But if one gives way to fear, even truth will have to be suppressed. There is so much superstition and hypocrisy around that one is afraid even to do the right thing. Let us fear God and we shall cease to fear man. When we thus cease to be masters and reduce ourselves to the rank of servants humbler than the very dust under our feet, all fears will roll away like mists we shall attain ineffable peace and see Satya- Narayan (the God of Truth) face to face. He on whose behalf we hold them will give us the strength and the weapons requisite for defending them against all comers. That is to say, we must be interested inthem not as proprietors but only as trustees. The Upanishad, therefore, directs us 'to give up attachment for things while we enjoy them'. The wealth, the family and the body will be there, just the same we have only to change our attitude to them. 'Tena tyaktena bhunjithah' (enjoy the things of the earth by renouncing them) is a noble commandment. Fear has no place in our hearts when we have shaken off the attachment for wealth, for family and for the body.

We thus find that all fear is the baseless fabric of our own vision. All fears revolve round the body as the centre, and would, therefore, disappear as soon as one got rid of the attachment for the body. External fears cease of their own accord when once we have conquered these traitors within the camp. We are rightly afraid of Animal Passion, Anger and the like. But one can always progress towards this goal by determined and constant endeavour and by increasing confidence in oneself.Īs for the internal foes, we must ever walk in their fear. Perfect fearlessness can be attained only by him who has realized the Supreme, as it implies the height of freedom from delusions. 1-2)įearlessness connotes freedom from all external fear - fear of disease, bodily injury or death, of dispossession, of losing one's nearest and dearest, of losing reputation or giving offence, and so on. How can one seek truth or cherish Love without fearlessness? As Pritam has it, 'The Path of Hari (the Lord) is the path of the brave, not of cowards.' Hari here means Truth, and the brave are those armed with fearlessness, not with the sword, the rifle or other carnal weapons, which are affected only by cowards. In my opinion, however, fearlessness richly deserves the first rank assigned to it there, perhaps, by accident.įearlessness is a sine qua non for the growth of the other noble qualities.

Whether this is merely due to the exigencies of metre, or whether the pride of place has been deliberately yielded to fearlessness is more than I can say. 308)Įvery reader of the Gita is aware that fearlessness heads the list of the Divine Attributes enumerated in the 16th Chapter. Where there is fear there is no religion.

FEARLESSNESS IS the first requisite of spirituality.

There shall never be another dawn