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Hinduism: Sacred Animals
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Other sacred animals...
Other Facts
Ahimsa means to be without harm; to be utterly harmless, not to only yourself and others but all forms of life, from giant animals to the smallest of bacteria.
All of these animals are said to be incarnations of the main gods
Some Hindu temples keep sacred animals
There are many other animals that are sacred but the ones given are considered very sacred
By respecting sacred animals you are creating better karma for yourself which help allows your soul to have liberation
Cow
Bhishma, the son of river Ganga and Kuru king Santanu says: "Cows represent sacrifices…Cows are guileless in their behavior and from them flow sacrifices…and milk and curds and butter. Hence cows are sacred..."
Monkey
Cows are seen as surrogate mothers because they provide milk for all of human kind
They are also seen as the true mothers of the world
Associated with Lord Shiva, "the mighty ape"
Symbolizes physical strength, perseverance and devotion
A picture of the Monkey Forest of Padangtegal, which is a sacred Balinese Hindu site
Serpent
Also associated with Lord Shiva
Lord Shiva is seen to be wearing a snake coiled around his neck 3 times, to represent past, present and future.
A statue of Lord Shiva, with a snake around his neck
Tiger
The tiger symbolizes the unlimited power, and it is represented by the goddess, Durga
Legend has it that a jealous queen sent Lord Ayyappan to fetch her some tiger’s milk, knowing he couldn’t possibly survive. But he ended up returning to the palace riding on the tiger along with a group tigers behind him
Elephant
Represented by Lord Ganesha, who has the head of an elephant
Background information about Hinduism
Many aspects of the elephant have different meanings
- Head: Symbolizes wisdom and understanding
- Large ears& mouth: desire to enjoy life, great listening capacity in order to gain more wisdom
- Tusks: left=emotion, right=wisdom
Hinduism is not a monotheist religion, ,meaning that they don't only believe in one God
Each animal represents a god or a goddess
There is no clear, single Hindu view on how to treat animals
Hinduism
Background information cont'd
Most Hindus don't believe that animals are inferior to human beings
Cows are sacred to Hindus; they are a symbol of sacrifice
Other sacred animals include elephants, monkeys, tigers, mice, serpents, horses and dogs.
Some Hindu gods have animal characteristics
Sacred Animals
By: Romina and Kaitlin