Prabhupāda: No, no, from any other consideration, cow's milk we drink. Therefore she's mother. Is it not?
Yogeśvara: (translates)
Cardinal Danielou: Oui.
Yogeśvara: N'est ce pas?
Cardinal Danielou: Oui, yes, surely, surely, but the . . .
Prabhupāda: According to Vedic version, we have got seven mothers. Ādau-mātā, the original mother; guru patnī, wife of the master, spiritual master . . .
Cardinal Danielou: Yes.
Bhagavān: Can you understand?
Yogeśvara: (translates)
Prabhupāda: Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī, the wife of the priest.
Yogeśvara: (translates)
Cardinal Danielou: Oui, oui.
Prabhupāda: Rāja-patnikā, the wife of king, the queen.
Yogeśvara: (translates)
Prabhupāda: Four. Ādau-mātā guroḥ patnī brāhmaṇī rāja-patnikā, dhenur. Dhenu means cow. Dhenur dhātrī. Dhātrī means nurse. Tathā pṛthvī. Pṛthvī means earth. These are seven mothers. So cow is mother because we drink milk, cow's milk.
Cardinal Danielou: Yes.
Prabhupāda: How can I deny that she's not mother? So how we can support killing of mother?
Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes, it is a motive. But we think that . . .
Prabhupāda: Therefore, in India, those who are meat-eaters, they are advised—that is also under restriction—advised to kill some lower animals like goats, even up to buffaloes. But cow killing is the greatest sin.
Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes, yes, yes, oui, oui . . . I know this. I know this. And this is for us of a difficulty, a difficulty . . .
Prabhupāda: Yes, because the cow is mother.
Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes, it is such . . .
Prabhupāda: You, you take the milk from the mother . . .
Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: . . . and when she's old, she cannot give you milk, therefore she should be killed?
Cardinal Danielou: Yes.
Prabhupāda: Is that very good proposal?
Yogeśvara: (translates)
Cardinal Danielou: Oui, oui, oui.
Yogeśvara: He says yes, it is.
Prabhupāda: Eh?
Yogeśvara: He says: "Yes, it is a good proposition."
Cardinal Danielou: If, if the men are hungry, it is the life of men is more important than the life of cow.
Prabhupāda: Therefore, because we are propagating this Kṛṣṇa consciousness, we ask people to . . . not to eat meat, any kind.
Cardinal Danielou: Yes, yes, yes.
Prabhupāda: But if, under certain circumstances, you are obliged to eat meat, eat the flesh of some lower animals. Don't kill cows. It is the greatest sin. And so long one will be sinful, he'll not be able to understand what is God. But human being, main business is to understand God and to love Him. But if he remains sinful, neither he can understand God, and what to . . . what is the question of loving Him? Therefore at least from the human society, this cruel maintenance of slaughterhouses must be stopped.