How big of a sin is cow-killing ? What punishment is given for it in hell?

Question

Killing of cow is considered as sin . I want to know how big of a sin it is. What is the punishment given in hell for killing of cow ? And what punishment for it in next birth(s) ?

Answer 1

According to Agnipurāṇa

ब्रह्महत्या सुरापानं स्तेयं गुर्वङ्गनागमः । महान्ति पातकान्याहुः संयोगश्चेव तैः सह ।। अनृते च समुत्कर्षो राजगामि च पैशुनम् । गुरोश्चालीकनिर्बन्धः समान ब्रह्महत्यया ।। ब्रह्मोज्झ्यवेदनिन्दा च कौटसाक्ष्यं सुहृद्वधः । गर्हितान्नाज्ययोर्जग्धिः सुरापानसमानि षट् ।। निक्षेपस्यापहरणं नराश्चरजतस्य च । भूमिवज्रमणीनां च रुक्मस्तेयसमं स्मृतम् ।। रेतः सेकः स्वयोनीषु कुमारीष्वन्त्यजासु च । सख्युः पुत्रस्य च स्त्रीषु गुरुतल्पसमं विदुः ।। गोवधोऽयाज्यसंयाज्यं पारदार्यात्मविक्रयः । गुरुमातृपितृत्यागः स्वाध्यायाग्न्योः सुतस्य च ।। परिवेत्ता चानुजेन परिवेदनमेव च । तयोर्दानं च कन्यायास्तयोरेव च याजनम् ।। कन्याया दूषणं चैव वार्धुष्यं व्रतलोपनम् । तड़ागारामदाराणामपत्यस्य च विक्रयः ।। व्रात्यता बान्धवत्यागो भृताध्यापनमेव च । भृताच्चाध्ययनादानमविक्रयस्य विक्रयः ।। सर्वाकारेष्वधीकारो महायन्त्रप्रवर्तनम् । हिंसौषधीनां स्त्र्याजीवः क्रियालङ्घनमेव च ।। इन्धनार्थमशुष्काणां द्रुमाणां चैव पातनम् । योषितां ग्रहणं चैव स्त्रीनिन्दकसमागमः ।। आत्मार्थं च क्रियारम्भो निन्दितान्नादनं तथा । अनाहिताग्नितास्तेयमृणानां चाऽऽनपक्रिया ।। असच्छास्त्राधिगमनं दौःशील्य व्यसनक्रिया । धान्यकुप्यपशुस्तेयं मद्यपस्त्रीनिषेवणम् ।। स्त्रीशूद्रविट्क्षत्रवधो नास्तिक्यं चोपपातकम् । ब्राह्मणस्य रुजः कृत्यं घ्रातिरध्रेमद्ययोः ।। भैक्ष्यं पुंसि च मैथुन्यं जातिभ्रंशकरं स्मृतम् । श्वखरोष्ट्रमृगेन्द्राणामजाव्योश्चैव मारणम् ।। संकीर्णकरणं ज्ञेयं मीनाहिनकुलस्य च । निन्दितेभ्यो धनादानं वाणिज्यं शूद्रसेवनं । अपात्रीकरणं ज्ञेयमसत्यस्य च भाषणम् । कृमिकीटयोर्हत्या मद्यानुगतभोजनम् । फलैधः कुसुमस्तेयमधैर्यं च मलावहम् ।।

Transliteration: Killing a brāhmaṇa, alcohol consumption, stealing (gold), sex with the guru's wife & company of those who perpetrate these are considered as great sins. Encouraging lawlessness, serving the monarch, back-biting, slandering the guru - these are equivalent to killing a brāhmaṇa. Abandoning the Veda, criticising the Veda, giving false testimony, murdering one's own friend, eating censured food & ghee - these 6 acts are equivalent to alcohol consumption. Stealing that which has been pawned, men, horses, silver, land, diamonds & gems are equivalent to stealing gold. Inseminating a woman belonging to one's own kin, virgins, outcaste women, women belonging to the family of one's own friend & son are considered to be equivalent of violating the guru's bed by the wise men. Cattle-slaughter, to make undeserving persons as one's yajamāna, indulging in sex with wives of others, selling one's own self, abandoning the guru, mother, father, svādhyāya (daily studying of one's own Veda) & son, becoming a parivettā (to allow one's younger siblings to marry before you), parivitti (to marry before one's own elder siblings) by the younger siblings, to marry off one's daughter to either of them, to perform religious rites for such people, violating girls, to live on interest, breaking holy vows, selling reservoirs, gardens & one's own son, becoming a vrātya (not undergoing the saṁskāras inspite of being qualified to receive), abandoning one's own friend (in times of need), to learn the Veda from a person who accepts salary for teaching it, to study the Veda for obtaining salary, selling that which shouldn't be sold (like lac, salt, alcohol, weapons etc), working in mines, engaging in heavy engineering, destroying medicines, living off upon one's own wife, obstructing sacred rites, cutting down trees which haven't dried out for fuel, collecting women (i.e visiting prostitutes), associating with misogynistic people, organising rituals only for one's own benefit, consumption of food offered by censured people (like astrologers, physicians etc), not maintaining the sacred fires (Āhavāniya, Gārhapatya & Dakṣhina), not discharging debts, not helping others, studying heretical doctrines, behaving badly, addiction to bad activities, stealing grains, metals (other than gold & silver), animals, indulging in sex with an intoxicated woman, killing women, śūdras, vaiśhyas & kṣatriyas - these are considered as minor sins. Assaulting brāhmaṇas, knowingly smelling alcohol, living by begging, indulging in sex with men (i.e anal sex & male-on-male prison rape) cause loss of one's caste. Killing dogs, donkeys, camels, lions, goats, sheep, fish, snakes & mongooses are known to pollute of the body. Accepting money from despicable people, engaging in trade, serving sūdras are known to cause (in a brāhmaṇa) apātrahood ( i.e unfit to be invited in sacred rites). Lying, killing insects, drinking alcohol after eating food, stealing fruits, fuel & flowers, incontinence (i.e masturbation) cause ritual defilement of the body.[Agnipurāṇa:168:24-40]

The prāyaśchitta for cow-slaughter is

उपपातकसंयुक्तो गोघ्नो मासं यवान्पिवेत् । कृतवापो वसेद्गोष्ठे चर्मणा तेन संवृतः ।। चतुर्थकालमश्नीयादक्षारलवणं मितम् । गोमूत्रेण चरेत्स्नानं द्वौ मासौ नियतेन्द्रियः ।। दिवाऽनुगच्छेदगाश्चेव तिष्ठन्नूर्ध्वं रजः पिवेत् । वृषभैरकादशा गास्तु दद्याद्विचरितव्रतः ।। अविद्यमाने सर्वस्वं वेदविद्भ्यो निवेदयेत् । पादमेकं चरेद्रोध्रे द्वौ पादौ वन्धने चरेत् ।। योजने पादहीनं स्याच्चरेत्सर्वं निपातने । कान्तारेष्वथे दुर्गेषु विषमेषु भयषु च ।। यदि तत्र विपत्तिः स्यादेकपादो विधीयते । घन्टाभरणदोषेण तथैवार्धं विनिर्दिशेत् ।। दमने दामने रोधे शकटस्य नियोजने । स्तम्भशृङ्खलपाशेषु मृते पादोनमाचरेत् ।। शृङ्गभङ्गेऽस्थिभङ्गे च लाङ्गुलच्छेदने तथा । यावकं तु पिवेत्तावद्यावत्सुस्था तु गौर्भवेत् ।। गोमतीं च जपेद्विद्यां गोस्तुतिं गोमतीं स्मरेत् । एका चेद्बहुभिर्दैवाद्यत्र व्यापादिता भवेत् ।। पादं पादं तु हत्यायाश्चरेयुस्ते पृथक्पृथक् । उपकारे क्रियमाणे विपत्तौ नास्ति पातकम् ।।

Transliteration: A performer of minor sins & cattle-killer will consume only barley for a month. He should shave his head & reside in cowshed wearing the hide of the cattle (that has been killed by him). At the 4th part of the day, he should eat a little food without salt & any other condiments. For 2 months he should control his organs & bath in cow-urine. At day time, he should follow cattle & consume the dust rising from their feet. At the end of the austerities, he should donate 11 bulls & a cow to a brāhmaṇa who has read the Veda. If unable to donate, he should donate all of his possessions. 1/4th is to be done if the cattle dies due to obstruction in it's movement, half in case of death while tying up, 3/4th in case of death while being yoked to a cart & complete performance in case of being slaughtered. 1/4th is to be done in case of death due to mishap in forests, roads, forts & great fear. Half is to be done if the death occurs due to fault of the ornaments. 3/4th is to done in case of death caused while being restrained, obstructed, yoked to a cart, tying to a post, tying a rope or being chained. In case of breakage of horns or loss of tail, barley should be drunk untill the cow heals. One should recite the Gomatī mantra, eulogise cows & meditate upon Gomatī i.e Surabhi (at that time). By misfortune, if a single bull/cow is killed by multiple people, then the sin is divided amongst themselves & they must individually perform their share of prāyaśchitta. No sin lies in case of death while doing benefit to the cattle (like administering medicine). [Agnipurāṇa:170:5-14]

For those who don't perform prāyaśchitta, they suffer in Naraka as stated in the Devībhāgavatapurāṇa

हन्तिं गाश्च गजान्श्चैव तुरगान्श्च नगान्स्तथा । स याति गजदंशं च महापापी युगत्रयम् ।। ताड़ितो यमदूतेन नागदन्तेन सन्ततम् । स भवेद्गजजातिश्च तुरगश्च त्रिजन्मनि ।। गोजातिर्म्लेच्छजातिश्च ततः शुद्धो भवेन्नरः ।

Transliteration: The great sinner who kills cattle, elephants & horses goes into the Gajadaṁśa kuṇḍa for 3 yugas. There he is always beaten by Yamadūtas with elephant tusks. Then he is born as an elephant for 3 consecutive births, a horse for 3 consecutive births, as cattle for 3 consecutive births & as a mleccha for 3 consecutive births, after which he is purified (of the sin). [Devībhāgavatapurāṇa:9:34:18-20.5]

गोहत्यां ब्रह्महत्यां च करोति ह्यतिदेशिकीम् । यो हि गच्छत्यगम्यां च यः स्त्रीहत्यां करोति च ॥ भिक्षुहत्यां महापापी भ्रूणहत्यां च भारते । कुम्भीपाके वसेत्सोऽपि यावदिन्द्राश्चतुर्दश ।।ताड़ितो यमदूतेन चूर्ण्यमानश्च सन्ततम् । क्षणं पतति वह्नौ च क्षणं पतति कण्टके ॥ क्षणं पतेत्तप्ततैले तप्तो येन क्षणं क्षणम् । क्षणं च तप्तलोहे च क्षणं च तप्तताम्रके ।। गृध्रो जन्मसहस्राणि शतजन्मानि शूकरः । काकश्च सप्त जन्मानि सर्पश्च सप्तजन्मसु ॥ षष्टिवर्षसहस्राणि विष्ठायां जायते कृमिः । नानाजन्मसु स वृषस्ततः कुष्ठी दरिद्रकः ॥

Transliteration: The great sinner who kills cattle, brāhmaṇas, women, beggars & foetuses & engages in sex with agamyā (The guru's wife, the monarch's wife, step-mother, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, mother-in-law, sister of the same father and mother, the wife of one’s brother of the same father and mother, maternal uncle's wife, paternal grandmother, maternal grandmother, the mother’s sister, the sister's daughter, the brother’s daughter, the female disciple, the disciple’s wife, sister’s daughter-in-law, brother’s daughter-in-law ) women, lives in Kumbhīpāka kunda for the tenure of 14 Indras. There he is always beaten by Yamadūtas & crushed into particles. Sometimes he is thrown into fire, sometimes he is pierced by thorns, sometimes he is thrown into hot oil, sometimes he is fried there, sometimes he is branded with hot iron, sometimes he is branded with hot copper. Then he is born as a vulture for a thousand birds, a pig for a hundred birds, a crow for 7 births, a snake for 7 births, lives as an insect residing in faeces for 60,000 years, is reborn many times as a bull & finally a poor leper. [Devībhāgavatapurāṇa:9:34:23-28]

Cattle-slaughter is compared with these sinful activities

गोप्रहारं प्रकुर्वन्तं दृष्ट्वा यो न निवारयेत् । याति गोविप्रयोर्मध्ये गोहत्या तु लभेत्तु सः ॥ दण्डैर्गोस्ताड़येन्मूढ़ो यो विप्रो वृषवाहनः । दिने दिने गोवधं च लभते नात्र संशयः ॥
ददाति गोभ्य उच्छिष्टं भोजयेद्‌ वृषवाहकम् । भुनक्ति वृषवाहान्नं स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ।। वृषलीपतिं याजयेद्यो भुङ्‌क्तेऽन्नं तस्य यो नरः । गोहत्याशतकं सोऽपि लभते नात्र संशयः ॥ पादं ददाति वह्नौ यो गाश्च पादेन ताड़येत् । गेहं विशेदधौताङ्‌घ्रिः स्नात्वा गोवधमाप्नुयात् ॥ यो भुङ्‌क्ते स्निग्धपादेन शेते स्निग्धाङ्‌घ्रिरेव च । सूर्योदये च यो भुङ्‌क्ते स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ अवीरान्नं च यो भुङ्‌क्ते योनिजीव्यस्य च द्विजः । यस्त्रिसन्ध्याविहीनश्च गोहत्या लभते च सः ॥ स्वभर्तरि च देवे वा भेदबुद्धिं करोति या । कटूक्त्या ताड़येत् कान्तं सा गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ गोमार्गवर्जनं कृत्वा ददाति शस्यमेव वा । तड़ागे वा तु दुर्गे वा स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ प्रायश्चित्ते गोवधस्य यः करोति व्यतिक्रमम् । पुत्रलोभादथाज्ञानात्स गोहत्या लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् । राजके दैवके यत्‍नाद्‌ गोस्वामी गां न रक्षति । दुःखं ददाति यो मूढ़ो गोहत्यां स लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ प्राणिनो लङ्घयेद्यो हि देवार्चामनलं जलम् । नैवेद्यं पुष्पमन्नं च स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ शश्वन्नास्तीति यो वादी मिथ्यावादी प्रतारकः । देवद्वेषी गुरुद्वेषी स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ देवताप्रतिमां दृष्ट्वा गुरुं वा ब्राह्मणं सति । सम्भ्रमान्न नमेद्यो हि स गोहत्या लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥ न ददात्याशिषं कोपात्प्रणताय च यो द्विजः । विद्यार्थिने च विद्यां च स गोहत्यां लभेद्‌ ध्रुवम् ॥

Transliteration: He who doesn't stops cattle from being beaten even after seeing it & passes through the space between a brāhmaṇa & a cow/bull earns the sin of gohatyā. The fool who hits cattle with rods/sticks & the brāhmaṇa who yokes cattle undoubtedly gains the sin of gohatyā everyday. He who feeds cattle with leftovers, feeds the yoker of cattle, eats the food offered by the yoker of cattle undoubtedly obtains the sin of gohatyā. He who makes a Vṛṣalīpati (a brāhmaṇa who indulges in sex with a śūdra woman) his yajamāna, eats food provided by him undoubtedly obtains the sin of having committed a hundred gohatyās. He who touches fire with his feet, kicks cattle & enters inside a house without washing his feet after bath attains the sin of gohatyā. He who eats with wet feet, sleeps with wet feet & eats at the time of sunrise undoubtedly obtains the sin of gohatyā. He who eats the food provided by issueless widows & those who live upon vaginas (i.e prostitutes & pimps) & the brāhmaṇa who doesn't performs sandhyavandanā thrice daily obtains the sin of gohatyā. (The woman) who makes distinction between God & her own husband & speaks harshly to him obtains the sin of gohatyā. The person who cultivates crops on former pasture lands, reservoirs & fortresses commits gohatyā. He who out of greed or ignorance doesn't performs the prāyaśchitta of cattle-slaughter performed by his son earns the sin for himself. The foolish owner who torments his own cattle at times of calamnities & political upheavals undoubtedly obtains the sin of gohatyā. He who steps upon animals, icons, fire, water, naivedya, flowers & food surely gains the sin of having committed gohatyā. The person who turns away guests by stating 'No', 'There is nothing to give', liars, cheats, hater of God, hater of the guru surely gains the sin of gohatyā. He who doesn't bows down out of respect before icons, guru & brāhmaṇas after seeing them surely obtains the sin of gohatyā. The brāhmaṇa who, out of anger, doesn't imparts the knowledge (of Veda) to the śiṣya who has bowed down before him, surely obtains the sin of gohatyā. [Devībhāgavatapurāṇa:9:34:52-66]

स्वधर्मं विक्रयेद्यस्तु अधर्मं वर्णते नरः । परदोषप्रवादी च परच्छिद्रावलोककः ।। परद्रव्याभिलाषी च परदारावलोककः । एते गोघ्नसमानाश्च ज्ञातव्या नृपनन्दन ।। ....... नियमान्स्वयमादाय ये त्यजन्त्यजितेन्द्रियाः । प्रव्रज्यागमिता यैश्च संयुक्ता ये च मद्यपैः ।। ये चापि क्षयरोगार्तां गां पिपासा क्षुधातुराम् । न पालयन्ति यत्नेन ते गोघ्ना नारकाः स्मृताः ।।

Transliteration: O son of a monarch! The man who sells off his own faith (i.e converts to another faith out of greed), glorifies unrighteousness, spreads around others' faults, searches for others' weaknesses, covets for goods belonging to others, (lustily) gazes towards others' wives - these are considered equivalent to cattle-slayers........ The ajitendriya (i.e not having mastery over sense-organs) person who voluntarily abandons holy vows, he who returns back from pravrajyā (i.e renounces sannyāsa), those who keep company with drunkards, those who don't carefully attend upon cattle afflicted with consumption, thirst & hunger - such being belonging to hell are known as cattle-slayers.[Padmapurāṇa:2:63:76-77, 92-93]

So it is clear that although cattle-slaughter is indeed a grave sin, it isn't equivalent to the notion of the 'most unforgivable crime against God'. Various circumstances has made this particular act outshine over other equivalent (like sexual violence against women & atheism) or greater (alcohol consumption by non-śūdras) sinful activities.