232
Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam
[Canto 9, Ch. 15]
Kṛṣṇa advises  go-rakṣya , 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 Kṛṣṇa— go-rakṣya —is extremely meaningful. The whole world must learn from Kṛṣṇa how to live happily without scarcity simply by producing food grains ( annād bhavanti bhūtāni ) and giving protection to the cows ( go-rakṣya ).  Kṛṣi-gorakṣya-vāṇijyam vaiśya-karma svabhāvajam . 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-gītā . In the matter of protecting the cows, the meat-eaters will protest, but in answer to them we may say that since Kṛṣṇa 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.
TEXT 26
हविर्धनिमृषेदर्पन्नान् हर्तुमचोदयत् । ते च माहिष्मतीं निन्युः सवत्सां क्रन्दतीं बलात् ॥ २६ ॥
havirdhānīm ṛṣer darpān narān hartum acodayat te ca māhiṣmatīm ninyuḥ sa-vatsām krandatīm balāt
haviḥ-dhānīm —the  kāmadhenu ;  ṛṣeḥ —of the great sage Jamadagni;  darpāt —because of his being puffed up with material power;  narān —all his men (soldiers);  hartum —to steal or take away;  acodayat —encouraged;  te —the men of Kārtavīryārjuna;  ca —also;  māhiṣmatīm —to the capital of Kārtavīryārjuna;  ninyuḥ —brought;  sa-vatsām —with the calf;  krandatīm —crying;  balāt —because of being taken away by force.