How are souls in animal bodies judged by God?

Smt. Priyanka Seethepalli asked: The fate of some herbivorous animals is decided by birth itself since they will be killed and eaten by some carnivores. A carnivorous animal, by nature, is designed to hunt, kill and eat other animals. So, how is the judgment done for animals? Also, once an animal or any creature dies, do their souls get energetic bodies that are of the form of that same animal? Do they also have wait for their judgment for ten days, like human souls?

Swami replied: Once a soul enters the cycle of births of animals and birds, they generally continue to have the same attitudes in the same forms. A tiger killing a goat is reborn as a goat and the goat is reborn as a tiger. It is just like the butcher killing a goat is reborn as a goat and the goat is reborn as a butcher, in the next life. This cycle is very dangerous since it generally continues forever. As far as the soul is concerned, there is no difference between human beings and animals. The rules are one and the same. After death, the soul of the animal enters an energetic body (subtle body), which is of the form of the same animal. While undergoing punishments in hell, the soul in the energetic animal form also realizes like the soul in a human form.

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