Lokamātās
Lokamātā · loka-mātā, “mothers of the worlds”
The Lokamātās, the mothers of the worlds, are the five cows who arose together with amṛta at the churning of the Kshīra Sāgara: Nandā, Subhadrā, Surabhi, Suśīlā and Bahulā. Bhagavān Śrī Kṛshṇa tells Yudhishṭhira of them in the Uttara Parva of the Bhavishya Purāṇa. They appeared for the good of the worlds and for the satisfaction of the devas. The devas gave these five wish-fulfilling cows to Jamadagni, Bharadvāja, Vasishṭha, Asita and Gautama Muni, and these great ones accepted them.
The six aṅgas of the cow
The six aṅgas of cows are gomaya (dung), rocanā, mūtra, milk, curd and ghee. These are most pure and are means of purification.
- From gomaya arose the bilva tree, dear to Śiva, in which Śrī Lakshmī dwells with a lotus in her hand, so it is called Śrīvṛksha. The seeds of the lotus also arose from gomaya.
- Gorocana is most auspicious, pure, and accomplishes every purpose.
- From gomūtra arose guggula, the food of all devas, and especially of Śiva.
- Every root seed in the world arose from cow’s milk.
- All auspicious things arose from curd.
- From ghee arises amṛta, the means of the satisfaction of the devas.
Brāhmaṇas and cows are two parts of one kula: in the hearts of brāhmaṇas dwell the Veda mantras, and in the hearts of cows dwells havis. From the cow the yajña proceeds, in the cow all the devas are established, and in her the whole Veda with its six aṅgas is contained.
The worlds in the body of the cow
At the tip of her horns dwell all things moving and unmoving and all the tīrthas. In her belly is the earth with its mountains and forests; in her four teats, the four great oceans; in her streams of milk, the clouds, the rain and its drops; in her bones, the mountains; and in her marrow, the yajñas.
Source: Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 69
Sources
- Bhavishya Purāṇa, Uttara Parva, Chapter 69