Housing for Cows in Vedas

 Housing for Cows from Yajurved

Yaju1.1.2

वसो:  पवित्रमसि द्यौरसि पृथिव्यसि मातरिश्वनो घर्मोsसि विश्वधाsसि ।

परमेण धाम्ना दृँहस्व मा ह्वार्मा ते यज्ञपतिर्ह्वाषीत्‌ ॥ यजु 1.1.2

Manage the elements in and around goshala as follows;( Equally applicable to all habitats)

1.   पवित्रमसि –pawitrmasi;  Grow Cynodon Dactylon कुशा –दूब on all the open space. It is held by Vedic tradition that grass called kusha/doob  is a natural purifier. This grass is used in all ritualistic ceremonies and worships. Rural milk vendors  in Eastern UP  often put a top layer of this grass to act as a sieve while milking  their cows in to the milking pan. In fact in Darsheshti yajna  that monitors the agriculture pastoral activities, Yajurved mantra1.1.3  is used in monitoring the milk production of cows and asks; “पुनातु वसो: पवित्रेण शतधारेण सुप्वा कामधुक्ष:” “punaatu wasoh shatadhaaren supwaa kaamadhukshah”  After straining through a sieve of Cynodon Dactylon for sanitizing  the milk , which cow has provided this milk?  This grass is also put in drums while milk is being transported. It is believed that contact of milk with this grass enhances the shelf life of milk. (This can be a topic of small research. )

 It is now confirmed by modern science that kusha or doob  with botanical name Cynodon Dactylon  has fungicidal, bacticidal properties.  It is also well known that this grass grows only in good organically rich soil. Thus all soil should be well fertilized with cowdung and cow urine to ensure growing of this grass.

1.1       Logically pastures should also be rich with this variety of grass. If a cow feeds on larger proportion of this grass, can the milk of such a cow be expected to have better shelf life?

2.   द्यौरसि dyaurasi :  all Goshala space ( equally applicable to human habitat) must allow play of maximum sunlight . It is well known that there is no better natural sanitizer of floors and space than Solar radiations.  Thus it is laid down that design of the housings where cows are kept should allow maximum sunlight.

3.   पृथिव्यसि prithiwyasi ; Cows ( Equally applicable to humans) must have good opportunity to tread on bare clean earth. Problems with Dairy cattle confined on wet damp hard floors caused by hoof softness and infections and can be avoided by opportunity for the cattle to tread on bare clean earth.  ( Foot baths-However on return from pastures Vedas also lay down a system of foot bath, by suggesting that cows should be made to wade through knee deep water streams.)

4.   मातरिश्वनो घर्मोSसि  maatarishwano gharmosi : Ventilating air in Goshjala ( qually applicable to human habitat)  should be sanitized /clean by natural solar heat.

5.   विश्वधाsसि  wishwadhasi ; Such clean air for breathing sustains all life in the world.

6.   परमेण धाम्ना दृँहस्व parmen dhamnadrinhasw  Regular fumigation is necessary to clean the environment.

7.   मा ह्वार्मा ते यज्ञपतिर्ह्वाषीत्‌ Mahwarma te yajnapatirhwaasheet. Never neglect performing of Agnihotra –Fire ritual ( That also sanitizes the environment)