The myth of the holy cow / D.N. Jha.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Jha, D. N. (Dwijendra Narayan), 1940-2021.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bharatiya Janata Party.

Cattle--Religious aspects--Hinduism.

Cattle.

India--Politics and government--1977-.

India.

Politics and government.

Physical Description:

183 pages ; 23 cm

Edition:

Verso edition.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Verso, 2002.

Summary:

The growth of religious fundamentalism in India is symbolised by the existence of a BJP government committed to the Hindutva. There is growing pressure to declare the cow a sacred, national animal and to ban its slaughter. The Myth of the Holy Cow is an illuminating response to this crazed confessionalism. It challenges obscurantist views on the sanctity of the cow in Hindu tradition and culture. Dwijendra Narayan Jha, a leading Indian historian, argues that beef eating played an important part in the cuisine of ancient India, long before the birth of Islam. It was very much a feature of the approved Brahmanical and Buddhist diet. The evidence he produces from a variety of religious and secular texts is compelling. His opponents, including the current government of India and the fundamentalist groups backing it, have demanded that the book should be ritually burned in public. It has already been banned by the Hyderabad Civil Court and the author's life has been threatened.

Contents:

1. 'Animals are verily food' but Yajnavalkya Favours Beef 27

2. The Rejection of Animal Sacrifice: An Assertion of the Sacredness of the Cow? 61

3. The Later Dharmasastric Tradition and Beyond 90

4. The Cow in the Kali Age and Memories of Beef Consumption 113

5. A Paradoxical Sin and the Paradox of the Cow 127

6. Resume: The Elusive 'Holy Cow' 138.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [149]-172) and index.

ISBN:

1859846769

OCLC:

48834956