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FRAGMENTS OF A PRISONER'S DIARY
After this experience, could I be expected to take the rationalised version of cow-worship seriously? There is a whole series of animals which are believed to be impure by the orthodox Hindu. If the Hindus really have a pantheistic attitude towards all forms of life, there should be no such anomaly in their practical behaviour. Cow-worship is not an expression of pantheism; it is the outcome of a utilitarian philosophy. Indeed, there is no philosophy about it. It is a matter of material necessity. An interesting side-light on the spiritualist culture of India !
How did the cow secure a place in the Hindu pantheon? That is a question of the history (and also of the philosophy) of religion. It is beyond the intellectual depth of a modest cat to attempt an investigation in that line; nor would it be quite relevant. Nevertheless, while at it, I cannot resist the temptation of hazarding an opinion.
I think that the only rational answer to the question should be obvious to a critical thinker. The curious custom was the product of a social necessity. Once upon a time, cattle must have been rather scarce in India. Indeed, topographical and climatic conditions of the country are not very suitable for a healthy growth of the bovine species. Even to-day in India, cattle, while numerous, are generally of an inferior kind with a marked tendency to deteriorate. They cannot thrive only on rank vegetation. They require highlands and the
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