The Tale of a Powerful Emperor and His Daughter's Beauty
A Royal Dilemma
Once, there was an immensely powerful emperor whose daughter was so beautiful that even the gods contemplated that marrying her would bless their lives. Her beauty was renowned throughout the three worlds, and the emperor was well aware of this.
One night, the emperor paced restlessly in his chamber. The next morning, the empress noticed his distress and asked, "Your Majesty, you were awake all night. Is there something troubling you?" The emperor replied, "I am worried about my daughter. However, I have made a decision. I will marry her myself, for a capable man should not blame fate."
Despite the empress's attempts to dissuade him, her words fell on deaf ears. The following day, the emperor announced in the royal court, "I am a capable man, and I will marry my own daughter. No one has the strength to oppose me." The auspicious time for the wedding was set.
In secret, the empress sought the counsel of a sage and tearfully recounted the situation. The sage reassured her, saying, "Do not worry. I will come to your palace for a meal the day before the wedding."
The Sage's Arrival
On the eve of the wedding, the sage arrived and prepared three platters: one filled with 56 delicacies, another with excrement, and the third for himself. The emperor was summoned from the court for the meal.
The sage said, "Your Majesty, I have heard you are a capable man. It has been my aspiration for many lifetimes to dine with a capable man. Please eat from this platter." However, the platter presented to the emperor contained not delicacies but excrement.
Furious, the emperor exclaimed, "How can this be? I cannot eat this!" The sage calmly replied, "Your Majesty, you are a capable man. There is no fault in you."
The emperor was perplexed. Then, through his yogic powers, the sage transformed into a pig and consumed the excrement before reverting to his original form. Witnessing this, the emperor fell to his knees, and his eyes were opened.
A Profound Lesson
This incident teaches us that every living being contains protein—be it a cow, a tree, or a human. However, this does not imply that everything is fit for consumption. Mothers, sisters, and wives are all women, yet our perspectives differ. Similarly, a cow is not merely an animal to us; it is revered as 'mother.'
In Hindu tradition, there are profound and scientific reasons for considering the cow as a mother. Hindus are the community that has explored the mind, the soul, and the divine, demonstrating the ability to eternalize the unseen. Thus, when Hindus refer to the cow as mother, it is not just a matter of faith but a solid and profound scientific perspective.