Fear

Whence words turn back, together with the mind, unable to reach it—one who knows that bliss of Brahman fears nothing at all. This is the embodied self of the former one. Different from and within this self made of mind is another self made of understanding (vijnana). By that this is filled. This too has the shape of a person; according to that one's human shape, this has human shape. Its head is faith; the right its right side; the true its left side; yoga the trunk; the great (mahah) the tail, the foundation. On this too there is this verse:

यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते । अप्राप्य मनसा सह । आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान् । न बिभेति कदाचनेति । तस्यैष एव शारीर आत्मा । यः पूर्वस्य । तस्माद्वा एतस्मान्मनोमयात् । अन्योऽन्तर आत्मा विज्ञानमयः । तेनैष पूर्णः । स वा एष पुरुषविध एव । तस्य पुरुषविधताम् । अन्वयं पुरुषविधः । तस्य श्रद्धैव शिरः । ऋतं दक्षिणः पक्षः । सत्यमुत्तरः पक्षः । योग आत्मा । महः पुच्छं प्रतिष्ठा । तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १॥

One who gives up action merely because it is painful, out of fear of bodily hardship, performs rajasic relinquishment and does not gain the fruit of relinquishment.

दुःखमित्येव यत्कर्म कायक्लेशभयात्त्यजेत् | स कृत्वा राजसं त्यागं नैव त्यागफलं लभेत् ||१८-८||

The great chariot-warriors will think you withdrew from the battle out of fear, and you, who were highly esteemed by them, will be held in contempt.

भयाद्रणादुपरतं मंस्यन्ते त्वां महारथाः | येषां च त्वं बहुमतो भूत्वा यास्यसि लाघवम् ||२-३५||

The Gandiva bow slips from my hand, my skin burns all over, I cannot stand steady, and my mind seems to reel.

गाण्डीवं स्रंसते हस्तात्त्वक्चैव परिदह्यते | न च शक्नोम्यवस्थातुं भ्रमतीव च मे मनः ||१-३०||

my limbs give way and my mouth goes dry, my body trembles and my hair stands on end.

सीदन्ति मम गात्राणि मुखं च परिशुष्यति | वेपथुश्च शरीरे मे रोमहर्षश्च जायते ||१-२९||

In the beginning this was non-existent. From it the existent was born. That made itself its own self; therefore it is called well-made. That which is well-made—that indeed is the essence (rasa). For having obtained the essence, one becomes blissful. For who could breathe out, who could breathe in, if this bliss were not in the space of the heart? For it is this that makes for bliss. When one finds fearless support in that unseen, bodiless, undefined, unfounded (Brahman), then one has reached fearlessness. But when one makes even a small separation in it, then one has fear. Yet it is fear only for one who thinks himself wise while not truly knowing. On this too there is this verse:

असद्वा इदमग्र आसीत् । ततो वै सदजायत । तदात्मान स्वयमकुरुत । तस्मात्तत्सुकृतमुच्यत इति । यद्वै तत् सुकृतम् । रसो वै सः । रसꣳह्येवायं लब्ध्वाऽऽनन्दी भवति । को ह्येवान्यात्कः प्राण्यात् । यदेष आकाश आनन्दो न स्यात् । एष ह्येवाऽऽनन्दयाति । यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नदृश्येऽनात्म्येऽनिरुक्तेऽनिलयनेऽभयं प्रतिष्ठां विन्दते । अथ सोऽभयं गतो भवति । यदा ह्येवैष एतस्मिन्नुदरमन्तरं कुरुते । अथ तस्य भयं भवति । तत्त्वेव भयं विदुषोऽमन्वानस्य । तदप्येष श्लोको भवति ॥ १॥

Sanjaya said: Having spoken thus to Arjuna, Vasudeva revealed his own form again; and the great Soul, becoming gentle in form once more, comforted him in his fear.

सञ्जय उवाच | इत्यर्जुनं वासुदेवस्तथोक्त्वा स्वकं रूपं दर्शयामास भूयः | आश्वासयामास च भीतमेनं भूत्वा पुनः सौम्यवपुर्महात्मा ||११-५०||

Do not be afraid, and do not be bewildered at seeing this terrible form of mine. Free from fear and glad at heart, behold once more this very form of mine.

मा ते व्यथा मा च विमूढभावो दृष्ट्वा रूपं घोरमीदृङ्ममेदम् | व्यपेतभीः प्रीतमनाः पुनस्त्वं तदेव मे रूपमिदं प्रपश्य ||११-४९||

Sanjaya said: Hearing these words of Keshava, the crowned one, trembling, with joined palms, bowed down; and again, prostrating in great fear, he spoke to Krishna in a faltering voice:

सञ्जय उवाच | एतच्छ्रुत्वा वचनं केशवस्य कृताञ्जलिर्वेपमानः किरीटी | नमस्कृत्वा भूय एवाह कृष्णं सगद्गदं भीतभीतः प्रणम्य ||११-३५||

Whence words turn back, together with the mind, unable to reach it—one who knows the bliss of Brahman fears nothing whatever. Such a one is not tormented by the thoughts: 'Why did I not do good?' and 'Why did I do evil?' Whoever knows thus saves both of these; for whoever knows thus indeed saves both of these as his true self. Such is the secret teaching.

यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते । अप्राप्य मनसा सह । आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान् । न बिभेति कुतश्चनेति । एतꣳह वाव न तपति । किमहꣳसाधु नाकरवम् । किमहं पापमकरवमिति । स य एवं विद्वानेते आत्मान स्पृणुते । उभे ह्येवैष एते आत्मान स्पृणुते । य एवं वेद । इत्युपनिषत् ॥ १॥

Arjuna said: Seeing this gentle, human form of yours, Janardana, I am now composed and restored to my own nature.

अर्जुन उवाच | दृष्ट्वेदं मानुषं रूपं तव सौम्यं जनार्दन | इदानीमस्मि संवृत्तः सचेताः प्रकृतिं गतः ||११-५१||

Tell me who you are, so terrible in form. Homage to you, best of gods; have mercy. I wish to know you, the primal one, for I do not comprehend your working.

आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद | विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम् ||११-३१||

Seeing your mouths, terrible with fangs, resembling the fire of universal destruction, I lose my sense of direction and find no refuge. Have mercy, Lord of gods, dwelling-place of the world.

दंष्ट्राकरालानि च ते मुखानि दृष्ट्वैव कालानलसन्निभानि | दिशो न जाने न लभे च शर्म प्रसीद देवेश जगन्निवास ||११-२५||

Seeing you touching the sky, blazing with many colors, with gaping mouths and huge fiery eyes, my inmost self trembles, and I find neither steadiness nor peace, O Vishnu.

नभःस्पृशं दीप्तमनेकवर्णं व्यात्ताननं दीप्तविशालनेत्रम् | दृष्ट्वा हि त्वां प्रव्यथितान्तरात्मा धृतिं न विन्दामि शमं च विष्णो ||११-२४||

Seeing your great form, of many mouths and eyes, mighty-armed one, with many arms, thighs, and feet, many bellies, and terrible with many fangs, the worlds tremble, and so do I.

रूपं महत्ते बहुवक्त्रनेत्रं महाबाहो बहुबाहूरुपादम् | बहूदरं बहुदंष्ट्राकरालं दृष्ट्वा लोकाः प्रव्यथितास्तथाहम् ||११-२३||

'When a person is fast asleep, wholly at peace, and dreams no dream — that is the Self,' he said; 'this is the immortal, the fearless; this is Brahman.' And Indra went away with a contented heart. But even before reaching the gods, he saw this difficulty: 'In deep sleep one does not really know oneself as "I am this," nor does one know these beings. One has become as if annihilated. I see nothing worth having in this.'

तद्यत्रैतत्सुप्तः समस्तः सम्प्रसन्नः स्वप्नं न विजानात्येष आत्मेति होवाचैतदमृतमभयमेतद्ब्रह्मेति स ह शान्तहृदयः प्रवव्राज स हाप्राप्यैव देवानेतद्भयं ददर्श नाह खल्वयमेवꣳ सम्प्रत्यात्मानं जानात्ययमहमस्मीति नो एवेमानि भूतानि विनाशमेवापीतो भवति नाहमत्र भोग्यं पश्यामीति

Out of fear of it the wind blows; out of fear the sun rises; out of fear of it fire and Indra, and death as the fifth, run. This is an inquiry into bliss: Suppose there were a youth, a good youth, learned in the Vedas, most swift, most firm, most strong, and that this whole earth full of wealth were his—that is one unit of human bliss. A hundred such human blisses

भीषाऽस्माद्वातः पवते । भीषोदेति सूर्यः । भीषाऽस्मादग्निश्चेन्द्रश्च । मृत्युर्धावति पञ्चम इति । सैषाऽऽनन्दस्य मीमाꣳसा भवति । युवा स्यात्साधुयुवाऽध्यायकः । आशिष्ठो दृढिष्ठो बलिष्ठः । तस्येयं पृथिवी सर्वा वित्तस्य पूर्णा स्यात् । स एको मानुष आनन्दः । ते ये शतं मानुषा आनन्दाः ॥ १॥