Krishna is giving the civilization, Vedic civilization. And if we thoroughly understand it, then we are fit for going back to home. Tyaktva deham punar janma naiti mam eti [Bhagavad-gita 4.9]. So this Vedic civilization is so nice, and it is given in nutshell in simple words by the Supreme Lord Himself. If we take it, then immediately the face of the world will change, immediately. They have got this United Nation organization. If they take up Bhagavad-gita and introduce the teachings all over the world, then it is successful, United Nation. Otherwise where is unity? All false.

So these are the duties of the brahmana. To give proper education, he himself should be properly educated. That is called brahminical culture. And we offer our respect to Krishna because He gives the brahminical culture. Namo brahmanya-devaya. Because He is giving the brahminical culture. Without brahminical culture, useless. That is not civilization. Therefore Krishna is offered obeisance, namo brahmanya-devaya go-brahmana-hitaya cha. He is first concerned for the cows and the brahmana. Go-brahmana-hitaya cha. Then jagad-hitaya. Then He's concerned for the whole, other things. The first concern means cows and brahmana. Many times He has repeated, go-rakshya [look after the cows]. Why He did not say "pig-rakshya"? No. He said, go-rakshya, because without cows' milk there is no civilization. You will not have nice brain to understand things, simply speculate. We are discussing the philosophy of so many speculators, simply talking nonsense. Simply... One speculator to another, he says, "I think, I..." What you are? You can think? First of all you become brahmana; then you can think properly. Where is your education as brahmana? Where is that brain? Eating all nasty things and you become a brahmana? Therefore Krishna's instruction is go-brahmana-hitaya cha.

The Vedic civilization, the brahmanas, they used to live in the forest, and the king would offer them some cows. So they will draw some milk. And in the forest there are fruits, so they will eat fruits and milk. And if the disciples go to the village, beg some food grain, then sometimes they cook some food grains. Otherwise the brahmanas used to live in the forest, drink milk and take fruit. That is sufficient. There was no need of jumping here and there. Anywhere you keep cows. And what cows to maintain? No expenditure. The fruits? The skin thrown away, and the cow will eat. And in exchange it will give you nice foodstuff, milk. Or it will eat in the grazing ground, some grass. So there is no expenditure of keeping cows, but you get the best food in the world. The proof is that the child born simply can live on milk. That is the proof. So anyone can live only on milk. If you have got the opportunity to drink one pound milk maximum, not very much—half-pound is sufficient; suppose one pound—then you don't require any other foodstuff. Only this cow's milk will help you. It is so nice. And it gives very nice brain, not pig's brain. So it is so important thing. Other..., why Krishna says go-rakshya? He did not say that "pig-rakshya." No. "Dog-rakshya." No. Now they are interested in dog-rakshya instead of cow-rakshya. This is the civilization. They'll spend millions of dollars for dog, not for cow.

So this kind of civilization will not bring any peace and prosperity. You have to take Krishna's civilization if you want actually... That is human civilization.

Role of cows and milk in human society

The next symptom of the age of Kali is the distressed condition of the cow. Milking the cow means drawing the principles of religion in a liquid form. The great rishis and munis would live only on milk. Srila Shukadeva Gosvami would go to a householder while he was milking a cow, and he would simply take a little quantity of it for subsistence. Even fifty years ago, no one would deprive a sadhu of a quart or two of milk, and every householder would give milk like water. For a Sanatanist (a follower of Vedic principles) it is the duty of every householder to have cows and bulls as household paraphernalia, not only for drinking milk, but also for deriving religious principles. The Sanatanist worships cows on religious principles and respects brahmanas. The cow's milk is required for the sacrificial fire, and by performing sacrifices the householder can be happy. The cow's calf not only is beautiful to look at, but also gives satisfaction to the cow, and so she delivers as much milk as possible. But in the Kali-yuga, the calves are separated from the cows as early as possible for purposes which may not be mentioned in these pages of Srimad-Bhagavatam. The cow stands with tears in her eyes, the shudra milkman draws milk from the cow artificially, and when there is no milk the cow is sent to be slaughtered. These greatly sinful acts are responsible for all the troubles in present society. People do not know what they are doing in the name of economic development. The influence of Kali will keep them in the darkness of ignorance. Despite all endeavors for peace and prosperity, they must try to see the cows and the bulls happy in all respects. Foolish people do not know how one earns happiness by making the cows and bulls happy, but it is a fact by the law of nature. Let us take it from the authority of Srimad-Bhagavatam and adopt the principles for the total happiness of humanity.

Importance of cow to human civilization

Pañcha-gavya, the five products received from the cow, namely milk, yogurt, ghee, cow dung and cow urine, are required in all ritualistic ceremonies performed according to the Vedic directions. Cow urine and cow dung are uncontaminated, and since even the urine and dung of a cow are important, we can just imagine how important this animal is for human civilization. Therefore the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Krishna, directly advocates go-rakshya, the protection of cows. Civilized men who follow the system of varnashrama, especially those of the vaishya class, who engage in agriculture and trade, must give protection to the cows. Unfortunately, because people in Kali-yuga are mandah, all bad, and sumanda-matayah, misled by false conceptions of life, they are killing cows in the thousands. Therefore they are unfortunate in spiritual consciousness, and nature disturbs them in so many ways, especially through incurable diseases like cancer and through frequent wars and among nations. As long as human society continues to allow cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of peace and prosperity.

Milk will disappear

PRABHUPADA: [observing the birds flocking to the waves as they break on the shore] The birds are finding their food, actually the sea waves, bringing their food. The small fishes or...?

SVARUP DAMODAR: When a wave comes, they run this way, and when the wave goes down, they run down.

PRABHUPADA: When the waves bring the food, so immediately they capture. So there is no scarcity of food, even for the small birds. And we are in scarcity. The scientist is manufacturing tablet.

SVARUP DAMODAR: They're going to convert the wood, the big woods to food also, by treating with the enzymes. That is one of the...

PRABHUPADA: Programs.

SVARUP DAMODAR: The wood that grows big, big trees, they say, in a few years, then these will be converted to food by treating with enzymes.

PRABHUPADA: That means there will be no food, natural food. That is stated in Bhagavata. You don't, you'll not get these grains, sugar, milk. This will be stopped. You have to eat woods. Yes. By your advancement of civilization, you have to eat woods.

BRAHMANANDA: Like a termite.

PRABHUPADA: Yes.

SVARUP DAMODAR: At the moment, scientists are doing so many things. They're having so many hopes. So in about fifty years...

PRABHUPADA: There will be so much advancement that there will be no grains, no milk.

KARANDHAR: Many scientists and doctors now say you shouldn't drink milk anyway.

PRABHUPADA: Why?

KARANDHAR: They say it's unhealthy.

PRABHUPADA: Accha [Hindi, translates to "So that's how it is"]. What is healthy? Meat?

KARANDHAR: Meat.

PRABHUPADA: Do the scientists say like that?

SVARUP DAMODAR: I'm not very sure. But they produce imitation milk, the milk produced from soya bean. That's available in the market. Many, in fact I find, many people do not buy the natural milk. They buy the imitation milk, milk produced from the bean, soya bean. They say that milk contains too much fat. So that makes them very fat. So they want to control their weight by taking the imitation milk which contains less protein and...

PRABHUPADA: Yes. Milk will disappear.

SVARUP DAMODAR: Prabhupada, buffalo, buffalo milk is as good as cow's milk?

PRABHUPADA: No. It contains more fat. Milk means cow's milk. If you want to derive milk profit, then it is cow's milk. Otherwise every animal has got milk. And next to cow's milk is goat's milk. Goat. Buffalo milk is not so nice.

SVARUP DAMODAR: It's difficult to digest.

PRABHUPADA: No, they therefore mix with water.

SVARUP DAMODAR: In Manipur we use mostly buffalo milk because cow's milk is not very plenty. Very expensive also.

PRABHUPADA: Everywhere. In India, cows are disappearing by slaughterhouse.