Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara – This posting is a bit long but worth every bit of it. On this very auspicious day of Maatu Pongal let’s take a vow to do our bit for Gho Matha Samrakshanam ‘Consistently’ by implementing some or all of these points mentioned below. As Sri Periyava says, we all owe a great great deal to Gho Matha and anything we do for Gho Matha  is more than worth it. Some of these points have already been posted here. Will shortly post more on Points 2 and 12. Ram Ram

Sri Mahabharata has 18 Parvas. Srimad Bhagavad Gita has 18 chapters. The Mahabharatha Kurukshethra war involved 18 Akshauhini armies and the war lasted 18 days. The number 18 has great significance in Sanatana Dharma. Let’s implement the 18 Point Gho Matha Samrakshana Action Plan below, protect Gho Mathas as much as possible, elevate ourselves spiritually, and get Sri Periyava’s blessings!

1. Daily Gho Matha Samrakshanam – Sri Periyava says it is our “duty to offer at least one handful of grass to Gho Matha every day”. Out of the very few that can be accomplished ‘effectively’ without money these days, this is one of them. Every home/individual should feed cows on a ‘Daily’ basis feeding vegetable waste and water to Gho Matha at NO cost at all. This is VERY IMPORTANT. If you have more time on your hands, collect vegetable waste from the local vegetable vendor and feed hungry cows roaming on the streets. Individuals living abroad should consider doing this service whenever they go to India. Sri Periyava says when there is a Will there is a Way and beautifully illustrates on how this can be done in Deivathin Kural. Click on the link to read: https://mahaperiyavaa.blog/2015/05/31/important-daily-gho-matha-samrakshanam-maha-periyavaas-wish-appeal/

2. Abolish Leather Products – Will Bhagawan be pleased and our Vaidheeka karmas bear any fruit if we continue to use leather products? Watch out for the products we are using on a daily basis; sofa, car seats, hand bags, purse, shoes, wallets, belts, watch straps, mobile phone case, etc. Soft leather is produced by immersing the live cow in hot steaming water. Use alternate eco-friendly foam substitutes. At least, think about this when you replace them. This will also get our friends, family, and more importantly our kids thinking big time!

3. Do ‘NOT’ use Gelatin Products – We live in a world where food products are really hodgepodge. Checking for the ingredients before buying, keeping our food habits simple and traditional is the best option. ‘Gelatin’ is a protein/fat obtained by boiling the skin, tendons, ligaments, and/or bones. It is usually obtained from cows or pigs. Gelatin is used in shampoos, face masks, and other cosmetics; as a thickener for fruit gelatins and puddings (such as Jell-O); in chocolates, candies, marshmallows, cakes, ice cream, and yogurts; on photographic film; and as coating in capsules. Also, do NOT buy sweets covered with silver sheets as it is beaten repeatedly in Gho Matha intestines. Sri Periyava points out the Stick Pottu/Bindi women wear on their foreheads contains ‘Gelatin’ (the adhesive) that will us earn the sin of Gho Hathi (Killing Cow) and tells us to use the traditional turmeric kumkum.

4. Avoid Throwing Plastic Covers – We need to be aware and cognizant of what we are doing to the environment. This is especially applicable in Bharatha Desam where garbage is dumped in plastic covers and thrown outside the home or by the roadside. Roaming hungry cows try to consume the food content in those covers. What follows is deadly; in the process of searching for food they consume these plastic covers as well. Consumption of plastics is extremely dangerous to a cow’s health and results in painful death since plastics cannot be digested. Sadly, there are many instances of this happening these days! Watch the effect of consumption of plastics by cows here: https://youtu.be/U_6QlABQuxw . Let’s do our bit on this aspect.

5. Support Cattle Based Agriculture & Organic Products – This can be only done by ‘Deliberate’, ‘Increased’, and ‘Consistent’ usageof Gho Matha products (without wasting). We can buy pure Gho Matha organic products like Vibuthi, Soaps, Natural Gho Paste, Powders, Pancha Gavyam (if consumed little will cure many diseases and do wonders physically and mentally) in Kanchi Sri Madam or places specified in the following link. Apart from our personal use, we can buy this in bulk and distribute to devotees in temples which is a great Punniyam and creates awareness as well. The goal is here is to help us get started and not to hook you up forever to any organization. Please consider supporting any genuine organization/individual that promotes cattle based organic products. Click the link to read: http://goseva.net/vibhuti.aspx

6. Change.org – E-sign petitions against Cow (animal) cruelty, setting up new abattoirs at change.org website. Schedule a reminder in your calendar on daily/weekly basis to review and sign the petitions against cow slaughter. Once you sign up in Change.org you will start receiving petitions in your e-mail which you can easily e-sign easily using your PC/mobile devices. You will also receive updates on the petitions you signed. A very simple and easy service but very powerful and effective

7. Petition to President – File a request frequently against Cow Slaughter in India President’s Secretarial Help line: https://www.google.co.in/#q=helpline%40rb.nic.in. This works and they send an acknowledgment back. Anything we do to bring down Bharatha Desam from being the #1 beef exporter in the world will be very worthwhile.

8. Stop Supporting Business’s Involved In Cow Cruelty – This is not too tough to find. Go to mercyforanimals.org and you will find a bunch of wholesalers/retailers supporting cruel factory farming where cows get viciously kicked, punched, and beaten with iron rods. Do NOT buy their dairy products till they mend their ways! Most of the time we spend tons of money on their products either as a consumers or hosting parties in their facilities (Walmart, Chuck E Cheese, Dave & Buster, McDonald’s, Subway, etc.). Consider spending that money for Goshala’s and feeding cows on auspicious days like birthday, anniversaries, and important functions; apart from the punniyam see the immense joy and satisfaction we get for ourselves.

9. Gosala Volunteer Service – Whenever possible visit a Gosalsa or cow shelter near your home and provide whatever ‘Physical’ support you can, as every little bit counts. Increasing the traffic to a Gosala will do wonders in lifting the morale of the individuals running the Gosala. This is another item where money is not involved but we get to establish a direct association with Gho Matha Samrakshanam and also accrue immense punniyam

10. Catch Them Young! – Educate our children about love and kindness toanimals especiallycows, their spiritual and scientific benefits, the selfless service Gho Matha provides us all through our lives, and how much we are indebted to her. If possible, organize camps/stalls for youngsters in Schools and Colleges, show them videos of lurching cows on the streets/factory farms, and take them to Gosala tours. This will help instill REAL THANKSGIVING on their young minds.

11. Use Your Clout – If you have connections with like-minded popular personalities ask them to propagate
Gho Samrakshanam message. This starts with spiritual discourse speakers, politicians, bureaucrats, etc. If there is one thing that you want to use your power for a selfless and noble cause this is’ IT’ as you won’t find too many causes much nobler or ‘Higher Priority’ than this.

12. Be Aware of Cow Protection & Transportation Laws – Let’s be aware on what the laws say with respect to Cow Protection & Transportation in India. How do we respond when we see cattle trafficking and the rights an individual can exercise whenthose laws are breached in front of our eyes? Knowing these laws will put us in a much better position to RESPOND THAN REACT OR KEEPING QUIET. Though cow slaughter ban is not in place on a lot of states in India, rules on how cows should be treated and transported are very much in place. Knowing these rules and keeping a copy handy will help us make some smart decisions when we see cattle trafficking happen right in front of our eyes. There were a successful few court cases and verdicts on illegal cow transportation & slaughter. The consolidated rules are in the following link. Print this and publish a small booklet or notices for public distribution that can be kept in our back pockets. This is a critical aspect that we all need to be very much aware of.

13. Do Not Mix Coffee/Tea in Milk – Sri Periyava says milk is very pristine and sathvik in nature whereas caffeine is the exact opposite. When there are millions of children in the world who have not even tasted milk, people drinking coffee/tea several times in a day is a crime against society. Kindly avoid mixing coffee/tea with milk

14. Spread The Word To One And All – Any human with a heart is bound to change or at least start thinking after learning spiritual, scientific, and economic reasons on abolition of beef eating. Pass this information onto individuals in your nexus who consume beef. A lot of kind hearted people may not know where and how to start. As a first step, you can spread http://ghosamrakshanam.webs.com/ to help create Gho Matha Samrakshanam Awareness. Call people and talk about this Seva, E-mail them. Use social media tools like Face Book, Twitter, What’s App, You Tube, etc. to spread the word as much possible leveraging all of the above said. As Periyava says, anything we do for Gho Matha (even if miniscule) is more than worth it.

15. Do Gho Puja @ Home & Gho Archana – Let’s make it a habit by having a Gho Matha Prathima (Deity) with calf and do Gho Puja daily. It need not be elaborate. Have our children offer couple of flowers and fruits to Gho Matha deity. Feed those fruits to a cow on the streets if possible. In temples consider doing Archanas in the name of Gho Matha for her welfare. These habits if ingrained will have a lasting impact on our children and gratitude towards Gho Matha all their life.

16. Gho Hundi & Gho Hoardings @ Home – Have a hundi (piggy bank) in your home and encourage your child to contribute every day. Utilize the money saved for buying food for Gho Matha. Involve your child in the entire process so the qualities of love and compassion is inculcated in our children’s hearts. Here money is secondary and encouraging this habit consistently is vital. Similarly, have Gho Hoardings in your home that contain Gho Matha pictures with love, compassion, and selfless service messages than be built with our child’s creativity. These can also be leveraged for their school/college projects.

17. Do Gho Dhanam & Accept Gho Dhanam – Sri Periyava says there is no Greater Punniyam than doing Gho Dhanam. If you are capable and willing, consider doing or accepting Gho Dhanam as frequently as possible. In this process we get to save two lives (Cow and Calf) every time we do it. Kanchi Sri Madam helps do Gho Dhanam which happens in front of Sri Maha Periyava Brindavanam with Sri Pudhu Periyava presiding the Gho Dhanam and Gho Puja function. We can also participate in a one time or life time Gho Samrakshanam Seva option that Sri Madam provides; there are lot of other reliable organizations & individuals that help us participate in this great service as well

18. Contribute 1 a Day/Week/Month – Last but not the least, Gosala’s need funds to sustain and maintain the cows. Isn’t it our duty to support those kind hearted people who established those gosalas with the noble intention of protecting cows? Adopting a cow, Partial support for maintenance, supporting the infrastructure of Gosala, medical aid, Gho Bhojan are some of the noble deeds seriously worth considering to revive this dharma. Following on the footsteps on Sri Periyava’s Pidi Arisi Scheme (One handful of rice every day),each family should consider contributing at least 1 unit of currency a day, if not more. If you live abroad and think 1 unit a day is too expensive, consider 1 unit a week, if not ATLEAST 1 unit a month towards Gho Matha Samrakshanam. Involve your family and friends as well in this initiative. The collected funds should be directed to trustworthy Gosala’s. The entire process is transparent and visible. Participate and contribute generously in Gho Samrakshana drive this blog conducts on a regular basis. The end goal should be selfless Gho Matha Samrakshanam. Bottom-line, funding support to Gosala is the KEY!

Let’s earnestly try to implement at least some of the above mentioned ‘Consistently’ without any pride or prejudice and it will surely make an positive impact in our own lives as well Gho Matha’s. Periyava Thiruvadigale Sharanam!

Lokha Samastha Sukino Bavanthu ! Jai Gho Matha ! Ram Ram!! 

Categories: Samrakshanam

Tags: Gho Samrakshanam