cows.

 Cows serve to illustrate philosophical truths to us, said Velukkudi Krishnan, in a discourse. Cows come in different colours, but the milk they yield is always white. Likewise, the atmas that inhabit different bodies are all alike. There is no distinction on the basis of sex, or physical attributes. While different people have different features and physical structures, the atma is the same in everyone, just as milk from every cow is white. There were many cows in Gokula, but Krishna milked them all. Andal uses the word ‘pala’, meaning many, in her “katru karavai’ pasuram, indicating Krishna’s role as the One who milked a multitude of cows. Likewise, there are many jivatmas, but only one Paramatma.

Arulala Perumal Emperumanar, a disciple of Ramanujacharya, wrote a work called Jnana Saram, where he talks of the love of a cow for its new born calf. The cow, soon after giving birth, cleans the calf, by licking the afterbirth and blood from the body of the calf. What one would think of as unclean seems desirable to the cow, because of its love for its calf. Likewise, Lord Narayana does not shun us because of our mistakes, but gives us His protection wholeheartedly. Because of this quality of vatsalya, He sees even our demerits as our merits.

A dhyana sloka for srimad bhagvatham says  that whenever srimad bhagvatham is recited, Krishna will be present there this is akin to a cow following the calf there is a kamyavan close to brindavan,  Krishna used to lead the cows there to a pond called vimala kunda he would bend over with his hands at his back and show the calves how to scoop up water using their tongues.