A conditioned soul is under the impression that he's the body. That is animal life. In the śāstra it is said, "Anyone who is identifying himself with this material body, he is animal." Go-kharaḥ. Sa eva go-kharaḥ. Go means cows, and khara means ass.
- yasyātma-buddhiḥ kuṇape tri-dhātuke
- sva-dhīḥ kalatrādiṣu bhauma ijya-dhīḥ
- yat-tīrtha-buddhiḥ salile na karhicij
- janeṣv abhijñeṣu sa eva go-kharaḥ
- (SB 10.84.13)
Yasya. Anyone who is identifying this, himself, with this body, which is made of tri-dhātu... According to Āyur Vedic medical system, this body is production of kapha, pitta, vāyu. Or in our modern medical science, anatomy, physiology, this body is a combination of bones, muscles, skin, blood, urine, stool. That's all.