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Cow

The cow has been held very sacred by the Hindus, for ages. It is an offspring of the celestial cow Kamadhenu, which was created by Sri Krisna from his own body. Another version of Hindu mythology makes it a product of the churning of the milky ocean. The earth is often pictured as approaching God in the form of a cow. All the gods are supposed to be inhabiting its various limbs. The panchagavya (five products from the cow, viz., milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung) is considered to be a sacred preparation used in expiatory rites. Gifting a cow is considered to be of great merit and killing a cow to be a heinous sin.