Srila Prabhupada - "killing of animal is required for sacrifice, the Vedic religion also allows—but not the cow."

Srila Prabhupāda - "So far Muhammadan (Islam) religion is concerned, they also restricted killings, and they had no other ways. It is desert where they lived."

Devotee - "But that’s a very…"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Another thing, even killing of animal is required for sacrifice, the Vedic religion also allow—but not cow. These goats, they are allowed. The meat-eater, under restriction, they can eat goats. But not the higher caste. The brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśyas, they would not. The lowest class, the śūdras, or lower than that, they used to kill. But not cows, because cow is very important animal."

Dhanañjaya - "I remember once on a morning walk in Mr. John Lennon’s estate, you were speaking about how when the old cows and old bulls die, then the mucis, the cobblers can take off their skin…"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Dhanañjaya - "Only then they could take?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Dhanañjaya - "But not before?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "No, no, no, no, it is not very wise to kill the cow. But if you want cow’s skin, there is guarantee when the cow dies naturally. 

When a cow dies you can get the skin. And if you want to eat, then at the time when the Cow dies you can eat. So why you should kill? Killing means economic loss. The cows, while living, is giving the nicest food—milk. And so long you get nice milk, you can prepare so many nutritious foodstuff, from cow’s milk."

Haṁsadūta - "Fertilizer you can get, too."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Fertilizer, Cow dung. Cow’s urine is also so, I mean, antiseptic. So the meat-eaters may, if they’re insisting. First, first of all, nobody should eat meat. All right, if there is a class of men, they want eating meat, but they can eat. Just like they’re eating hogs, or goats."

Haṁsadūta - "Hunting for things."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Hunting other animals. But cow especially must be protected, for society’s good. Must be protected—from gratitude. We are drinking milk of cow. How we can kill our mother? From all considerations, especially cow protection must be there. That is the duty of the vaiśyas, kṛṣi-go-rakṣya-vāṇijyaṁ.

Cow protection is especially mentioned. And the cow blood, the milk is nothing but blood. So you get more vitamin value by drinking milk than eating, drinking, cow blood. From all points of view, cow protection must be there. That is human civilization. From all points of view."

Śyāmasundara - "And they eat garbage. They don’t eat good, it’s not that they’re going to eat very much. They eat garbage or any grass."

Srila Prabhupāda - "No, that is our neglect, they do that because of want of food. They should be given nice food. One nice food."

Mr. Arnold - "Grass."

Srila Prabhupāda - "You take the paddies of the wheat, and you give him the grass. You take the pulp of the fruit, and you give the skin. You take the plantain, banana, the inside pulp, and you give him the skin. 

So there is always share, and the cow, taking the rejected portion, is supplying you milk. You cannot avoid milk, but on account of this sinful activity, milk supplies will be stopped. There will be no more milk. That is stated in the Bhāgavatam."

Śyāmasundara - "If they have no mercy for the cow, what to speak of other humans, now they’re killing the…"

Srila Prabhupāda - "They have no mercy. There is no question of mercy. And they cannot be devotion also, animal killers. According to our conception, every living entity is part and parcel of God. 

So suppose God in the Christian religion also it is accepted, “father.” So the father has got so many children. Some of them are animals, some of them are trees, some of them are human beings, some of them are insects, some of them… Like that—8,400,000 species.

Kṛṣṇa claims sarva-yoniṣu kaunteya: "In all species of life, as many forms are there - sambhavanti mūrtayaḥ yāḥ [Bg. 14.4]. Mūrtayaḥ means "forms." 

In all species of life. He does not say simply human form—all forms. And Kṛṣṇa’s picture, you see, is…, as loving… Where is that picture you showed me?"

Haṁsadūta - "He’s always with the cow."

Srila Prabhupāda - "Ah, He is embracing."

Haṁsadūta - "The cow in the back"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes."

Mr. Arnold - "I have one also."

Srila Prabhupāda - "So He has personally taught us how to treat with cow. He began a cowherds boy, and His business was go early in the morning to take care of the cows and go in the forest."

Dhanañjaya - "And also, of course, when He was, when He was in danger after, after killing Pūtanā, then all the women came, bathed with urine…"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, the ladies, Yaśodā and other ladies took Him to the cow dung, and cow’s tail, like that, so that inauspicity may go. So cow has been given very importance position. And practically we see, we are drinking cow’s milk still. 

Still also many dairy farms are going on. So cow killing in human society cannot be supported, cannot be supported. During Emperor Akbar’s time, one poet wrote a poetry presenting to the emperor about the cow’s appealing, that-

"I am doing this, I am doing this, I am doing this. I am simply eating grass, and I don’t encroach upon your foodstuff, but still I give you so nice food that your children lives on this, and when I die, I give my skin, I give my hoof. I am so serviceable. I am willing to serve you, and still you are killing me." 

The substance of the poetry is there, and when Emperor Akbar read this poetry, he stopped cow killing: "No more cow killing."

Haṁsadūta - "Which king was that?"

Srila Prabhupāda- "Huh? Akbar, the first Mogul emperor. He simply presented this poetry, had the cow appealing, that "I am giving so much service—not only living time, even after my death. Still you are killing me. And you call yourself civilized." So when Emperor Akbar read this poetry, he stopped. In Afghanistan still, there is no cow killing. Afghanistan."

Śyāmasundara - "That’s a Muhammadan country, isn’t it?"

Srila Prabhupāda - "Yes, yes, and long ago I was coming from Kashmir, one Muhammadan gentlemen was my fellow passenger, so when he called for that restaurant man, so he was whispering, "Don’t…, is it cow’s flesh?’" "Well, no, no, no, it is not." So there are many Muhammadans, they won’t touch cow’s flesh. Still, in India. There are many vegetarian also."

Śyāmasundara - "Many signs in the restaurants, "No beef."

Srila Prabhupada - "Yes, so for civilized society, cow killing must be stopped. It is a great sin. From all points of view—from economic point of view, from religious point of view, from social point of view. (Conversation Aug 7, 1971 London)