gau sarvottam mata gay ko surbhi, kamdhenu, achrya, yagyapadi, kalyani, ijya, bahula, kamdugha, vishva ki ayu, rudron ki mata v vasuon ki putri kaha gaya hai. atharvaved, upnishdon, mahabharat, ramayan, puran v smritiyan men gau ka mahima gan kiya gaya hai. bhavsagar se par lagane vali gomata ki seva karne v inki kripa se hi golok ki prapti hoti hai. shastron men gay ko pratyaksh devi mana hai. iska anisht hi vinash ka karan hai. unke rom-rom men devtaon ka vas hai. gomutra men gangaji ka v gobar men lakshmiji ka nivas hai. gomata hamen taja dugdh, garam dugdh, makkhan nikala hua dugdh, dahi, mattha, ghrit, panir, chena, khis ka pani, navnit aur makkhanadriye das prakar ke amritamay bhojya padarth deti hai jinhen khakar ham arogya, bal, buddhi, oj aur sharirik bal prapt karte hain. vedon se lekar samast dharmik-granthon men aur prachin rishi-muniyon aur vidvanon se lekar adhunik vidvanon tak sabhi ne gomata ka sthan sarvashreshth bataya hai. bhumandal par mata ka pratyaksh rup gomata hi hai. gau mahima apar mahabharat men bhishm pitamah yudhishthir ko gau ki mahima batate hue kahte hain ki gau sabhi sukhon ko dene vali hai aur vah sabhi praniyon ki mata hai.
is sansar men gau ek amulya aur kalyanaprad pashu hai. mrityulok ki adharashakti prithvi hai aur devlok ki adharashakti gau hai. prithvi ko bhulok kahte hain aur gau ko golok kahte hain. bhulok niche hai aur golok upar hai. jis prakar manushyon ke mal-mutradi kutsit achrnon ko prithvimata saprem sahan karti hai, usi prakar gaumata bhi manushyon ke jivan ka adhar hote hue unke vahan, taran adi kutsit achrnon ko sahan karti hai. isilie vedon men prithvi aur gau ke lie kshamashil shabd ka prayog kiya gaya hai. manushyon men bhi jo sahnshil hote hain, ve mahan mane jate hain. sansar men prithvi v gau se adhik kshamavan aur koi nahin hai. gay sada pujniya hai. gau ko tyagmurti kaha gaya hai, kyonki uske sabhi ang-pratyang dusre ke upyog men ate hain. is mahagun se gau sarvottam mata kahi gayi hai. trinon ke ahar par jivan dharan kar gay manav ke lie alaukik amritamay dudh pradan karti hai. shastron men gau ko sarvadevmyi aur sarvatirthamayi kaha gaya hai. islie gau ke darshan se samast devtaon ke darshan aur samast tirthon ki yatra karne ka punya prapt ho jata hai. samast praniyon ko dharan karne ke lie prithvi gorup hi dharan karti hai.
jab-jab prithvi par asuron ka bhar barhta hai, tab-tab vah devtaon ke sath bhagvan vishnu ki sharan men gorupdharan karke jati hai. gau, vipra, ved, sati, satyavadi, nirlobhi aur dani. in sat mahashaktiyon ke bal par hi prithvi tiki hai par inmen gau ka hi pratham sthan hai. gau dharm, arth, kam aur moksh in charon purusharthon ki dhatri hone ke karan kamdhenu hai. bhagvan shrikrishn sandipnimuni ke ashram men vidyadhyayan ke lie gae vahan unhonne go-seva ki. bhagvan shrikrishn ko keval gayon se hi nahin apitu goras (dudh, dahi, makkhan, adi) se bhi adbhut prem tha, us prem ke karan hi shrikrishn goras ki chori bhi karte the. shrikrishn dvara gyarah varsh ki avastha men mushtik, chanur, kuvlyapid hathi aur kans ka vadh goras ke adbhut chamatkar ke praman hain aur isi godugdh ka pan kar bhagvan shrikrishn ne divya gitarupi amrit sansar ko diya. bhagvan shrikrishn gau rakshak bhagvan shrikrishn ne gomata ki raksha ke lie kya-kya nahin kiya? unhen davanal se bachaya, indra ke kop se gayon aur vrajvasiyon ki raksha ke lie giriraj govardhan ko kanishthika anguli par uthaya. tab devraj indra ne airavat hathi ki sunr ke dvara lae gae akashganga ke jal se tatha kamdhenu ne apne dudh se unka abhishek kiya aur kaha ki ‘jis prakar devon ke raja devendra hain, usi prakar ap hamare raja govind hain.
bhagvan shrikrishn ka balyajivan go-seva men bita isilie unka nam gopal para. putna ke vadh ke bad gopiyan shrikrishn ke angon par gomutra, goraj v gomay laga kar shuddhi karti hain kyonki unhonne putna ke mrit sharir ko chua tha aur gay ki punch ko shrikrishn ke charon or ghumakar unki najar utarti hain. tinon lokon ke kasht harne vale shrikrishn ke anisht haran ka kam gay karti hai. jab-jab shrikrishn par koi sankat aya nandababa aur yashodamata brahmanon ko svarn, vastra v pushpamala se saji gayon ka dan karte the. yah hai gomata ki mahima aur shrikrishn ke jivan men unka mahatva. shrikrishn chale jab gay charane nandbaba ke ghar saikron gvalbal sevak the par shrikrishn gayon ko duhne ka kam bhi svayan karna chahte the-kanhaiya ne aj mata se gay charane ke lie jane ki jid ki aur kahne lage ki bhukh lagne par ve van men tarh-tarah ke falon ke vrikshon se fal torakar kha lenge. par man ka hriday itne chote aur sukumar balak ke subah se sham tak van men rahne ki bat se dar gaya aur ve kanhaiya ko kahne lagin ki tum itne chote-chote pairon se subah se sham tak van men kaise chaloge, lautte samay tumhen rat ho jaegi. tumhara kamal ke saman sukumar sharir kari dhup men kumhala jaega parantu kanhaiya ke pas to man ke har saval ka javab hai.
ve man ki saugandh khakar kahte hain ki n to mujhe dhup (garmi) hi lagti hai aur n hi bhukh aur ve man ka kahna n manakar gocharan ki apni hath par are rahe. mormukuti, vanmali, pitambaradhari shrikrishn yamuna men apne hathon se mal-mal kar gayon ko snan karate, apne pitambar se hi gayon ka sharir ponchte, sahlate aur bachron ko god men lekar unka mukh puchkarte aur pushpaguchch, gunja adi se unka shringar karte. trin ekatra kar svayan apne hathon se unhen khilate. gayon ke piche van-van ve nitya nange panv kush, kankar, kantak sahte hue unhen charane jate the. gay to unki aradhya hain aur aradhya ka anugaman padatran (jute) pahanakar to hota nahin. paramabrahm shrikrishn gayon ko charane ke lie jate samay apne hath men koi chari adi nahin rakhte the. keval vanshi lie hue hi gayen charan jate the. ve gayon ke piche-piche hi jate hain aur gayon ke piche-piche hi lautte hain, gayon ko murli sunate hain. subah gosmuh ko sashtang pranipat (pranam) karte aur sayankal ‘pandurang ban jate (gayon ke khuron se uri dhul se unka mukh pila ho jata tha). is adbhut drishya ko dekhne ke lie devi-devta apne lokon ko chorakar vraj men chale ate aur ashcharyachkit rah jate ki jo paramabrahm shrikrishn bare-bare yogiyon ke samadhi lagane par bhi dhyan men nahin ate, ve hi shrikrishn gayon ke piche-piche nange panv vanon men hath men vanshi lie ghum rahe hain.
isse barhakar ashcharya ki bat bhala aur kya hogi? mohan gayen charakar a rahe hain. unke mastak par narangi pagri hai jis par mayurpichch ka mukut laga hai, mukh par kali-kali alken bikhri hui hain jinmen champa ki kaliyan sajai gayin hain, unke nukile arunare (ankhon ki lalimayukt kor), chanchal netra hain, terhi bhaunhen, lal-lal adhron par khelti madhur muskan aur anar ke danon jaisi dantapakti, vakshasthal par vanmala aur gay ke khur se urakar mukh par lagi dhul suhavni lag rahi hai. gopbalkon ki mandli ke bich megh ke saman shyam shrikrishn rasmyi vanshi bajate hue chal rahe hain aur sakhamandli unki gunavli gati chal rahi hai. geru adi se chitrit sundar nat ke saman vesh men ye navlkishor mast gajraj ki tarah chalte hue a rahe hain. chalte samay unki kamar men kardhni ke kinkni aur charnon ke nupuron ke sath gayon ke gale men bandhi ghantiyon ki madhur dhvani sab milakar kanon men mano amrit ghol rahe hon. radhikapti bhagvan shrikrishn ke man men dudh pine ki ichcha hone lagi. tab bhagvan ne apne vambhag se lilapurvak surbhi gau ko prakat kiya. uske sath bachra bhi tha jiska nam manorath tha. us savatsa gau ko samne dekh shrikrishn ke parshad sudama ne ek ratnamay patra men uska dudh duha aur us surbhi se duhe gaye garma-garm svadisht dudh ko svayan bhagvan shrikrishn ne piya.
mrityu tatha burhapa ko harne vala vah dugdh amrit se bhi barhakar tha. sahsa dudh ka vah patra hath se chutakar gir para aur prithvi par sara dudh fail gaya. us dudh se vahan ek sarovar ban gaya jiski lambai-chairai sab or se sau-sau yojan thi. golok men vah sarovar kshirsrovar ke nam se prasiddh hua. gopikaon aur shriradha ke lie vah krira-sarovar ban gaya. us krira-sarovar ke ghat divya ratnon dvara nirmit the. bhagvan ki ichcha se usi samay asankhya kamdhenu gauen prakat ho gayin. jitni ve gauen thin, utne hi bachre bhi us surbhi gau ke romkup se nikal ae. is prakar un surbhi gau se hi gauon ki srishti mani gayi hai. bhagvan shrikrishn gau puja mantra svayan bhagvan shrikrishn ne surbhi gau ki puja ki. inki puja ka mantra hai: ’un surabhyai namah’. yah shadakshar mantra ek lakh jap karne par siddh ho jata hai aur sadhak ko riddhi, vriddhi, mukti dene ke sath hi unki samast manokamnaon ko pura karne vala kalpavriksh hai. lakshmisvarupa, radha ki sahchri, gauon ki adi janni surbhi gau ki puja dipavli ke dusre din purvahnakal men ki jati hai. kalash, gay ke mastak, gauon ke bandhne ke khambhe, shaligram, jal athva agni men surbhi ki bhavna (dhyan) karke inki puja kar sakte hain. ek bar varahakalp men adi gau surbhi ne dudh dena band kar diya.
us samay tinon lokon men dudh ka abhav ho gaya jisse samast devta chintit ho gae. tab sabhi devtaon ne brahmaji se prarthana ki. gay golok ki ek amulya nidhi hai, jiski rachna bhagvan ne manushyon ke kalyanarth ashirvad rup se ki hai. atah is prithvi par gomata manushyon ke lie bhagvan ka prasad hai. bhagvan ke prasadasvarup amritrupi godugdh ka pan kar manav hi nahin apitu devagan bhi tript hote hain. isilie godugdh ko ‘amrit’ kaha jata hai. gauen vikarrhit divya amrit dharan karti hain aur duhne par amrit hi deti hain. ve amrit ka khajana hain. sabhi devta gomata ke amritrupi godugdh ka pan karne ke lie gomata ke sharir men sadaiv nivas karte hain. rigved men gau ko ‘aditi kaha gaya hai. gau ke sambandh men shatapath brahman (7.5.2.34) men kaha gaya hai-gau vah jharna hai, jo anant, asim hai, jo saikron dharaon vala hai.’ prithvi par bahne vale jharne ek samay ata hai jab ve sukh jate hain. inhen ek sthan se dusre sthan par bhi nahin le ja sakte hain kintu gay rupi jharna itna vilakshan hai ki iski dhara kabhi sukhti nahin. apni santti (santanon) ke dvara sada bani rahti hai. sath hi is jharne ko ek-sthan se dusre sthan par le bhi ja sakte hain.