Gaurav Kumar et al, International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology,

Vol.7 Issue.10, October-2020, pg. 6-10 ISSN: 2348-1358

Impact Factor: 6.057
NAAS Rating: 3.77

Beneficial Use of Vedic

Indian Cow Dung
Gaurav Kumar; Praveen Kumar Tiwari; Yashwant Atbhaiya;
V.R. Upadhaya; Dileep Kumar Yadav
Ph.D. Scholars, National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana – 132001

Introduction
At the cow's name our western-influenced intellectuals sneer. The same scholars sneered at
yoga in the first place. Doing pranayama at social events is now a trend. According to Vedas,
cow essentially supplies five products that are considered as Panchgavya that have been used
by humans for having several functional and therapeutic properties. The word Panchgavya
comes from Sanskrit, meaning "Panch" means "five" and "gavya" means cow products.

The Panchgavya is a five-product blend. Which are: (i) Godugdha (cow-milk); (ii) Goghruta
(ghee) (also classified as clarified butter); (iii) Gomutra (urine); (iv) Gomaya (dung)-deemed
important as Gomutra; and (v) Dahi (curd). Three of these products (i.e. Godugdha, Gomutra,
and Gomaya) are produced directly from the cow whereas two products (Goghruta and Dahi)
are extracted from milk. Every Panchgavya product has its unique characteristics and qualities
and these are widely used in health, agriculture and other fields. These have been commonly
used in the treatment of different diseases since ancient times, since they have high medicinal
qualities.

Cow Dung
The content of cow dung typically contributes to around 80 percent water and contains a matrix
of undigested plant material abundant in nutrients, micro-organisms and their by-products. Cow
dung microflora includes lots of bacilli, lactobacilli and cocci and other known and
unrecognized fungi and yeasts. The approximate composition of the cow dung consists of
crude fiber 40 %, carbohydrates 20 %, ash 10.5 %, crude protein 7 % %, crude fat 4 % and

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 Gaurav Kumar et al, International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology,
Vol.7 Issue.10, October-2020, pg. 6-10 ISSN: 2348-1358
Impact Factor: 6.057
NAAS Rating: 3.77
moisture 18.5 % depends upon the feed and fodder given to the cow. pH of cow dung is in the
range of 6.5-7.1.

Components of cow dung serve as germicidal, nourishing, give body light, killer and absorber
of bad odour, virya vardhak (increase intelligence), rasayukta (moisturizer) and supremely
pure and sacred. It has the natural property of curing skin diseases and diminishing blood
toxins. Cow dung has antiseptic, toxic and thermal properties. Due to its extensive uses in
different fields such as livestock, natural production, conservation of the atmosphere and
medicinal applications, cow dung has been called a "Gold Mine".

Panchgavya can be really nice quality natural manure and bio-pesticides that have so many
beneficial effects on livestock and sustainable cultivation. These bio-pesticides do not build up
in the food chain and as such have no adverse consequences such as industrial pesticides. Also
the cow dung can be used as alternative energy resources. The synthesis of urine and dung is a
powerful renewable carbon supply, in the form of biogas, diesel and electricity. When cow
dung is burned it balances ambient temperatures and destroys airborne germs.

Fertilizer
Now cow manure is actually being used as a fertilizer, causing the methane to be emitted into
the atmosphere. Environmentalists concerned about regulating cattle dung methane pollution
because that will be one of the main drivers of climate change. The volume of methane emitted
into the environment during manure decomposition is more powerful in greenhouse gases than
carbon dioxide. San Francisco invented a system that extracts and transforms methane from
cow waste into biogas, which is nearly similar to natural gas. This can then be seen as a source
of renewable energy and methane emissions won't be a problem.

Bio-fertilizer produced from cow dung has historically been used for centuries as organic
fertilizer in Indian subcontinental farming, and is now one of the cheapest and harmless
fertilizer source. Adding cow dung as a bio-fertilizer can restore soil mineral status improves
soil fertility enhances plant defense to pests and promotes plant growth. This also provides
other useful practices, including sulpho-oxidation and solubilization of phosphorus. When cow

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 Gaurav Kumar et al, International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology,
Vol.7 Issue.10, October-2020, pg. 6-10 ISSN: 2348-1358
Impact Factor: 6.057
NAAS Rating: 3.77
dung is used as a bio- fertilizer, it provides food that is free of chemical fertilizers and
pesticides of any sort. Even it may be viewed as renewable carbon options.

Cow dung manure is the greatest effective crops nutrient because it is nitrogen-rich. Scientists
also produced specific bio-fertilizers utilizing cow dung and urine and noticed that these bio-
fertilizers were sprayed on crops reported for good growth and higher productivity than those
in which bio- fertilizers developed from cow dung were sprayed. Cow dung as a bio-fertilizer
don’t cause any health hazards to the consumer as caused by chemical fertilizers; it improves
overall growth of the crops, productivity and quality of crops and it also improves the health of
the soil.

Manures from cow urine & dung, makes the soil fertile, for yielding more nutrient fruits &
vegetables for healthy life. Cow dung is one of the fertilizer’s main sources. African deserts
became fertile with the use of cow dung. Application of cow dung for soil enrichment is an
age- old farming tradition which was forgotten after chemical fertilizers were implemented.
Nowadays citizens embrace sustainable and conventional agriculture and use cow dung as
conventional manure rather than chemical manures.

Low Nutrient Loss

From the centuries, the cow dung cakes were used for cooking of foods. Cooking foods using
cow dung cakes is the traditional practice which is followed in villages of our country, these
have advantages like when food is cooked in cow dung cakes, the temperature never rises
beyond a certain point, which prevents overheating and does not destroy the nutrients present
in the food.

Alternate Energy Source

Cow dung can be the best valuable alternate source of energy as it can be used for biogas
(methane) production and also generates electricity for consumer use. Biogas is a form of
renewable energy source is used for cooking, lighting of homes and street lights. The self-
combustion engines can be driven by using these biogas for various uses like running a
generator to produce electricity which can be used for various purposes.

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 Gaurav Kumar et al, International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology,
Vol.7 Issue.10, October-2020, pg. 6-10 ISSN: 2348-1358
Impact Factor: 6.057
NAAS Rating: 3.77
According to Japanese scientists Sakae Shibusawa at Tokyo University of Agriculture &
Technology, cattle dung is a new source of petrol (or gasolin), extracted from cow dung by
applying high pressure and heat.

Paper Making
Paper is usually made by using wood as a raw material. The use of cow dung for paper making
can be used as a best alternative to save wood. The high fibre content of cow dung enables
people to make paper from the dung. The dung is washed to extract the fibres, which can then
be pressed into paper on a screen.

Container
From the centuries, peoples used to store grains in huge earthen pots so as to keep insects,
reptiles and other rodents away. By keeping in the containers made from cow dung, the grains
can be stored for long time. Smoldering of cow dung cakes keeps away mosquitoes from the
houses.

Pollution Controller
Mere presence of cows is a great contribution to the environment. India has approximately 30
crore cattle. Using their dung to produce biogas, approximately 6.0 crore ton of firewood can
be saved every year. This would reduce deforestation to some extent and helps in
environmental protection. We can reduce acid content in water by treating it with cow dung as it
acts as a pH balancer. Hence, it can be said can say that cow dung has an important role in
preserving environment.

Cow dung releases high amount of oxygen like some holy plants (eg. tulsi and peepal), which
are used in sacrificial fires and havans. If one spoon of pure ghee is poured on the burning cow
dung cakes (fuel) it produces one-ton oxygen that subsides the effect of poisonous gases.
There is no other better method to remove pollution.

Prevention from Radiations

Ancient scripture stated that “Suryaketu” nerve (prominent hump) present in all indigenous
cow however it is absent in exotic breeds (Jersey, Brown Swiss, Holstein, Belgian Blue etc).

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 Gaurav Kumar et al, International Journal of Advances in Agricultural Science and Technology,
Vol.7 Issue.10, October-2020, pg. 6-10 ISSN: 2348-1358
Impact Factor: 6.057
NAAS Rating: 3.77
This nadi (vein) absorbs all the energies and radiations from sun, moon and all luminaries from
universe and puts them in cow products like milk, urine, dung, ghee etc.

Cow dung is resistant to solar radiation as shown by several scientific studies. The studies
proved that on applying thick layer of cow dung on the walls of the houses provide prevention
against the gamma rays as these cow dungs can absorb such type of rays emitted from nuclear
or solar emission. We have an example of “Bhopal Gas Tragedy” (in 1984), in which more
than 20,000 people were killed and lacks of peoples were affected from the harmful chemicals
and radiations which were released and emitted from the plant gas plant. Those living in cow
dung coated walls houses were not affected. Atomic power centers in India and Russia even
today working on cow dung to shield radiation.

Cow dung also used in making dhoop sticks by mixing fine powder of Nagarmutha, Ral,
Lalchandan, Jatamachi, Kapoor kajuri and Ghee in cow dung. This dhoop sticks produces
oxygen in the environment when burnt.

Therapeutic Uses of Cow Dung

Dairy farmers are five times less prone to develop lung cancer than the general population as
reported by “new scientist magazine”. Paste of cow dung and crushed neem leaves when
applied on skin, it is good for boils and heat rashes. Cow dung is also a good alternative for
toothpaste made from chemicals as to get rid form toothaches. Prof. G.E. Bea God, Italian
scientist have done many experiments and proved that the fresh cow dung kills the germs of
Malaria and T.B. It has been observed that smoke from ashes actually increases our eyelids to
close and open so many times that lot of water from the eyes comes out which increases the
vision life of a person to old age also. Cow dung is superior to other dung because it is
antiseptic and has prophylactic (disease preventive) properties. It destroys micro-organisms
that cause disease, fermentation and putrefaction.

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