you are killingfather and mother? What is your religion? Is that very good philosophy, thatyou shall kill your father and mother and eat them?” This was the firstquestion. According to Vedic civilization, cow is to be given allprotection. The Hindus or followers of the Vedic religion, why they areinterested to give protection to the cows, not to the…, not so much to theother animals? And Lord Christ is more liberal. He said, “Thou shalt notkill.” He does not name any animal’s name. Every animal. Every animal shouldbe given protection. That is also the Vedic idea.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.8.11 – Purport
Civilized men who follow the system of varnasrama, especially those ofthe vaisya class, who engage in agriculture and trade, must give protectionto the cows.

Light of the Bhagavata Text 9
With good rains, the farmer’s business in agriculture flourishes.Agriculture is the noblest profession. It makes society happy, wealthy,healthy, honest, and spiritually advanced for a better life after death. Thevaisya community, or the mercantile class of men, take to this profession.In Bhagavad-gita the vaisyas are described as the natural agriculturalists,the protectors of cows, and the general traders. When Lord Sri Krsnaincarnated Himself at Vrndavana, He took pleasure in becoming a beloved sonof such a vaisya family. Nanda Maharaja was a big protector of cows, andLord Sri Krsna, as the most beloved son of Nanda Maharaja, used to tend Hisfather’s animals in the neighboring forest. By His personal example LordKrsna wanted to teach us the value of protecting cows. Nanda Maharaja issaid to have possessed nine hundred thousand cows, and at the time of LordSri Krsna (about five thousand years ago) the tract of land known asVrndavana was flooded with milk and butter. Therefore God’s giftedprofessions for mankind are agriculture and cow protection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.1 — Los Angeles, December 29, 1973
So similarly, vaisya. Vaisya, they should be trained in three things, productive — krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44] — krsi, agriculture; go-raksya, cow protection. Go-raksya. That is essential, agricultural and cow protection. And vanijyam. Vanijyam means trade. If there is excess milk product, if there is excess grain product, then you can sell to others. Nowadays the trade is that you take as much milk as you can, and then kill the animal and sell the flesh to other countries. That is going on. No. Go-raksya. Go-raksya. Cow protection is very, very essential in human society because it gives the milk, the miracle food. You can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation, all not only delicious, but brain-maintaining. You can get good brain. Therefore go-raksya, cow protection is especially recommended, not that animal protection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.1 — San Francisco, March 18, 1968
Prabhupada:
 According to Vedic injunctions, children, woman, brahmanas, old men, and cows. How many? Children, women, brahmana, cow, and what else?
Devotees: Old men.
Prabhupada: Old men. Yes. These five items, according to Manu-samhita, or Hindu law, they have no offense. They have no offense. They cannot be criminally prosecuted. Excused. If a brahmana has committed some fault or a woman has committed some fault or a child has committed some fault or a cow has transgressed the law, oh, there is no punishment for them. Daya. They should be shown always mercy. They require protection, especially. These five items have been especially enjoined that they should be given protection. That is required in human civilization. Cow protection is very important. Woman’s protection is very important. Brahmana’s protection is very important. Children’s protection is very important.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.14.34 Purport
The Lord is the protector of cows and the brahminical culture. A society devoid of cow protection and brahminical culture is not under the direct protection of the Lord, just as the prisoners in the jails are not under the protection of the king but under the protection of a severe agent of the king. Without cow protection and cultivation of the brahminical qualities in human society, at least for a section of the members of society, no human civilization can prosper at any length.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 — London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969
The special protection, brahmanas and cow. You know, we offer Krsna obeisances, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca: “Krsna, You are the leader of brahminical civilization.” The purest civilization. Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. “You are the well-wisher of cows and the brahmanas.” Why special stress is given to the words go and brahmana, cows and brahmanas? Then he said, jagad-dhitaya. “After being, first being well-wisher to the cows and brahmanas, then You are well-wisher of this general world.” Jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah. This is the prayer, namo brahmanya-devaya.

So why this specific stress has been given to the cows and brahmanas? Just see Krsna’s picture, how He’s loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.3 Purport
Progressive human civilization is based on brahminical culture, God consciousness and protection of cows. All economic development of the state by trade, commerce, agriculture and industries must be fully utilized in relation to the above principles, otherwise all so-called economic development becomes a source of degradation. Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness, and thus perfection of human civilization is achieved. ….

….Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the advancement of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by Providence. If we want peace and prosperity in the world, we should take lessons from this verse; every state and every home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical culture for self-purification, God consciousness for self-realization and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and the best food to continue a perfect civilization.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.18.52 Purport
If one is trained to honor and worship the cows and brahmanas, he is actually civilized. The worship of the Supreme Lord is recommended, and the Lord is very fond of the cows and brahmanas (namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca). In other words, a civilization in which there is no respect for the cows and brahmanas is condemned. One cannot become spiritually advanced without acquiring the brahminical qualifications and giving protection to cows. Cow protection insures sufficient food prepared with milk, which is needed for an advanced civilization. One should not pollute civilization by eating the flesh of cows. A civilization must do something progressive, and then it is an Aryan civilization. Instead of killing the cow to eat flesh, civilized men must prepare various milk products that will enhance the condition of society. If one follows the brahminical culture, he will become competent in Krsna consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.24.21 Translation
The occupational duties of the vaisya are conceived in four divisions: farming, commerce, cow protection and moneylending. Out of these, we as a community are always engaged in cow protection.

The Journey of Self-Discovery –  Plato: Goodness and Government
The administrators should see that there is law and order and that everyone is doing his duty. The next section is the productive class, the vaisyas, who engage in agriculture and cow protection. And finally there are the sudras, common laborers who help the other sections. This is Vedic civilization — people living simply, on agriculture and cow protection. If you have enough milk, grains, fruits, and vegetables, you can live very nicely….

…When Maharaja Pariksit saw a degraded man trying to kill a cow, he immediately drew his sword and said, “Who are you? Why are you trying to kill this cow?” He was a real king. Nowadays, unqualified men have taken the presidential post. And although they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Why? Because under their noses thousands of cows are being killed, while they collect a good salary. Any leader who is at all religious should resign his post in protest if cow slaughter goes on under his rule.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.9 Purport
In the material world the human society gives all protection to the human being, but there is no law to protect the descendants of Surabhi, who can give all protection to men by supplying the miracle food, milk. But Maharaja Pariksit and the Pandavas were fully conscious of the importance of the cow and bull, and they were prepared to punish the cow-killer with all chastisement, including death. There has sometimes been agitation for the protection of the cow, but for want of pious executive heads and suitable laws, the cow and the bull are not given protection. The human society should recognize the importance of the cow and the bull and thus give all protection to these important animals, following in the footsteps of Maharaja Pariksit. For protecting the cows and brahminical culture, the Lord, who is very kind to the cow and the brahmanas (go-brahmana-hitaya), will be pleased with us and will bestow upon us real peace.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.6.19 Purport
There are so many facilities afforded by cow protection, but people have forgotten these arts. The importance of protecting cows is therefore stressed by Krsna in Bhagavad-gita (krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhavajam [Bg. 18.44]). Even now in the Indian villages surrounding Vrndavana, the villagers live happily simply by giving protection to the cow. They keep cow dung very carefully and dry it to use as fuel. They keep a sufficient stock of grains, and because of giving protection to the cows, they have sufficient milk and milk products to solve all economic problems. Simply by giving protection to the cow, the villagers live so peacefully. Even the urine and stool of cows have medicinal value.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.15.25 Purport
Jamadagni was more powerful than Kartaviryarjuna because of performing the agnihotra-yajna with clarified butter received from the kamadhenu. Not everyone can be expected to possess such a cow. Nonetheless, an ordinary man may possess an ordinary cow, give protection to this animal, take sufficient milk from it, and engage the milk to produce butter and clarified ghee, especially for performing the agnihotra-yajna. This is possible for everyone. Thus we find that in Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna advises go-raksya, the protection of cows. This is essential because if cows are cared for properly they will surely supply sufficient milk. We have practical experience in America that in our various ISKCON farms we are giving proper protection to the cows and receiving more than enough milk. In other farms the cows do not deliver as much milk as in our farms; because our cows know very well that we are not going to kill them, they are happy, and they give ample milk. Therefore this instruction given by Lord Krsna — go-raksya — is extremely meaningful. The whole world must learn from Krsna how to live happily without scarcity simply by producing food grains (annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]) and giving protection to the cows (go-raksya).Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhavajam [Bg. 18.44]. Those who belong to the third level of human society, namely the mercantile people, must keep land for producing food grains and giving protection to cows. This is the injunction of Bhagavad-gita. In the matter of protecting the cows, the meat-eaters will protest, but in answer to them we may say that since Krsna gives stress to cow protection, those who are inclined to eat meat may eat the flesh of unimportant animals like hogs, dogs, goats and sheep, but they should not touch the life of the cows, for this is destructive to the spiritual advancement of human society.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 8.6.12 Purport
Although in this age men can live up to one hundred years, their duration of life is reduced because they do not drink large quantities of milk. This is a sign of Kali-yuga. In Kali-yuga, instead of drinking milk, people prefer to slaughter an animal and eat its flesh. The Supreme Personality of Godhead, in His instructions of Bhagavad-gita, advises go-raksya, which means cow protection. The cow should be protected, milk should be drawn from the cows, and this milk should be prepared in various ways. One should take ample milk, and thus one can prolong one’s life, develop his brain, execute devotional service, and ultimately attain the favor of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. As it is essential to get food grains and water by digging the earth, it is also essential to give protection to the cows and take nectarine milk from their milk bags.

Light of the Bhagavata Text 27
Protection and grazing ground for the cows are among the essential needs for society and the welfare of people in general. The animal fat required for the human body can be well derived from cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is very important for human energy, and the economic development of society depends on sufficient food grains, sufficient milk, and sufficient transportation and distribution of these products. Lord Sri Krsna, by His personal example, taught us the importance of cow protection, which is meant not only for the Indian climate but for all human beings all over the universe.

Less intelligent people underestimate the value of cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is also called gorasa, or the juice from the body of the cow. Milk is the most valuable form of gorasa, and from milk we can prepare many important and valuable foodstuffs for the upkeep of the human body. The killing of cows by human society is one of the grossest suicidal policies, and those who are anxious to cultivate the human spirit must turn their attention first toward the question of cow protection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.6.22-23 Purport
Even in the houses of the cultivators, who were not very advanced in the modern ways of civilization, the ladies used to know how to chant mantras to give protection to children with the help of cow dung and cow urine. This was a simple and practical way to give the greatest protection from the greatest dangers. People should know how to do this, for this is a part of Vedic civilization.

So similarly, vaisya. Vaisya, they should be trained in three things, productive — krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhava-jam [Bg. 18.44] — krsi, agriculture; go-raksya, cow protection. Go-raksya. That is essential, agricultural and cow protection. And vanijyam. Vanijyam means trade. If there is excess milk product, if there is excess grain product, then you can sell to others. Nowadays the trade is that you take as much milk as you can, and then kill the animal and sell the flesh to other countries. That is going on. No. Go-raksya. Go-raksya. Cow protection is very, very essential in human society because it gives the milk, the miracle food. You can prepare hundreds and thousands of preparation, all not only delicious, but brain-maintaining. You can get good brain. Therefore go-raksya, cow protection is especially recommended, not that animal protection.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 12.2.1 — San Francisco, March 18, 1968
Prabhupada:
 According to Vedic injunctions, children, woman, brahmanas, old men, and cows. How many? Children, women, brahmana, cow, and what else?
Devotees: Old men.
Prabhupada: Old men. Yes. These five items, according to Manu-samhita, or Hindu law, they have no offense. They have no offense. They cannot be criminally prosecuted. Excused. If a brahmana has committed some fault or a woman has committed some fault or a child has committed some fault or a cow has transgressed the law, oh, there is no punishment for them. Daya. They should be shown always mercy. They require protection, especially. These five items have been especially enjoined that they should be given protection. That is required in human civilization. Cow protection is very important. Woman’s protection is very important. Brahmana’s protection is very important. Children’s protection is very important.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.14.34 Purport
The Lord is the protector of cows and the brahminical culture. A society devoid of cow protection and brahminical culture is not under the direct protection of the Lord, just as the prisoners in the jails are not under the protection of the king but under the protection of a severe agent of the king. Without cow protection and cultivation of the brahminical qualities in human society, at least for a section of the members of society, no human civilization can prosper at any length.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 — London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969
The special protection, brahmanas and cow. You know, we offer Krsna obeisances, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca: “Krsna, You are the leader of brahminical civilization.” The purest civilization. Namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. “You are the well-wisher of cows and the brahmanas.” Why special stress is given to the words go and brahmana, cows and brahmanas? Then he said, jagad-dhitaya. “After being, first being well-wisher to the cows and brahmanas, then You are well-wisher of this general world.” Jagad-dhitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah. This is the prayer, namo brahmanya-devaya.

So why this specific stress has been given to the cows and brahmanas? Just see Krsna’s picture, how He’s loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.19.3 Purport
Progressive human civilization is based on brahminical culture, God consciousness and protection of cows. All economic development of the state by trade, commerce, agriculture and industries must be fully utilized in relation to the above principles, otherwise all so-called economic development becomes a source of degradation. Cow protection means feeding the brahminical culture, which leads towards God consciousness, and thus perfection of human civilization is achieved. ….

….Where wealth and strength are not engaged in the advancement of brahminical culture, God consciousness and cow protection, the state and home are surely doomed by Providence. If we want peace and prosperity in the world, we should take lessons from this verse; every state and every home must endeavor to advance the cause of brahminical culture for self-purification, God consciousness for self-realization and cow protection for getting sufficient milk and the best food to continue a perfect civilization.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.18.52 Purport
If one is trained to honor and worship the cows and brahmanas, he is actually civilized. The worship of the Supreme Lord is recommended, and the Lord is very fond of the cows and brahmanas (namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca). In other words, a civilization in which there is no respect for the cows and brahmanas is condemned. One cannot become spiritually advanced without acquiring the brahminical qualifications and giving protection to cows. Cow protection insures sufficient food prepared with milk, which is needed for an advanced civilization. One should not pollute civilization by eating the flesh of cows. A civilization must do something progressive, and then it is an Aryan civilization. Instead of killing the cow to eat flesh, civilized men must prepare various milk products that will enhance the condition of society. If one follows the brahminical culture, he will become competent in Krsna consciousness.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 10.24.21 Translation
The occupational duties of the vaisya are conceived in four divisions: farming, commerce, cow protection and moneylending. Out of these, we as a community are always engaged in cow protection.

The Journey of Self-Discovery –  Plato: Goodness and Government
The administrators should see that there is law and order and that everyone is doing his duty. The next section is the productive class, the vaisyas, who engage in agriculture and cow protection. And finally there are the sudras, common laborers who help the other sections. This is Vedic civilization — people living simply, on agriculture and cow protection. If you have enough milk, grains, fruits, and vegetables, you can live very nicely….

…When Maharaja Pariksit saw a degraded man trying to kill a cow, he immediately drew his sword and said, “Who are you? Why are you trying to kill this cow?” He was a real king. Nowadays, unqualified men have taken the presidential post. And although they may pose themselves as very religious, they are simply rascals. Why? Because under their noses thousands of cows are being killed, while they collect a good salary. Any leader who is at all religious should resign his post in protest if cow slaughter goes on under his rule.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.17.9 Purport
In the material world the human society gives all protection to the human being, but there is no law to protect the descendants of Surabhi, who can give all protection to men by supplying the miracle food, milk. But Maharaja Pariksit and the Pandavas were fully conscious of the importance of the cow and bull, and they were prepared to punish the cow-killer with all chastisement, including death. There has sometimes been agitation for the protection of the cow, but for want of pious executive heads and suitable laws, the cow and the bull are not given protection. The human society should recognize the importance of the cow and the bull and thus give all protection to these important animals, following in the footsteps of Maharaja Pariksit. For protecting the cows and brahminical culture, the Lord, who is very kind to the cow and the brahmanas (go-brahmana-hitaya), will be pleased with us and will bestow upon us real peace.

Garden Conversation with Professors, Chairman of the Religion Dept. of U.S.C., and Dr. Stillson Judah, and others — June 24, 1975, Los Angeles

Prabhupada: …… According to Vedic civilization the cow is to be given special protection. Why it is recommended for the cow? It does not say of other animal. When animal killing is required according to Vedic civilization, those who are meat-eaters, they are allowed to kill some insignificant animal like deer, goat, pigs. It is for the animal eaters, not for all. But if one is bent upon… And there are persons, they want meat-eating. So for them these unimportant animals are recommended. But cow is very important animal. You get from its milk so many nutritious food. So apart from religious sentiment, from economic point of view, cow-killing is not good. And from moral point of view it is not good because you drink cow’s milk, so cow is your mother.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.22 — Hawaii, January 18, 1974
Here we see Maharaja Pariksit, as soon as he saw that a cow was being attempted to be killed, immediately he took his sword…, “What are you, nonsense? You are killing my citizen.” This is good government. This is good government. Why the cow is not national? He’s also, she’s also born in the land; so she’s as important a national as you are. Krsna has given her the grass to eat. She’s not interfere, interfering with your food. Why? What right you have got to kill? You have got your own food. The cow has got the grass for her food. You have got food grains. You have got… Cow is giving you milk, just to give her protection, that “You take my blood, turn into milk. Please do not kill me.” So why these things are happening? Because there is rascal government. Kalina upasrstan. Rascal government. So one should lament that this, “We are under this rascal government, under the rascal guru, rascal father. But who are meant for giving protection, they are all rascals. This is our position.” This is called Kali-yuga. This is Kali-yuga.

Bhagavad-gita 1.12 — London, July 13, 1973
Vaisya, they should engage themselves in agricultural production and giving protection to the cows, especially mentioned, go-raksya. Go-raksya, cow protection, is one of the items of state affairs. And now there is no cow protection. Poor cows, they deliver milk, and later on they become slaughtered. How much sinful the modern society is, and they still want peace and prosperity. That is not possible. The society must be divided — brahmana, ksatriya, vaisya, sudra — and they must execute their proper duty. And the vaisyas, they should give protection to the cows. And the sudras, they should work under the direction of the higher three divisions. In this way there will be nice management.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.46 — Los Angeles, May 8, 1973
So the king’s business is as soon as he sees one undesirable element, immediately he would kill him. That is real protection. Just like when Pariksit Maharaja was going on tour, he saw one black man was trying to kill a cow. Immediately saw, “Who are you? You are trying to kill cow in my kingdom? I shall kill you.” He immediately took out his sword. This is king, that… Not that animals should not be given protection, only man should be given protection. No. Praja. Praja means one who taken birth in the kingdom. That is called praja. So animal is also American, man is also American, but there is no protection for the animal by the government. So that kind of government, rascal government, was not there. Equal right. Your country says equality given. Why not equality to the animals? That is defect. It is due to, I mean to say, absence of Krsna consciousness. A Krsna conscious person will not distinguish like that. For eating animal, they will philosophize that animal has no soul; therefore it can be killed. No. This is nonsense. Everyone has got soul.

Hare Krishna Festival Address — San Diego, July 1, 1972, At Balboa Park Bowl
The idea is the Maharaja Pariksit was so pious that, that when he was touring in his kingdom all over the world, he found one man, one black man was trying to kill one cow. Immediately, Maharaja Pariksit took his sword and wanted to kill the man. He was Kali. So “Who are you, that you are killing cow in my kingdom?” So formerly, when the whole world was under the one king of the Pandavas, just like Pariksit Maharaja, there was equal protection for the animals and the man. Not that man should be given protection by law, and not the animals. The animals, they’re also national. What is the meaning of “national”? One who is born in that land. Suppose you are American. You are born in this land of America; therefore you are American national. Why not the cats and the dogs and the cows? They are also national. So this is injustice, that to give protection to the human kind and to send the animals to the slaughterhouse. This, this inequality, discrimination between man and animal is due to lack of Krsna consciousness. When one becomes actually Krsna conscious, he does not make such distinction that a man should be given protection and the animal should be killed.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.21 — Hawaii, January 17, 1974
We are taking so much milk from the cows, and we are killing instead of giving them protection. So in this way, we are simply committing sinful life. How you can expect to become happy?

Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.6.7 Purport
As far as eating beef is concerned, however, it is strictly prohibited to everyone. Thus in Bhagavad-gita Krsna personally speaks of go-raksyam, cow protection. Meat-eaters, according to their different positions and the directions of the sastra, are allowed to eat flesh, but never the flesh of cows. Cows must be given all protection.

Bhagavad-gita 14.16 Purport
Slaughtering poor animals is also due to the mode of ignorance. The animal killers do not know that in the future the animal will have a body suitable to kill them. That is the law of nature. In human society, if one kills a man he has to be hanged. That is the law of the state. Because of ignorance, people do not perceive that there is a complete state controlled by the Supreme Lord. Every living creature is a son of the Supreme Lord, and He does not tolerate even an ant’s being killed. One has to pay for it. So indulgence in animal killing for the taste of the tongue is the grossest kind of ignorance. A human being has no need to kill animals, because God has supplied so many nice things. If one indulges in meat-eating anyway, it is to be understood that he is acting in ignorance and is making his future very dark. Of all kinds of animal killing, the killing of cows is most vicious because the cow gives us all kinds of pleasure by supplying milk. Cow slaughter is an act of the grossest type of ignorance. In the Vedic literature (Rg Veda 9.4.64) the words gobhih prinita-matsaram indicate that one who, being fully satisfied by milk, is desirous of killing the cow is in the grossest ignorance. There is also a prayer in the Vedic literature that states:

namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitaya krsnaya
govindaya namo namah

“My Lord, You are the well-wisher of the cows and the brahmanas, and You are the well-wisher of the entire human society and world.” (Visnu Purana 1.19.65) The purport is that special mention is given in that prayer for the protection of the cows and the brahmanas. Brahmanas are the symbol of spiritual education, and cows are the symbol of the most valuable food; these two living creatures, the brahmanas and the cows, must be given all protection — that is real advancement of civilization. In modern human society, spiritual knowledge is neglected, and cow killing is encouraged.

The Quest for Enlightenment Chapter 2 – Matter, spirit and the controller of both
The Mercy of Lord Caitanya
So, the cow is also a native. Then why should the cow be slaughtered? The cow is giving milk and the bull is working for you, and then you slaughter them? What is this philosophy? In the Christian religion it is clearly stated, “Thou shalt not kill.” Yet most of the slaughterhouses are in the Christian countries.

This is all a misunderstanding of spiritual life. Every animal should be given protection. That is the Vedic idea. Otherwise, by killing, killing, killing, you become entangled in sinful activities…..

….That is why we have prescribed four regulative principles: no illicit sex, no meat-eating, no gambling, and no intoxication. Especially in your country, America, you have so many nice vegetables, fruits, grains, and milk products. So why should you kill the cow? You have taken our prasadam feasts. How delicious they are! So why kill the cow?

Srimad-Bhagavatam 6.1.8-13 — New York, July 24, 1971
According to Vedic law, if one cow dies while he’s locked up on the neck… Because the cow is on the safe.(?) Somehow or other, it dies and the rope is round the neck, the proprietor of the cow has to make some atonement. Because it is to be supposed that the cow has died on account of being locked up with the rope, there is atonement. Now if you are willingly killing cows and so many animals, so how much we are being responsible? Therefore at the present moment there is war, and the human society becomes subjected to be killed in mass massacre — the nature’s law. You cannot stop war and go on killing animals. That is not possible…..

….Suppose something, some animal, and this man who has killed. He will take another birth and he will slaughter him. There are so many subtle laws. Mamsa. The word mamsa, Sanskrit. Mam means “me,” and sa means “he.” “As I am eating him just now, he will eat me next life.” That is called mamsa. Mamsa khadati. This is the definition of mamsa, or flesh. Mamsa khadati. “As I am eating, enjoying now, palate, eating some animal, so he’ll also eat me next life.” This is called karma-bandhana. Karma-bandhana means being locked up in one’s material activities. Yajnarthe karmanah anyatra karma-bandhanah. Yajna, Visnu…, if you act for Krsna, beyond this, whatever you act, you’ll be under bondage. Just like I’m killing some animal, eating, enjoying, so it is karma-bandhana. I am being locked up with my action so that I shall become again a cow or goat, and this man, this cow and goat will become man, and he will kill me and eat. You believe or not believe — that’s a different thing. But these are the Vedic statement.

Discussions with Syamasundara dasa
The Evolutionists: Thomas Huxley, Henri Bergson, and Samuel Alexander
Prabhupada: Part and parcel, that is explained in Bhagavad-gita. Every living entity. Why man? Every living entity is part and parcel. Mamaivamso jiva-bhutah [Bg. 15.7]. But they take that “Cow is not living entity. It has no soul. So let us eat. It is eatable.” That is their nonsense philosophy. That is not fact. Everyone. Even the… All living entities are part and parcel of God.

Evening Darsana — February 25, 1977, Mayapura
Prabhupada: This is their civilization. They have got so nice thing to eat, but they are making business by killing. How much insane. Killing is done by the uncivilized men when they are hungry. But when there are so many things to eat, why they should kill? And that is not for themselves. For others.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 11.5.14 Purport
In the Western countries such as America, many people proudly proclaim themselves to be most pious religionists and sometimes even prophets or representatives of God. Boasting of their religiosity, such foolish people experience no fear or doubt in cruelly slaughtering innumerable animals in slaughterhouses or on hunting trips for their whimsical sense gratification. In the state of Mississippi there are sometimes pig-killing festivals, in which entire families enjoy watching a pig cruelly butchered before their eyes. Similarly, a former president of the United States from Texas did not consider any social occasion complete without the slaughtering of a cow. Such persons mistakenly consider themselves to be perfectly observing the laws of God and due to such arrogant foolishness lose all touch with reality. When a man is raising an animal for slaughter, he feeds the animal nicely and encourages it to grow fat. Thus the animal gradually accepts its would-be killer as its protector and master. When the master finally approaches the helpless animal with a sharp knife or gun, the animal thinks, “Oh, my master is joking with me.” Only at the last minute does the animal understand that the so-called master is death personified. It is clearly stated in Vedic literature that cruel masters who kill innocent animals will undoubtedly be killed in the next life by a similar process.

mam sa bhaksayitamutra
yasya mamsam ihadmy aham
etan mamsasya mamsatvam
pravadanti manisinah

“That creature whose flesh I am eating here and now will consume me in the next life.’ Thus meat is called mamsa, as described by learned authorities.” In Srimad-Bhagavatam this grizzly fate of animal killers is described by Narada Muni to King Pracinabarhi, who was excessively killing animals in so-called sacrifices.

bho bhoh prajapate rajan
pasun pasya tvayadhvare
samjnapitan jiva-sanghan
nirghrnena sahasrasah
ete tvam sampratiksante
smaranto vaisasam tava
samparetam ayah-kutais
chindanty utthita-manyavah

“O ruler of the citizens, my dear King, please see in the sky those animals which you have sacrificed, without compassion and without mercy, in the sacrificial arena. All these animals are awaiting your death so that they can avenge the injuries you have inflicted upon them. After you die, they will angrily pierce your body with iron horns.” (SB 4.25.7��-“8) Such punishment of animal killers may take place under the jurisdiction of Yamaraja on the planet of the lord of death. In other words, one who kills an animal or who eats meat undoubtedly acquires a debt to the living entity who has contributed his body for the satisfaction of the meat-eater. The meat-eater must pay his debt by contributing his own body to be consumed in the next life. Such payment of one’s debt by offering one’s own body to be eaten is confirmed in the Vedic literature.

The Quest for Enlightenment – Chapter 5
Spiritual Solutions to Material Problems – Advice to the United Nations
Srila Prabhupada: But now the so-called priestly class are amending the Biblical injunctions according to their whims. For instance, the Bible enjoins, “Thou shalt not kill.” But the priestly class is like the other classes — sanctioning slaughterhouses. So how can they guide?
Mr. Hennis: But the animal world is entirely composed of beings who eat one another. I suppose that the justification that people have for maintaining slaughterhouses is that it is just a cleaner way of killing than for a lion to jump on the back of an antelope.
Srila Prabhupada: But as a human being you should have discrimination. You should be guided by your brain, and society should be guided by the “brain class” of priestly, thoughtful men. Nature has given human beings the fruits, the vegetables, the grains, the milk, which all have great nutritional value, and human beings should be satisfied with these wholesome foods. Why should they maintain slaughterhouses? And how can they think they will be happy by being sinful, by disobeying God’s commandments? This means society has no brain….
Srila Prabhupada: And from the moral point of view, do you like sending your mother to the slaughterhouse? You are drinking the milk of the cow — so she is your mother — and after that you are sending her to the slaughterhouse. That is why we ask. Where is society’s brain?
Mr. Hennis: Of course, when we speak of the distinctions that are made between pious activities and sinful activities —
Srila Prabhupada: Today practically no one is making this distinction. We are making it, and we have introduced these ideas by establishing farm communities and protecting our cows. And our cows are winning awards for giving the most milk, because they are so jubilant. They know, “These people will not kill me.” They know it, so they are very happy. Nor do we kill their calves. At other farms, soon after the cow gives birth to a calf, they pull her calf away for slaughter. You see? This means society has no brain. You may create hundreds of organizations, but society will never be happy. That is the verdict.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.2 — Hyderabad, April 11, 1975
Guest (2): Why doesn’t Krsna consciousness movement stop cow slaughter? Every day five thousand cows are being slaughtered.
Prabhupada: Yes, we are teaching don’t eat meat. So don’t eat meat means don’t slaughter cows and goats and everyone. You are after stopping cow slaughter, but you are advocating goat slaughter. But we are not for any slaughter. Don’t eat meat, that’s all.

Room Conversation — December 13, 1970, Indore
Prabhupada: In India, the land of sages, land of Krsna, land of Lord Ramacandra, land of Maharaja Pariksit, without any restriction cow slaughter is going on. And they are speaking of karma-yoga. Just see the fun.
Guest (1): I don’t know where this India is going to, the land of Krsna is going to.
Prabhupada: Well… No, we should try our best.
Guest (1): We have to fight these habits. It is our duty.
Prabhupada: Yes, that’s it. So you are a military man. I request you to fight against this nonsense.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 9.15.25 Purport
Jamadagni was more powerful than Kartaviryarjuna because of performing the agnihotra-yajna with clarified butter received from the kamadhenu. Not everyone can be expected to possess such a cow. Nonetheless, an ordinary man may possess an ordinary cow, give protection to this animal, take sufficient milk from it, and engage the milk to produce butter and clarified ghee, especially for performing the agnihotra-yajna. This is possible for everyone. Thus we find that in Bhagavad-gita Lord Krsna advises go-raksya, the protection of cows. This is essential because if cows are cared for properly they will surely supply sufficient milk. We have practical experience in America that in our various ISKCON farms we are giving proper protection to the cows and receiving more than enough milk. In other farms the cows do not deliver as much milk as in our farms; because our cows know very well that we are not going to kill them, they are happy, and they give ample milk. Therefore this instruction given by Lord Krsna — go-raksya — is extremely meaningful. The whole world must learn from Krsna how to live happily without scarcity simply by producing food grains (annad bhavanti bhutani [Bg. 3.14]) and giving protection to the cows (go-raksya).Krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam vaisya-karma svabhavajam [Bg. 18.44]. Those who belong to the third level of human society, namely the mercantile people, must keep land for producing food grains and giving protection to cows. This is the injunction of Bhagavad-gita. In the matter of protecting the cows, the meat-eaters will protest, but in answer to them we may say that since Krsna gives stress to cow protection, those who are inclined to eat meat may eat the flesh of unimportant animals like hogs, dogs, goats and sheep, but they should not touch the life of the cows, for this is destructive to the spiritual advancement of human society.

Letter to: Rupanuga — Vrindaban 7 December, 1975
Our cows are happy, therefore they give plenty of milk. Vedic civilization gives protection to all the living creatures, especially the cows, because they render such valuable service to the human society in the shape of milk, without which no one can become healthy and strong. In your country the dog is protected, and the cow is killed. The dog is passing stool and urine in the street, he is considered the best friend of man, and the cow is all pure, stool, urine, and milk, but they are taken to the slaughter house and killed for food. What kind of civilization is this. Therefore we have to preach against all this nonsense.
Letter to: Hayagriva — Montreal 14 June, 1968
The community in which Krishna preferred to belong was Vaisya community, because Nanda Maharaja happened to be a Vaisya king, or landholder, and his main business was cow protection. It is understood that he had 900,000 cows and Krishna and Balarama used to take charge of them, along with His many cowherd boy friends, and every day, in the morning He used to go out with His friends and cows into the pasturing grounds.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.16.19 — Hawaii, January 15, 1974
So in this movement, our one program is to respect the cows. We chant this mantra, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya ca. The brahminical culture and the cows… Why they have selected the cows? There are so many animals. Why cow protection is so important in Krsna consciousness? Why Krsna personally Himself became a cowherd boy and was taking the care of the cows and the calves? Oh, that is very essential.

Evening Darsana — July 8, 1976, Washington, D.C.
Give protection to the cows. Krsna mentioned specifically, go-raksya.
That is our request, because Krsna says go-raksya. And in His practical life He played as a cowherd boy giving protection to other cows. There is a picture, Krsna is sitting, and the cow and the calf is feeling very safety. Krsna is embracing. So because we want to be Krsna conscious, we want to follow His personal behavior and instruction.
Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.5.1-2 — London (Tittenhurst), September 13, 1969
Just see Krsna’s picture, how He’s loving the cow. You see? He is instructing by His practical life how He is compassionate with the cows. He played as a cowherd boy. Why? Because if in human society these two things are neglected, cows and the brahmana, that is animal society. Animal society. That is not human society. That is the idea.

Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.10.4 — London, November 25, 1973
So it appears that how much strictly the cow protection was there so that the gavah, payasodhasvatir muda. They were… You’ll see Krsna. He is always with cows, and how the cows look very happy with Krsna. And Krsna is personally teaching how to protect cows. He became a cowherd boy. He was king’s son, Maharaja Nanda; but His business was to take the cows and the calves daily to the pasturing ground. And it was very sportive engagement with the cowherd boys. The cows were grazing, and the boys, they took their meals in a pot, tiffin carrier. Not tiffin carrier in those days. Some way or other. And they used to eat them, distribute amongst the friends. Sometimes a tiffin carrier was stolen by one boy, and he was searching, and then it was… So just like the boys do. This was the children’s life, to take protection, to give protection to the cows, to the calves. The small children, up to six years, seven years old, they used to take care of the calves, and the elderly men, the used to take care of the… Or elderly boys, they used to take care of the grown-up cows. So the cows were fed very nicely. Vrajan. Therefore Vrndavana is called Vrajabhumi, “where there are many cows.” It is called Gokula. Gokula. Go means cows, and kula means group. Gokula. Govardhana. Govardhana Hill. Because the cows were grazing on the hill, and profuse grass was being grown, and they are enjoying. So there should be arrangement. Just like here we see, there are so many open fields and the cows are grazing. But they cannot be happy because they know that they are simply raised for being killed. They cannot be happy.

So our Krsna consciousness movement is not a sentimental movement. It takes care of all-found social organization. It is not something like religious sentiment. Everything should be take care of. Therefore we say cow protection, cow protection.

Walk Around Farm — August 1, 1975, New Orleans
Prabhupada: Then how utilize the bulls?

Nityananda: To plow?

Prabhupada: Plow, transport. You have to engage more men for plowing. Two bulls will be required for each plow.

Prabhupada: …natural arrangement. Jungles — you cut the tree, make your home, and balance you make fuel. And the ground, plow and grow your food. That’s all, natural.

Devotee (4): Srila Prabhupada? A materialist or someone who wouldn’t know, he may say that when the bull is not plowing, all he is doing is eating. You have to pay money to feed him grain or to grow grain to feed the bull.

Prabhupada: They will grow, and they will eat. Rather, they will help you for your eating. The father also eats, but he maintains the family. Therefore the bull is considered as father and the cow as mother. Mother gives milk, and the bull grows food grains for man. Therefore Caitanya Mahaprabhu first challenged that Kazi that “What is your religion, that you eat your father and mother?” Both the bulls and the cows are important because the bull will produce food grain and the cow will give supply milk. They should be utilized properly. That is human intelligence.

Prabhupada: And everything for the cows, but what for the man? They will give everything for cows because they will eat cows, other farmers. But you utilize the animals for growing your food.

Brahmananda: The idea is we should maintain the animals, but then the animals should provide foodstuffs for the men.

Prabhupada: Yes.