Can the hunger fire in animals also be considered to be vaishvaanara agni?

[An online spiritual discussion was conducted on May 01, 2021, in which several devotees participated. Given below are Swami’s answers to devotees’ questions.]

[Śrī Durgaprasad asked: Pādanamaskāraṃ Swāmi! In today’s satsang, it was mentioned that the fire, which is to be worshipped in the Vedic ritual worship called yajña is actually the hunger fire in the stomach of the Sadguru or His close devotees. That hunger fire called Vaiśvānara agni is to be worshipped by offering rich food containing ghee into it, which means feeding the Sadguru and His close devotees. Can the hunger fire in poor hungry humans and animals also be considered to be the Vaiśvānara agni? For example, in bhūta yajña, we feed animals in the name of God. At Your lotus feet, Durgaprasad.]

Swāmi replied: Certainly. Animals are also souls like human beings. Infact, God is said to be the owner of animals (paśupati). The word Paśu means animal, which also stands for human being. The difference between animal and human beings is the difference between God and human beings.

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