(Kadamba Kanana Swami, 7 November 2010, Vrndavana, India, Govardhan Puja Lecture)
The cow and the bull are described by Srila Prabhupada as being totally harmless creatures. Everything about them is auspicious.
They are supportive for the environment and in this way; with cow protection, we find all the good that is required. The cows provide milk – she is one of the seven mothers along with the mother by birth, the wife of the brahmanas, the wife of the king, the wife of the guru, the nurse, the earth… The cow is one of our mothers and as such, we depend on the cows for our existence and the cows depend on us for protection. Cows don’t do well in maintaining themselves independently. They are domestic animals; they are meant to be protected by human beings. There is a natural relationship between the two. That relationship is also there in the spiritual world and the entire culture in Goloka Vrndavana is built on that culture.
