Vedic Sanskrit words related to 'cow'

This article explains the significance of Sanskrit word 'go' meaning 'cow' and the other word related to 'go'. This article will help one to understand why the animal cow is so sacred among the Hindus.

1. Sanskrit word related to ‘cow'


All words in Sanskrit are written in  italics  are itrans version and
available in the Sanskrit English Lexicon by Sir Monier
Williams at
<http://www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de/monier/>.


1. go (गो) ---Cow. ( गो) .  Cow. ( Cow seems to be from the
expansion of the word  go that expands as  gau.)


2. go----One who moves or goes----the sensory and other
organs. 
'go' is from the root word  'gam' which means 'to go'. 


(go also means horse.  idriaani hayani ahuH; viShyansteShu
gocharan----the organs are the horses and the objects are the
routes in which the cows (horses) move (Kathopanishad).
gocharan---means 'go + charan'----the trails along which the
cows move.)


3. go = sensory and other organs. Thus in Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad, the seer has explained the meaning of the word
'gaayatrI'   as 'gayaM tatre' --who rescues the cows or the
organs'----who takes our sensory faculties beyond death.This
is gaayatrI  who takes us or our senses beyond the decay or
death.
gayaM is derived from the root word  gaya. 

2. The word  gaya and go mean the sensory and functional organs
and is related to the word ' gam' in Sanskrit and to the word 'go'
in English. It means our senses or faculties by which (or with
which) we move around. Our senses and the corresponding
organs, like vision, listening, taste, hands, legs etc. are the
activities of Consciousness or  praaNa. By praaNa  we are active.
We are active by the activities of the Consciousness described
as praaNa. This is 'going' and by which we go, we work, we
sense, are called 'gaya' or 'go'.  We evolve and get nourished by
this 'going or grazing or moving around'. Thus the organs are
also called ' go' in Sanskrit. 'go' in Sanskrit, also means 'cow' as
they are pastoral animals and we are nourished by the 'milk'. 
'go' and 'gaya' in Sanskrit are related to the alphabet ' ga' and the
root word ' gam' (to go).


4. gopaala ( गो--पाल) = go (cow / senses/organs)+
paala  (keeper / protector)---who protects our senses and
organs----also, it is a name of lord  kRiShNa. 


5. govinda ( गो--िव() = go (cow/senses/ organs) + vinda
(gaining/ getting)----who is the owner of all the senses and
organs.  govinda  is also the name of lord  kRiShNa.
(Thus in Brihadaranyaka Upansihad, the seer has mentioned
about the active Soul or  praaNa  as ----yaH ayam 
vij~naanamayaH  praaneShu, hridi antarjoti---the one who is
sensing in our senses , the one who is the illumination inside our
heart----Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 4/3/7.)

3. In a hymn on lord  kRiShNa  it is stated, 'dolaayam govindam
driShtvaa.....'---meaning , 'when one sees  govinda  seated on a
swing'. 
The sensory organs or any organ are involved in a to and fro
motion. When we see something, the vision comes in us and we
also get connected to the view. When we do some work, we
influence the external as well as we internally go through a
series of feelings and sensing as we do the work. These are
'swings' or two and fro motion and in which  govinda  is seated---
the cradle or  dolaa  of govinda.


6. gavaakSha  गवा)---bull's eye / air hole/ round window. 
govaakSha---gava  (cow) + akSha  (eye)---the eye or the '
window' or the faculty of senses developed in us. Every sensory
organ like eye, nose, etc. are like 'door' or 'window' through
which we 'perceive' the external or world and through which the
flow of Consciousness or senses enter us from the  external.


7.  gautama (gautama  ) ---- go> gau (  gau) + tama;  


tama is the word for 'superlative degree'. So,  gautama  means
whose faculties of senses have become supreme, i.e. who can
see the unseen, hear the unheard and so on; whose senses are not
limited and they never decay.


8. godaavarI----This is the name of the river flowing from
Western ghat of Maharshtra  to the bay of Bengal via  naasika.
Lord raama with sItaa and lakShmaNa  stayed on her bank.

4. 

godaavarI----go (senses/ sensory faculties)  + daa (donor)+
varI (chooser, suitor, solicitor). 
varI is from the root word  vRi meaning 'to select', 'to
accept'.  varI also means 'supreme' or 'eminent'.


godaavarI----Who is flowing to bestow the divine (unending/
unbound) sensory faculties and eager to select the seekers of
eternity to bestow the same.


9. gokula--go  (senses) +  kula (community, family)--where all the
sensory faculties stay or rest or find their root.  gokula  is the
place where lord kRiShNa  spent his early life.


10. gotra--lineage.  go (senses) + tra  (protects)---which protects/
secures or defines one's sensing faculties and development of
Conscious state. 


Notes: Everything, every being has a divine aspect (aspect that
transcends the death). The above words provide clue to that
divinity. A cow, as an animal has many features related to the
sensory faculties. Its organs (indriya) like eyes, ears, lips, nose,
tongue, genitals etc. are very vivid on its body. It gives
nourishing milk for its calf as well as for us. In our childhood we
have seen sometimes the milk seller (who used to draw milk
from the udders of a cow) would carry an effigy of the bust of
the dead calf (made out of its hide) along with the cow. The cow
would be caressing by licking the effigy and would be lactating.

5. Thus,  it is such a sensitive animal. The Rishis, the sages, the
seers have taught how to see the divinity everywhere as well as
in the animal kingdom. It is the Universal Consciousness who is
acting everywhere, in every being, as its instinct, as its faculty
and habit. Everything, be inert or animated, is the formation of
Universal Consciousness.