SpiritualThe inspiration for this book was born from a feeling of deep gratitude toward the cows, because when I finished my service in the goshala, I felt immensely fortunate for everything I had experienced with them. Day aŌer day they accompanied me with their presence, with their sweetness, with their character, and in my heart arose the desire to offer them a giŌ. I thought of a book, a space where their stories could be preserved, where their lives would be told and honored as what they truly are: the queens of our Rupa Goshala.
At first I imagined it with the title Memories of a Cowherd, but then I felt that it should not be about me, but about them. That is how this project began. I asked devotees, children, mothers, and friends to send me memories in the form of audio messages. Soon I received more than I had expected. So, I am very grateful to all who contributed their testimony and made the compilation of this book possible.
With all those memories, I had the material, but I needed someone who could put them into written form. No one came to mind… until last year on the day of Gopastami.
Destiny had it that on that day I shared a class on the cows of New Vrajamandala with Madhavi Devi Dasi. She provided the part from the scriptures and I the memories of the goshala. The class turned out very lively and was much appreciated by the devotees. Then, aŌer the class, I asked her: “Listen, I want to write a book about the cows and the memories of the devotees who have served them, but I’m not a writer. Would you be willing to do it?” She replied: “No, no, I have no experience; I have written articles, but never a book.” I said: “Look, the devotees have sent me so many beautiful testimonies, your spiritual master, too. I’ll send them to you so you can see.”
When she read what her guru, Bhakti Gauravani Goswami, had written, she immediately sent me a message saying: “Send me everything you have.” In this way, through her sensitive pen and the guidance of our teachers, this work came to life. My wish with this book is simple: to offer an homage to Krishna’s cows and that all those who were ever in contact with them —especially the children who had the experience of milking them— may remember and relive those moments. Because what one does as a child is never forgotten. Today many of those children are adults, and they still greet me with a hug, calling me “cowherd boy!”, which fills me with joy and confirms that the relationship with the cows leaves a permanent mark.
If this book comes to light on such an auspicious day as Gopastami, which will soon be celebrated, on October 29, it will not be just another publication: it will be the offering of a grateful heart and the testimony that protection and love for the cows are the true spirit of our devotional life.
Arjuna Dasa (Alberto ‘il’ vaquero)
Radhastami
August 31, 2025