How can a cow save a person from the ocean of material existence?

[orlando]

Namaste all.
In an italian ISKCONite site I found the following words by Sri Krishna to Garuda in the Garuda Purana.
"Cinque vascelli possono salvare le persone che affogano nell'oceano dell'esistenza materiale: Sri Visnu, la Bhagavad-gita, Srimati Tulasi devi,la mucca,e Ekadasi."

The translation is:
"Five vessels can save the people who drown in the ocean of the material existence:Sri Visnu,the Bhagavad-gita,Srimati Tulasi devi,the cow and Ekadasi."

My question is:about the words by Garuda Purana,how can a cow save a person from the ocean of material existence?
Regards,
Orlando.

[Ram]

Cow always stands for knowledge ( the vedas).

For eg, Govaradhana, Goloka, Govinda all have meaning only with respect to vedas. Go means the vedas.(its translation as a cow is often erroneous and meaningless materialism)

[orlando]

Namaste Shri Ram.
I don't think that it is meaningless materialism.The cow is one of the seven mother of human beings according to Vedas.
About the meaning of Govinda,one of the name of the Lord,I founde the following at http://home.comcast.net/~chinnamma/sahasra/
Please note the words in red

20.189 - govindah
a) One who is praised by the gods (for His help).
b) One who dug out the Earth from the depths of the Ocean.
c) The protector of cows.d) One who confers the veda-s

Om govindAya namah.

go in samskRt means "Earth", "cows", "speech", or "veda-s" - gaur-vANI, dharA, dhenurvA. From this we derive gavAm, gAm, etc. vid - lAbhe to get, to find, to feel is the root from which vinda is derived.

a) gavAm vindah govindah - gavAm - praise, vindah - recipient. He is govinda because He is the recipient of praise by the gods for the help He renders as outlined in the previous nAma.

b) Another interpretation is gAm avindat - One who retrieved the Earth from the depths of the Ocean. The following is from Santi parvam in mahAbhAratam -

nashTAm vai dharaNIm purvam avindam vai guhAgatAm |
govinda iti tenAham devair-vAgbir-abhishTutah|| (Santi - 330.5)

"I first rescued the earth which was carried away and hidden in depths of the Ocean (by an asura); hence I am praised by the appellation Govinda by gods and scriptures". The significance of this is pointed out by the dharma cakram writer. BhagavAn is the One who truly understands the world and all its subjects.

c) gAvo vedavANyo yam vindanti labhante, yatra vA avatisThante sa govindo bhagavAn vishNuh - One who is reached by vedic chanting, or One who is the abode of the veda-s, is govinda or vishNu. In harivamSa we have the following -

gaureshA tu yato vANI tAm ca vindayate bhavAn |
govindastu tato deva! munibhih kathyate bhavAn! || (harivamSa 3.88.50)

gau means words. You pervade all words giving them power. Sages, therefore, call you govinda.

d) The protector of the cows - again supported from harivamSa -

aham kilendro devAnAm tvam gavAm indratAm gatah |
govinda iti lokAstvAm stoshyanti bhuvi SASvatam || (harivamSa 2.19.45)

"I am indra, leader of deva-s. You have attained the leadership of the cows. So in this world men praise You always addressing you as govinda". He is the protector of the cows and played the part of gopAla in gokulam. SrI satyadevo vAsishTha points out that the leadership of cows also suggests the importance of milk, ghee, etc., in worship, yaj~na etc., and how these also play a key role in the nourishment of the world.
An author by name ananta kRshNa Sastri, who has translated SrI Sankara's vishNu sahasranAma vyAkhyAnam, gives 10 meanings for the combination go+vid - 1) go -svargam - He transcends Heaven. 2) arrows - He knows all the weapons. 3) cattle - He is the leader of cows. 4) Speech - He is to be known by the veda-s. 5) Thunderbolt - He has the vajra marks on His feet. 6) Quarters - He is known in all quarters. 7) Eyes - He is the seer in every person. 8) The Sun - He is in the orb of the sun. 9) Earth - He recovered the Earth from the Ocean. 10) Waters - His seat is in the waters.

Regards,
Orlando.