Restore Bhagavad-Gita to Cow Protection

There have been many documented changes to Srila Prabhupada’s books. There is one book change however that the Hare Krishna society is mostly unaware of:

Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaisyas, and for the sudras there is labor and service to others. [Bhagavad-Gita As It Is Ch.18 Text 44]

Srila Prabhupada requested that his disciples change the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is from “cattle raising” to “cow protection”. In Prabhupada’s books, lectures, and conversations no where does he ever mention “cattle raising” but he mentions cow protection in hundreds of different places.

Srila Prabhupada has said that cattle raising means cow killing:

Prabhupada: One thing immediately inform Ramesvara. In the Bhagavad-gita yesterday they have edited "cattle-raising." But not cattle-raising. Cattle-raising means to grow and killing. That is the.... Means the rascals, they have edited.
Pusta Krsna: Yeah, and we're.... (interference)
Prabhupada: And "protection of cows," clearly.
Guru-krpa: Chapter Eighteen, Bhagavad-gita, that the vaisyas work...
Pusta Krsna: Oh, krsi-go-raksya.
Prabhupada: Ah, krsi-go-raksya. Immediately inform them.
Pusta Krsna: Okay. I noticed that also. I thought it was strange, some time back. [break]
Prabhupada: Hayagriva edited. He thought, "cattle-raising." Not "cattle-raising," but the word.... There.... It is mistranslation. It is go-raksya, "giving protection to the cows." Especially mentioned, go-rakñya, not otherwise. The animal-eaters may take other animals, but not cow. They can take the pig, goats, lambs, rabbits, so many others, if they at all want to eat meat, birds, these so many. There is no such mention that "Animals should be protected," no. "Cows should be protected." That is Krsna's order. [break] They have decided to kill the cow. They have decided, "No brain. Eat." And our prayer is go-brahmana-hitäya ca, "to do good to the brahmanas and the cows." Actually it is revolutionary to the modern age. But how it is possible we say otherwise?

[Morning Walk April 21, 1976 Melbourne]

Therefore, our own Bhagavad-Gita As It Is in fact supports the slaughter of the mother cow, which is a holy entity in the Vedas. We urge the BBT to correct this mistranslation on text 18.44 of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. “Cattle raising” is a mental concoction. “Cow protection” is the correct translation. This correction was made in the “revised” edition of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is. However, they changed almost all of Srila Prabhupada’s purports and translations while making this correction.

We would like to see a 1972 edition of the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is printed with the correct translation of “cow protection” as Srila Prabhupada desired on Chapter 18 Text 44.

Prabhupada: Cow protection. It has to be corrected. It is go-raksya, go. They take it cattle-raising. I think Hayagriva has translated like this. [Room Conversation with the Mayor of Evanston July 4 1975 Chicago]

It is due to the negligence of the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust that we will no longer purchase the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is from any book distributor until they fulfill Srila Prabhupada’s request that the Bhagavad-Gita As It Is be changed from supporting the cow killing to supporting cow protection.

Nitai:
krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam
vaisya-karma svabhava-jam
paricaryatmakam karma
sudrasyapi svabhava-jam
[Bg. 18.44]

Prabhupada: That is fourth-class. First of all, third-class.
Nitai: Third-class: "Farming, cattle raising and business are the qualities of work for the vaisyas,..."
Prabhupada: Not cattle raising, cow protection.
[Television Interview July 9 1975, Chicago]

TRANSLATION
When the astrologer was speaking so highly of Him, Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu stopped him and began to smile. “My dear sir,” He said, “I think you do not know very clearly what I was, for I know that in My previous birth I was a cowherd boy. [Adi 17.110]

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.” [Adi 17.111]

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. People generally consider cowherd men lowly members of society, but herein Caitanya Mahaprabhu confirms that they are so pious that in their next lives they are going to be brahmana. The caste system has a specific purpose. If this scientific system is followed, human society will get the greatest benefit. Heeding this instruction by the Lord, people should serve cows and calves and in return get ample quantities of milk. There is no loss in serving the cows and calves, but modern human society has become so degraded that instead of giving protection to the cows and serving them, people are killing them. How can they expect peace and prosperity in human society while committing such sinful activities? It is impossible.

TRANSLATION
The Lord said, “You drink cows’ milk; therefore the cow is your mother. And the bull produces grains for your maintenance; therefore he is your father. [Adi 17.153]
TRANSLATION
“Since the bull and cow are your father and mother, how can you kill and eat them? What kind of religious principle is this? On what strength are you so daring that you commit such sinful activities?” [Adi 17.154]

PURPORT
Everyone can understand that we drink the milk of cows and take the help of bulls in producing agricultural products. Therefore, since our real father gives us food grains and our mother gives us milk with which to live, the cow and bull are considered our father and mother. According to Vedic civilization, there are seven mothers, of which the cow is one. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu challenged the Muslim Kazi, “What kind of religious principle do you follow by killing your father and mother to eat them?” In any civilized human society, no one would dare kill his father and mother for the purpose of eating them. Therefore Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu challenged the system of Muslim religion as patricide and matricide. In the Christian religion also, a principal commandment is “Thou shalt not kill.” Nevertheless, Christians violate this rule; they are very expert in killing and in opening slaughterhouses. In our Krishna consciousness movement, our first provision is that no one should be allowed to eat any kind of flesh. It does not matter whether it is cows’ flesh or goats’ flesh, but we especially stress the prohibition against cows’ flesh because according to sastra the cow is our mother. Thus the Muslims’ cow-killing was challenged by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu.

Sastra must be correct always, not sometimes correct and sometimes incorrect. In the Vedic scriptures, the cow is described as a mother. Therefore she is a mother for all time; it is not, as some rascals say, that in the Vedic age she was a mother but she is not in this age. If sastra is an authority, the cow is a mother always; she was a mother in the Vedic age, and she is a mother in this age also. [Adi 17.157]

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.158]
As a learned scholar, the Kazi challenged Caitanya Mahaprabhu, “In Your Vedic scriptures there is an injunction for killing a cow. On the strength of this injunction, great sages performed sacrifices involving cow-killing.”

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.159]
Refuting the Kazi’s statement, the Lord immediately replied, “The Vedas clearly enjoin that cows should not be killed. Therefore every Hindu, whoever he may be, avoids indulging in cow-killing.

PURPORT
In the Vedic scriptures there are concessions for meat-eaters. It is said that if one wants to eat meat, he should kill a goat before the goddess Kali and then eat its meat. Meat-eaters are not allowed to purchase meat or flesh from a market or slaughterhouse. There are no sanctions for maintaining regular slaughterhouses to satisfy the tongues of meat-eaters. As far as cow-killing is concerned, it is completely forbidden. Since the cow is considered a mother, how could the Vedas allow cow-killing? Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu pointed out that the Kazi’s statement was faulty. In the Bhagavad-gétä (18.44) there is a clear injunction that cows should be protected:
krsi-goraksya-vaëijyaà vaisya-karma svabhava-jam. “The duty of vaisyas is to produce agricultural products, trade and give protection to cows.” Therefore it is a false statement that the Vedic scriptures contain injunctions permitting cow-killing.

sri-krsna krsna-sakha vrsny-rsabhavani-dhrug-
rajanya-vamsa-dahananapavarga-virya
govinda go-dvija-surarti-haravatara
yogesvarakhila-guro bhagavan namas te

TRANSLATION
O Krsna, O friend of Arjuna, O chief among the descendants of Vrsni, You are the destroyer of those political parties which are disturbing elements on this earth. Your prowess never deteriorates. You are the proprietor of the transcendental abode, and You descend to relieve the distresses of the cows, the brahmanas, and the devotees, You possess all mystic powers, and You are the preceptor of the entire universe. You are the almighty God, and I offer You my respectful obeisances.
—Srimad-Bhagavatam 1.8.43

PURPORT:
Kuntidevi addresses Krishna as Govinda because He is the giver of pleasure both to the cows and to the senses. Govindam adi-purusam tam aham bhajami

When Kunti prays, go-dvija-surärti-harävatära [SB 1.8.43], she indicates that Govinda, Krishna, descends to this world especially to protect the cows, the brahmanas, and the devotees. The demoniac in this world are the greatest enemies of the cows, for they maintain hundreds and thousands of slaughterhouses. Although the innocent cows give milk, the most important food, and although even after death the cows give their skin for shoes, people are such rascals that they kill the cows, but still they want to be happy in this world. How sinful they are.
Why is cow protection [I.E. not "cattle raising"] so much advocated? Because the cow is the most important animal. There is no injunction that one should not eat the flesh of tigers or other such animals. In the Vedic culture those who are meat-eaters are recommended to eat the flesh of goats, dogs, hogs, or other lower animals, but never the flesh of cows, the most important animals. While living, the cows give important service by giving milk, and even after death they give service by making available their skin, hooves, and horns, which may be used in many ways. Nonetheless, the present human society is so ungrateful that they needlessly kill these innocent cows. Therefore Krishna comes to punish them.

Krishna is worshiped with this prayer:

namo brahmanya-devaya
go-brahmana-hitaya ca
jagad-dhitäya krishnaya
govindaya namo namaù

"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." For perfect human society there must be protection of go-dvija—the cows and the brahmanas. The word dvija refers to the brahmana, or one who knows Brahman (God). When the demoniac give too much trouble to the brahmanas and the cows, Krishna descends to reestablish religious principles.

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.165]
“Since you Muslims cannot bring killed cows back to life, you are responsible for killing them. Therefore you are going to hell; there is no way for your deliverance.

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.166]
“Cow-killers are condemned to rot in hellish life for as many thousands of years as there are hairs on the body of the cow.

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.167]
“There are many mistakes and illusions in your scriptures. Their compilers, not knowing the essence of knowledge, gave orders that were against reason and argument.”

TRANSLATION [Adi 17.168]
After hearing these statements by Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, the Kazi, his arguments stunned, could not put forward any more words. Thus, after due consideration, the Kazi accepted defeat and spoke as follows.

Similarly, from a scientific point of view, the answers of the Old Testament, New Testament and Koran to many questions have changed. But a sastra cannot change at a person’s whim. [For E.G. Bhagavad-Gita 18.44 cannot be changed from cow protection to cattle raising at the whim of a “rascal editor”] All sastras must be free from the four defects of human nature. The statements of sastras must be correct for all time. [Adi 17.168]

My Dear Hamsaduta,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your very encouraging letter dated January 3, 1968. Rayarama's suggestion to open an asrama is very nice.
If it is possible to keep sufficient number of cows in the asrama, there can be very nice milk business and that may make sufficient income for maintaining one institution for educating children in Krishna Consciousness. Actually the modern educational institutions are different grades of slaughter houses. If you can open an ideal institution for the future children of our associates, it will be a great service. Actually as I have already discussed in my Srimad-Bhagavatam, for economic problem one requires a little land and a few cows. Then the whole economic problem is solved. We should utilize our time for elevating ourselves in Krishna Consciousness than for so-called economic development. If we are satisfied with plain living, with minimum time and the balance time is engaged for elevating our Krishna Conscious program, then every man can be transferred to Goloka Vrindaban, just in this very life. The modern civilization has encumbered the mode of living and people are engaged all the time in the matter of eating, sleeping, defending, and mating. Both yourself, and your wife Himavati are good combination. If you can develop such an institution for future children of the society, or outside the society, it will be great service for the humanity. I am sure Krishna will give you more and more intelligence in this matter, if you seriously think on the subject by gradual evolution. Offer my blessings to your good wife and I pray to Krishna for your all round prosperity. Hope you are both well.

Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
[Hamsaduta Los Angeles January 11 1968

My Dear Paramananda,

Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated Friday July 25, 1969, and I have noted the contents carefully. Now that Satyabhama Dasi is becoming advanced in her pregnancy, all care must be taken for her. I think it is a good idea that she may go to New York, especially because she can receive free aid from your doctor friend. And if you feel that your presence there will be helpful, then I advise you to go with your wife to New York. Regarding someone to go there to take charge of the children in Satyabhama's absence, I will write to Lilavati in Boston to see if she is able to fill this position for that time. If not, we will have to make other arrangements. But wherever you go, either in New Vrindaban or New York, you should make effort to finish your 16 rounds whenever possible. Of course, if you are always engaged in Krishna's service, and always chanting Hare Krishna, even if not on your beads, that is also a nice status. As you are an important worker there and you have so many important duties, especially to take care of the cows, it may not be possible for you to stop your work for chanting 16 rounds. This is no great loss, and you should not feel badly about it. Krishna sees your sincerity in Krishna Consciousness, and He will be very kind upon you for this. But as much as possible you should try to fulfill the goal of 16 rounds daily. If you must fall short of this because you have so much service to render to Krishna, do not be disturbed by this. But you should not fall too much short of this goal. That will not be good. Similarly, you must read Bhagavad-gita at least a few verses every day and think about them throughout the day. The best thing is to read one chapter daily, but if you can meditate upon a few verses of Bhagavad-gita every day, that is better than reading for simply one hour and then forgetting the topics until the next reading.
Please offer my blessings to Satyabhama Dasi and the others. I hope this will meet you all in good health.
Your ever well-wisher,
A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami
{Letter to Paramananda Los Angeles July 29 1969]