What is mother?

What is mother ?

There are seven mothers according to VEDAS:

atma-mata guru patni
brähmani raja-patnika
dhenur dhätré tathä prithvi

saptaita matarah smrtah

1. Atma-mata -Real mother, from whose womb we have come to this world
2. Guru patni- wife of the teacher or spiritual master.
3. Brahmani- the wife of a brahamana

4. Raja-patnika- the wife of the king, or the queen.
5. Dhenu- Cow is our mother.
6.Dhatri-Nurse is also mother.
7. Tatha prithvi-the earth is also our mother.

Srila Prabhupada
According to Vedic civilization, anyone who supplies milk from the body, she is mother. So cow is mother because we are drinking her milk. So from that point of view, one cannot kill cow.

If a boy wants to understand, "Who is my father?" the only authority is the mother. Vedic literature is considered to be the mother. She gives evidence that God or Lord Krishna is our father.