Pashu (animal) refers to that which accepts what the external vision conveys. ‘Pashupathi’ means Lord of all, the One who has the inward vision. The one who has not mastered the senses is Pashu. An animal has several innate undesirable qualities, however hard it may try to eliminate them, they cannot be transformed. For example, we can bring up a tiger cub with affectionate care and train it to be gentle and obedient, but when it is hungry, will it relish poori (an Indian dish made of wheat flour) and potato curry? No, it will only relish raw meat! Hence, the scriptures quote: "Man indeed is the most fortunate and sacred amongst all beings, for one's inborn qualities can be sublimated". Realizing this truth, each one must elevate theirself through training and self-effort.
- Divine Discourse, Vidya Vahini.
