Our scriptures prescribe 5 types of maha yagnas. These are
- Deva Yajna (for the dieties like sun, moon etc),
- Pitri Yajna (for our ancestors),
- Manushya Yajna (for our fellow humans, via charity),
- Bhoota Yajna (for other living creatures – feeding animals, providing shelter) and
- Brahma Yajna (for the soul inside us).
Each of these are very important. But Bhoota Yagna is unique because it is service to creatures that have emotions (like us), but cannot speak or express themselves (unlike us).
There are many ways to do seva and Bhoota Yajna, but one of the best ways is gauseva, or seva of cows. As we know, the cow was very special to Lord Krishna, the Divine Cowherd. Most photos have Him playing His flute, relishing the company of cows and cowherds. So gauseva is not just a physical activity, but when done with humility, it can become one of the highest expressions of bhakti.