Navayana Publishing Myth of the Holy Cow

This is an excellent, highly researched and referenced book on the Myth of Holiness of the Cow. The author is a former Professor of History at University of Delhi and former General President of Indian History Congress.In the preface of this 'Navayana' edition, D N Jha expresses the necessity of this book both from an academic perspective and the hijacking of political arena by "communalists and their fundamentalist organisations". The author also says that he was getting intimidations and threats from unknown callers. However, he has gathered a lot of evidences, even from the libraries of Rome and Japan.The book presents the evidence of cow slaughter in ancient India, both for the purpose of ritualistic sacrifice as well as beef consumption. Lucid description with extensive references from Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmanas, Manusmriti and even Ramayana and Mahabharata. Throughout the Hindu Scriptures, this book shows that meat consumption was very common till the late Gupta period and beef was the best and most preferred meat. The book also deals with the secular literature and treatises by Kalidasa, Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata, which show that beef consumption was just as common as vegetables and fruits. Only after the late Gupta era did vegetarianism began to spread due to the influence from Buddhism and Jainism. Beef in Buddhism and Jainism are also covered. The Appendix at the end is an essay by Dr. B R Ambedkar which further shows that vegetarianism and cow worship was a political tactic used by Brahmins to overcome the Buddhists, regain the patronage of rulers and finally to control the administration and revenues. It is common tactic used by 'rightists' to overcome the 'leftists'.This is an unbiased and scholarly book for anyone, whether an intellectual or a layman, who really wants to know about the Holy Cow in ancient India and how it influenced the society, politics, economy, religion and culture in India, before the invasions of Arabs and Turks.

The book gave a picture of how the beef eating ( not only that, old age people in Rig vedic time has eaten horse, elephant, boar, beer, etc). The rituals/guest welcoming had beef/horse meat for sure. It also explains how Brahmins were the beef lover/eaters at that time. The subsequent arrival of Jainism/Buddhism and the impact on Brahminism and how they turned cow as a holy object and how untouchables were formed. Very insightful book to understand the politics at that time and now based on eating cow.

If you have the intellectual capacity to digest the truth then it is for you,the book is stunning and Tells the originating of beef eating from ancient period of time,The author tells us this in A very comprehensive way!

Slow delivery but good product

While many will call this book a biased work, i will have to put forward my views on this work done. This is an exceptional work done by DN jha, his bold attempt on being a critic of religious fanaticism, left me awestruck. This work, have debunked the myth of the holiness of cow. An eyeopener, and for those who have not read the book and have criticized the work. My question remains how are those people not biased ? I would recommend everyone to read this tremendously beautiful and well researched work done.