Cow Urine: Tradition, Beliefs, and Scientific Evidence

This comprehensive essay on cow urine is authored by Manoj Pandey, who has contributed nearly 70 articles on science and health to this web magazine over the past several years. Given the wide range of issues addressed in this essay on Gau-mutra, it will be serialized for the benefit of our readers. The first part, published today, explores the traditional use of cow urine in alternative systems of medicine, particularly Ayurveda. In the subsequent parts, the author will deal with popular beliefs and misinformation associated with cow urine and research findings, concluding with inferences drawn from the available scientific research and arguments.

PART I 

Cow Urine: Tradition, Beliefs, and Scientific Evidence

The Traditional Context

I know I have chosen a hot, rather scorching, topic, and therefore I must forewarn my readers that if they do not keep their biases aside, they might burn their fingers.
If you are new to this subject, it is worth knowing that cow urine is traditionally called Go-mutra or Gau-mutra in India. Hindus have traditionally used cow urine as a household cleaner/ purifier, especially in rural areas. Religious connotations aside, a large majority of Indians, especially in villages and small towns, believe that it has cleansing and therapeutic properties.

Cow urine is also used in a few Ayurvedic preparations, in which it plays a range of roles- carrier of other medicines, purifier of toxic herbs and minerals, and a standalone medicine.

One of the preparations using five cow products, panchagavya (= five products derived from the cow), is made by mixing cow milk, curd, ghee, urine, and dung in a particular manner. It is understood that cow dung and urine are not randomly picked but are selected based on the health of the cow and some other parameters, and then filtered before their use in panchagavya. Cow urine is also an ingredient of panchagavya ghrita (=ghee made with panchagavya). 

Like most other special Ayurvedic formulations, panchagavya was traditionally not popular as a household medicine, nor was it prescribed randomly to everybody; what I am trying to highlight is that it was not a dirty mixture containing cow excreta considered fit for random, mindless human consumption.

In ancient India, when Ayurveda and many religious Hindu scriptures were composed, religion was as much a part of life as the professions for livelihood. Therefore, it was not unusual for people to use cow urine due to religious mandates, perceived healing properties, or both, without making a distinction regarding its purpose. For example, panchagavya was supposed to be a purifying agent and invigorant for plants; at the same time, it was taken as a mixture filled with divinity. A shloka in Parashar Smriti says that cow urine and cow dung have the elements of Varuna and Agni – deities associated respectively with water and fire. 

The religious and therapeutic aspects of cow urine also merged at mundane levels. In Indian villages and towns, until very recently, elders in the family would consume cow urine daily as a ritual for spiritual purification, while children would be given cow urine only to treat their ailments. 

The cow has traditionally been revered in many faiths that originated in the Indian subcontinent, predominantly Hinduism. Whether this animal attained a divine status due to its usefulness or something else is a matter beyond this article, yet allow me to draw your attention to the fact that Hinduism has included a wide spectrum of natural forces and elements in its expansive pantheon. This includes major natural forces (e.g. rivers, hills, fire, and rain), plants (e.g. tulsi, pipal, and bargad), and wild animals (e.g. tiger, peacock, eagle, and mouse). Paying one’s gratitude to all objects – living and non-living - for their contribution to human well-being is an integral part of traditional Indian culture.

There seem to be some special reasons for cow-worship because other domesticated animals are seldom given an equally exalted status. One strong argument is that since the cow gives milk, which is as abundant as staple foods and even more nutritious, the animal deserves the status of the mother. But that does not explain the cow's special status, as the buffalo or the goat are not given a reverential status.

Whether reverence came before usefulness or the other way round, ancient rishis - some of them keen researchers - discovered the healing properties of products obtained from the cow. Once they found cow urine useful against diseases, they did not hesitate recommending it for oral consumption despite it being a body waste. 

To be continued. Next part: Belief, Misinformation, Derision

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This article has been contributed by Manoj Pandy. He does not like to call himself rationalist but insists on scrutiny of apparent myths as well as what are supposed to be immutable scientific facts. Several of his previous articles can be seen under Vigyan and Swasthaya categories on this website.