Reading Notes
Fear
1. Fear arises from duality / separation
Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad 1.4.2
Śukla Yajurveda tradition
सोऽबिभेत् तस्मादेकाकी बिभेति ।
स हायमीक्षां चक्रे यन्मदन्यन्नास्ति कस्मान्नु बिभेमीति ।
तत एवास्य भयं वीयाय ।
कस्माद्ध्यभेष्यत् । द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति ॥
Transliteration
so’bibhet tasmād ekākī bibheti… dvitīyād vai bhayaṃ bhavati.
Meaning
“He was afraid; therefore one who is alone is afraid. Then he reflected: ‘Since there is nothing other than me, what should I fear?’ Then his fear vanished. For what was there to fear? Fear indeed arises from a second.”
2. Fearlessness through self-restraint
Mahābhārata 12.213.4–5
Śānti Parva, Mokṣadharma Parva
Verse 4
दमस्तेजो वर्धयति पवित्रं दम उच्यते ।
विपाप्मा निर्भयो दान्तः पुरुषो विन्दते महत् ॥ ४ ॥
IAST
damaḥ tejo vardhayati pavitraṃ dama ucyate |
vipāpmā nirbhayo dāntaḥ puruṣo vindate mahat || 4 ||
Meaning
“Self-restraint increases one’s energy; self-restraint is said to be purifying. The self-restrained person, free from sin and fearless, attains greatness.”