“When the gopis saw little Krishna fearlessly playing on Putana's lap, they very quickly came and picked Him up. Mother Yashoda, Rohini, and other elderly gopis immediately performed the auspicious rituals by taking the tail of a cow and circumambulating His body. The child was completely washed with the urine of a cow, and the dust created by the hooves of the cows was thrown all over His body. This was all just to save little Krishna from future inauspicious accidents. This incident gives us a clear indication of how important the cow is to the family, society and to living beings in general.” (Krishna, The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Vol 1, Ch 6)