The cow was possibly revered because the largely pastoral Vedic people and subsequent generations relied heavily on it for dairy products and for tilling the fields, and on cow dung as a source of fuel, fertilizer, and psilocybin mushrooms which naturally grow out of the animal's own excrement.
umm, yes it can http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bos
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aurochs
and Aurochs originated in India, where cultural tradition prohibits using them for meat
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cattle_in_religion
The cow was possibly revered because the largely pastoral Vedic people and subsequent generations relied heavily on it for dairy products and for tilling the fields, and on cow dung as a source of fuel, fertilizer, and psilocybin mushrooms which naturally grow out of the animal's own excrement.