In English
The inner meaning of yajna is 'renunciation,' "sacrifice or giving up." For whom? For the Divine. "Lord! The heart that you gave me, I am offering it in return," is the spirit of that renunciation. The heart He has given, the feelings He evokes, the wealth He has conferred, the fame He has awarded - these have to be gladly offered back. As part of these , it is laid down that an animal, a goat, or a horse has to be 'sacrificed' that is to say, 'given up.' People ask whether it is not a cruel act.