scholarly journals Are There Lessons from India about the Management of Cattle? A Review of ‘Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics’ by Kenneth R. Valpey

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2175
Author(s):  
Clive J. C. Phillips

Cows are divine beings in Indian culture, a philosophy that is an important part of the Hindu faith. Although shared with other non-human animals, the focus on cows is well established in historical literature and is currently growing with a pattern of cow vigilantism in the country to try to enforce ethical standards in cattle keeping systems. The Indian attitudes to cows are considered in a new book by Kenneth Valpey, ‘Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics’. The content is highly relevant today, at a time when cattle farming is the subject of widespread concern in the West as a result of their contribution to environmental pollution; wasteful use of resources; and ethically questionable practices, such as male calf slaughter, reproduction control, and poor cow welfare. The contrast with systems predominating in the West, where cattle are essentially commodities from which products are obtained, is considered in this review of Valpey’s book. The development of a cow care culture, in which only cow milk surplus to her calf’s requirements is used for human consumption and cows are allowed to live out their natural life, is advocated. Whilst such a philosophy could usefully improve cattle care on a broad scale, the logical conclusion of extending human style citizenship to cows is that either human consumption of cattle products must reduce or more resources must be devoted to cows at the expense of other animals, including humans. There is evidence of the former, with a substitution of chicken meat for beef on a broad scale, and the prospect of laboratory-grown meat in the near future. In a small number of countries, meat consumption is already declining. These changes, coupled with a greater attention to cattle welfare practices, could herald a more ethical commensal relationship between cattle and humans in the future.

2021 ◽  
pp. 037698362110096
Author(s):  
Chandima S. M. Wickramasinghe

Alexander the Great usurped the Achaemenid Empire in 331 bc, captured Swat and Punjab in 327 bc, and subdued the region to the west of the Indus and fought with Porus at the Hydaspes in 326 bc. But he was forced to return home when the army refused to proceed. Some of his soldiers remained in India and its periphery while some joined Alexander in his homeward journey. When Alexander died in 323 bc his successors ( diodochoi) fought to divide the empire among themselves and established separate kingdoms. Though Alexander the Great and related matters were well expounded by scholars the hybrid communities that emerged or revived as a result of Alexander’s Indian invasions have attracted less or no attention. Accordingly, the present study intends to examine contribution of Alexander’s Indian invasion to the emergence of Greco-Indian hybrid communities in India and how Hellenic or Greek cultural features blended with the Indian culture through numismatic, epigraphic, architectural and any other archaeological evidence. This will also enable us to observe the hybridity that resulted from Alexander’s Indian invasion to understand the reception the Greeks received from the locals and the survival strategies of Greeks in these remote lands.


Author(s):  
Bihani Sarkar

Fundamental in making the myth of civilization meaningful in Indian culture was the performance of the Navarātra, the festival of the Nine Nights, which was intertwined with Durgā's cult. This final chapter deals with how the cult functioned in creating the spectacle of ‘public religion’ through a reconstruction of this ritual in which the goddess was worshipped by a ruler in the month of Āśvina. A detailed exposition of the modus operandi of the Nine Nights shows us how the religion of the goddess was spectacularly brought to life in an event of grand theatre and solemnized before its participants, the king and the entire community. The development of the Nine Nights from a fringe, Vaiṣṇava ceremony in the month of Kṛṣṇa's birth under the Guptas, to a ritual supplanting the established autumnal Brahmanical ceremonies of kingship and finally into a crucial rite in Indian culture for consolidating royal power, formed a crucial motivation for the expansion of Durgā's cult. The chapter isolates and analyzes in depth the principal early traditions of the Navarātra in East India and in the Deccan by an assessment of the available ritual descriptions and prescriptions in Sanskrit and eye-witness sources from a later period, used to fill in the gaps in the earlier sources. The most elaborate description of a court-sponsored rite emerges from the Kārṇāṭa and Oinwar courts of Mithilā, which embody what appears to be a ritual that had matured a good few centuries earlier before it was recorded in official literature. Among these the account of the Oinwars by the Maithila paṇḍita Vidyāpati is the most extensive treatment of the goddess's autumnal worship by a king, and attained great renown among the learned at the time as an authoritative source. His description portrays a spectacular court ceremony, involving pomp and pageantry, in which horses and weapons were worshipped, the king was anointed, and the goddess propitiated as the central symbol of royal power in various substrates over the course of the Nine Nights. Vidyapati's work also reveals the marked impact of Tantricism on the character of the rite, which employed Śākta mantras and propitiated autonomous, ferocious forms of the goddess associated with the occult, particularly on the penultimate days. Maturing in eastern India, the goddess's Navarātra ceremony was proselytized by the smartas further to the west and percolated into the Deccan, where, from around the 12th century, it attained an independent southern character. Whereas the eastern rite focused on the goddess as the central object of devotion, the southern rite focused on the symbolism of the king, attaining its most distinctive and lavish manifestation in the kingdom of Vijayanagara. Throughout this development, the Navarātra remained intimately associated with the theme of dispelling calamities, thereby augmenting secular power in the world, sustaining the power of the ruler and granting political might and health to a community. It remained from its ancient core a ritual of dealing with and averting crises performed collectively by a polis. Such remains its character even today.


Author(s):  
Thomas L. Bryson

Although the Ramakrishna Movement was born in Bengal and influenced by Christian missionary activity and Western Orientalism, its understanding of Hinduism has become the standard for modern educated Indians. Drawing on the spiritual inspiration of its guru, Sri Ramakrishna (1836–86), and the dynamic preaching of his main disciple, Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902), the Ramakrishna Order has founded centres throughout India and the West. Calling his system ‘Practical Vedānta’, Vivekananda laid claim to the classical Advaita Vedānta associated with Śaṅkara. Unlike Śaṅkara, though, Vivekananda elevated selfless social work to a spiritual path equal in value to meditation, devotion and gnosis. The swamis of the order combine traditional Hindu religious practice with the administration of educational and medical institutions on the model of Christian missions. Vivekananda’s vision of Indian culture as united and renewed by his humanistic Hinduism has inspired other gurus as well as Hindu nationalists.


2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-227 ◽  
Author(s):  
Devendra Kumar ◽  
Akhilesh K. Verma ◽  
Manish Kumar Chatli ◽  
Raghvendar Singh ◽  
Pavan Kumar ◽  
...  

Purpose – Camel as a livestock plays an important role in desert ecosystem and its milk has potential contribution in human nutrition in the hot and arid regions of the world. This milk contains all the essential nutrients as found in other milk. Fresh and fermented camel milk has been used in different regions in the world including India, Russia and Sudan for human consumption as well as for treatment of a series of diseases such as dropsy, jaundice, tuberculosis, asthma and leishmaniasis or kala-azar. The present paper aims to explore the possibility of camel milk as an alternative milk for human consumption. Design/methodology/approach – Recently, camel milk and its components were also reported to have other potential therapeutic properties, such as anti-carcinogenic, anti-diabetic, anti-hypertensive and renoprotective potential; and for autism, and has been recommended to be consumed by children who are allergic to bovine milk. Findings – It has also been reported to alleviate oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation in rats. Camel milk differs from bovine milk in composition. It contains low total solids and fat; however, proteins and lactose are in equal amount but of higher quality than cow milk. Because of the high percentage of β-casein, low percentage of α-casein, deficiency of β-lactoglobulin and similarity of the immunoglobulins, it become safer for persons who are allergic to bovine milk. It contains protective proteins in higher amount which contributes to its functionality. The fermentation and enzymatic hydrolysis of camel protein produce different types of bioactive peptides which exerts different activity in in vitro and in vivo conditions. Originality/value – Because of its unique quality and functionality, this milk has potential application in management of different diseases and application in food industries.


Nukleonika ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 63 (2) ◽  
pp. 43-46
Author(s):  
Kamil Wieprzowski ◽  
Marcin Bekas ◽  
Elżbieta Waśniewska ◽  
Adam Wardziński ◽  
Andrzej Magiera

Abstract Radon Rn-222 is a commonly occurring natural radionuclide found in the environment from uranium-radium radioactive series, which is the decay product of radium Ra-226. The presence of radon carries negative health effects. It is, in fact, classified as a carcinogen, and therefore, it is necessary to continuously monitor its concentration. The aim of this study was to determine the level of radon-222 concentration in water intended for human consumption in the two voivodeships of Poland: West Pomeranian and Kuyavian-Pomeranian. Measurements were performed for more than 60 intakes. The level of radon was measured by using the liquid scintillation counting method. The range of measured radon concentration in the water from the West Pomeranian Voivodeship was from 0.90 to 11.41 Bq/dm3 with an average of 5.01 Bq/dm3, while that from the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship was from 1.22 to 24.20 Bq/dm3 with an average of 4.67 Bq/dm3. Only in three water intakes, the concentration of radon-222 exceeded the value of 10 Bq/dm3. The obtained results allowed to conclude that population exposure associated with radon-222 in water is negligible and there is no need to take further action. In the case of three intakes where a higher concentration of radon was found, the potential exposure was low.


Author(s):  
Agboola Adebiyi Ayodeji ◽  
Dinnah Ahure ◽  
Esienanwan Esien Efiong ◽  
Israel Okpunyi Acham

Cheese was produced from soy milk, cow milk and coconut milk using lime, lemon and rennet as coagulants. The effect of these coagulants on proximate composition, coagulation time, percentage yield, peroxide value, Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substance (TBA-RS), micro-biological and sensory qualities of the formulated cheese was evaluated using standard methods. Nine samples were designed for this study. The moisture content of rennet coagulated cheese was significantly higher than lime and lemon coagulated cheese, while the protein content of lime coagulated cheese was significantly (p < 0.05) lower than those of lemon and rennet coagulated cheese. The crude fat and total ash contents of cheese made from cow milk were superior to those made from soy milk and coconut milk. The fibre content of lime coagulated cheese was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than lemon and rennet coagulated cheese. The coagulation time and percentage yield of the cheese samples did not follow a definite trend and ranged between 19-147 sec and 12.40-28.70% respectively. Aside samples DSL and HCL, all the other freshly prepared cheese samples fell within the standard value of 10 mEq/kg. However, with an increase in storage time, virtually all the samples became rancid. With an increase in storage time. Similar trend was observed in the TBA-RS of the cheese samples. All the samples were microbiologically safe for human consumption and the cheese samples were organoleptically acceptable, since their sensory scores were above average. The study established that cheese produced from fresh cow milk, soy milk and coconut milk coagulated with lime, lemon and rennet showed to a large extent significant differences in their chemical composition, percentage yield and coagulation time. The peroxide value and TBA-RS determination from this study showed that the cheese could not stay longer than a day on the shelf, unless it is refrigerated.


Articult ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 137-148
Author(s):  
Evgenia I. Vinogradova ◽  
◽  
Evgeny V. Kilimnik ◽  

The article analyzes the work of Western and Russian scientists, conducted in the past three decades, on the relationship of psychology and architecture. It is shown that in the West, the neuropsychological aspects of the relationship of psychology and architecture are studied thanks to modern neurobiological equipment, while in Russia there is a clear gap between the representatives of neuroscience, their technical support, and the architectural scientific community. As a result of the analysis conducted in the article, it is concluded that two research blocks can be distinguished. The first of them highlights the relationship between the psyche of the viewer and architecture. This may include research, both revealing the features of the perception of objects, and the influence of an architectural object on the viewer. Another block of research is connected with the psyche of the architect: and here the features of the design process itself are examined, as well as the influence of the personality of the architect on the features of the architectural object. It is concluded that the topic of reflecting the individual or individually-typological psychological characteristics of the personality of an architect in a specific architectural work remains undeveloped both in the West and in Russia, although it is extremely relevant today.


2019 ◽  
pp. 207-233
Author(s):  
O. E. Osovsky

The philosopher M. Bakhtin occupies a unique place in the process of shaping of a new humanistic paradigm. Amid the 1960s crisis in the West, Bakhtin’s key concepts, from ‘carnival’ and ‘polyphony’ to ‘dialogism’, provided a foundation for a common communication code for the humanities, which helped participants of the dialogue to find their mutual points of interest. The 16th International Bakhtin Conference ‘Bakhtin in the Post-Revolutionary Era’, which took place in Shanghai in September 2017, prompted the author to ponder the modern state of international Bakhtin studies and identify certain trends, especially noticeable in the Chinese context of the studies. The multistage reception of his ideas in Russia and abroad reveals a changing treatment of his legacy, much in demand these days, which are typified by a crisis of the humanities. Bakhtin’s stance during and after the revolution, as well as his internal approval of evolutionary, rather than revolutionary, changes in social and cultural history, which are particularly relevant today, suggest that his ideas can be used in the context of polyphonic thinking and new, e. g. digital, technologies.


2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (2) ◽  
pp. 169-183
Author(s):  
Yesudasan Remias

Abstract The emergence of the new comparative theology in the west has greatly benefitted from Indian Vedic texts and related ones. Despite their extensive use for western theological reflection, comparative theology, however, has not come to the limelight in India, since most of the western initiatives have been perceived to be camouflaged missionary efforts. This paper proposes the cognitive metaphor theory as a fitting supplement to comparative theology. I argue that combining both has much to offer to study, learn, and relate religions in the multi-religiously coexisting context of India. I explore its possibilities and challenges and address how new comparative theology stays distinct from its nineteenth-century efforts in terms of bridging religious traditions by learning from them. This paper draws much from my own experiences, insights, and studies as a native of Indian culture, brought up in Christian tradition. My studies and researches are focused on comparative theology developed through the lens of cognitive metaphor theory.


Author(s):  
Bambang Budi Utomo ◽  
Sudarman Sudarman

In general, the influence of Indian culture embodied in the form of Hinduism and Buddhism developed in the western region of Nusāntara. Archaeological evidence in the form of buildings caṇḍi / stūpa and statues, while historical data is written in inscriptions and manuscripts. The presence of Indian cultural influences was also found in the West Sumatra region in the form of sacred buildings from brick materials, and stone and metal statues. From historical sources, information was obtained that in the region had developed a royal institution which also had the influence of Indian culture. This study used a cultural history approach, not political history which is commonly used by most archaeologists and historians. The aim of this approach is to see the unity and unity among the Nusāntara residents, especially the Minangkabau and other regions


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