RV 8.43.11 and beef-eating

[bpj at netg.se]

At 14:09 25.2.1997 +0000, Narahari Achar wrote:

[snip]

>Apparently, it has taken decades to convince some that vaZA does not mean
>sterile, barren. It may take even more time to convince that vaZA yields milk,,
>and that it is a special cow. Very few people are blessed with the possession
>of such a cow. But to say that it is a prime candidate for sacrifice and food
>is to deny what the veda itself declares:vaZA is aghnyA, it yields copious
>milk, it does get pregnant(yes; AV10.10.23), but people are frightened when
>this happens. The vaZA cow loves those who offer its products in yajna.

In the Norse myth there is the primeval cow Audumbla, who gives birth to
Bur, grandfather of the gods, by licking him out of the salty stones. He
thereafter feeds on her milk. It is notable that she doesn't give birth in
the ordinary way, yet creates and nourishes life. It is never stated what
happens to her afterwards. Not being part of the world created by the gods
she mayperhaps not be affected by the fire that is supposed to destroy it.

In Irish myth there are a special kind of cows, the offspring of union
between ordinary cows and the bulls of the sea people. I guess such a
pregnancy -- one that has come about in an unknown and supernatural way,
could be frightening!

I don't know if these parallells are worth anything, but they fell off the
top of my head.

BPJ <bpj at netg.se>