A Fearful Tale

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Srimate SrivanSatakopa Sri Vedanta Desika Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

 

 

A " Fearful " Tale

 

 

 

According to psychologists, the basic human emotions are only a few. It is these

emotions that form the underpinning for all our actions, good and bad. Though we

may talk about nava rasaas or nine fundamental emotions, these in turn are the

outcome of a few more basic sentiments. And of these emotions which form the

very core of all human action and reaction, Fear is perhaps the most important,

along with anger and love. It is perhaps the most all-pervading emotion, present

in man right from the time of birth, up to his death-bed. The new-born child

fears separation from its mother, who symbolizes security and safety, and

expresses the same through its shrill cries. As boys, we have experienced all

types of irrational fears-of the dark, of a strict parent or teacher, of bigger

boys and of all sorts of things. We are surprised to find a mention of such

juvenile fears in no less a work than the Mahopanishad, which describes infancy

as the repository of all types of fears and phobias-

 

 

 

" Saisave guruto bheeti: maatruta: pitruta: tathaa

 

Janato jyeshtta baalaaccha saisavam bhaya mandiram " .

 

 

 

Fear of exams is something all of us have experienced at various stages of our

academic career. Fear is thus an all pervading phenomenon which haunts us right

from birth. It transcends all barriers-social, economic and otherwise. While the

poor are afraid of penury, the rich are afraid of being deprived of their

wealth. In fact, the fears of the wealthy arise from several quarters-from the

Government which can take it away in the form of taxes, from relatives who covet

the riches with envy, from robbers who await an opportunity to grab the same and

from natural elements like fire and water which can burn down or wash away the

hard-earned wealth. And the fears of the filthy rich on account of their wealth

are similar to those of the ordinary man towards death, says the Mahabharata-

 

 

 

" Raajata: salilaat agne: chorata: sva janaat api

 

Bhayam artthavataam nityam mrityo: praana bhritaam iva "

 

 

 

Every one of us fears old age and ill health, while the fear of death too is

universal. The Jitanta Stotram effectively summarises this thus- " Aham bheetosmi

Devesa! Samsaare asmin bhayaavahe " This material world and the life it offers

are the root cause of all fear. At all times, everywhere and wherever we go, in

all walks of life, fear haunts us unceasingly, points out the Jitanta Stotram

again- " Sarveshapi cha kaaleshu dikshu sarvaasu cha Achyuta! Shareere cha gatou

chaapi vartate me mahat bhayam " . And all types of fear are born out of our

attachment to matters mundane, says the Mahabharata-

 

 

 

" Sneha moolaani du:khaani snehajaani bhayaani cha

 

Shoka harshou tathaa aayaasa: sarve snehaat pravartate "

 

 

 

In this article, shall we see a few causes and effects of this universal

phenomenon, as depicted in our scripture?

 

 

 

If we think that we human beings are the only victims of Fear, we would be

wrong. We can derive consolation from the fact that this most basic of emotions

affects exalted entities too. For instance, the Sun God, the powerful deity of

the Wind, the potent God of Fire who is in turn feared by all, Indra the Chief

of all Celestials and that most-feared of all-the God of Death Yama-all these

deities who wield considerable influence over human lives, are themselves in

mortal fear of someone. It is out of this fright that each of these deities

performs his assigned duty with perfection and punctuality, says the Taittireeya

Upanishad. The Sun rises with clock-work precision, the winds blow and refrain

from blowing according to the season and climate, Fire merely cooks and doesn't

burn the house down and the God of Death rushes about his duties unbidden and

with precision, taking the lives of only those whose time has come. And of whom

are these deities afraid? It is none other than the omnipotent Paramaatma, in

whose cavernous belly all these deities and other beings find refuge, during the

Cosmic Deluge. Here are the words of the Upanishad, describing the fright of

exalted entities like the Sun, the Wind, the Fire, Indra and Yama- " Bheeshaasmaat

Vaata: pavate, bheeshodeti Soorya: bheeshaasmaat Agnischa Indrascha. Mrityu:

dhaavati panchama: " . The same idea of various Devatas functioning out of a fear

of the Lord is reiterated in the Katopanishad too-

 

 

 

" Bhayaat asya Agni: tapati, bhayaat tapati Soorya:

 

Bhayaat Indrascha Vaayuscha Mrityu: dhaavati panchama: "

 

 

 

We have seen that of all types of fears, those on account of death are the most

widespread and intense. Fear of death is perhaps the fear of the unknown, of

what might happen after death and perhaps the possibility of nemesis catching up

with us ultimately for all the evil that we have done during our lives. However,

we know too that death is inevitable and has to be faced with certainty at some

point or the other in our lives- " Jaatasya hi dhruvo mrityu: " While we cannot

escape death, is there a way to rid ourselves of the fear of death? Yes indeed,

says the Mahabharata. Death would no longer haunt us every waking moment or in

sleep, provided we adhere to the following:

 

1. speak the truth always, without for a second falling prey to untruth, lead a

life of righteousness, performing duties enjoined upon us

 

2. if at all we speak of others, speak only of their goodness, eschewing at all

cost adverse criticism of their conduct

 

3. feed guests and servants to their hearts' content and live in a holy land

made sacred by mahaatmaas and bhaagavataas.

 

All these are a sure cure for the malady of death-fear, says the Epic. Swami

Desikan too has a prescription for ridding ourselves of fear of all sorts. All

that we have to do is to adulate the Lord, keep Him firm in our mind, sing His

praises, bow down to His majesty, circumambulate at His sannidhis or know at

least one of His innumerable auspicious attributes. And for those of us who

don't even know which holy name of His to utter, the Acharya gives us a ready

list of short and sweet names of the Lord which we can keep on our lips, thus

eliminating the fear of persecution by the deity of death or the fires of hell-

 

 

 

" Ramaa Dayita! Ranga bhoo Ramana! Krishna! Vishno! Hare!

 

Trivikrama! Janaardna! Triyuga naatha! Narayana!

 

Iteeva subhadaani ya: patati naamadheyaani te

 

Na tasya yama vasyataa naraka paata bheeti: kuta? "

 

 

 

The Vishnu Sahasranama Stotram too is touted to be a destroyer of all

fears- " bhaayaan muchyeta bheeta: " . And devotion to Sri Vasudeva ensures that

fear doesn't haunt us through our lives-

 

" na Vaasudeva bhaktaanaam asubham vidyate kvachit

 

Janma mrityu jaraa vyaadhi bhayam naiva upajaayate " .

 

We thus find that basically the hallowed names of the Lord are capable of

destroying all fear and ensuring that we are not plagued by this debilitating

emotion.

 

 

 

All of us know that it is cowardly to be afraid of anything. However, one should

indeed be afraid of certain things and to be bereft of fear in such matters is

sheer foolishness, says Valluvar- " anjuvadu anjaamai pedamai " . What are the

things one should be afraid of?

 

 

 

First and foremost, we should be mortally afraid of causing offence to the

Lord's devotees-Bhaagavata apachaaram.

 

 

 

Secondly, when we offer charity, we should be fearful of not giving enough, not

giving with the correct attitude, not offering alms befitting the recipient,

etc. Hence while giving, we should give with a healthy fear, says the

Upanishad- " Bhiyaa deyam " . If the act of charity is not done in the prescribed

fashion, and is contaminated by insincerity, pride or highhandedness, it is

likely to prove counter-productive. A healthy apprehension of

counter-productivity due to incorrect attitude or procedure, should characterize

an act of charity, so that the giver would always be on guard against attitudes

incompatible with giving. Hence the Upanishad says, " Give with fear " .

 

 

 

A third matter of which we should all be fearful is this mundane existence.

" Samsaaram " is something terrifying, for it has the propensity to suck us in

deeper and deeper like quicksand, with hope of redemption receding with each

birth that we take, as the dual chains of good and bad deeds bind us inexorably

with matter. Fear of this Samsaaram is an indispensable precursor of a desire

for liberation. " Samsaaratthai paartthu bhayappattilan aagil Samsaara svabhaavam

arindilanaam " says the commentary to Tiruviruttam, emphasising that we should be

not merely afraid, but terrified of Samsaaram. Sri Tirumangai Mannan shows us

the way in this regard by repeatedly expressing his fear of getting caught in

the interminable cycle of births and deaths. In several paasurams in the 11th

centad (8th decad) of Periya Tirumozhi, Azhwar gives expressive examples of his

state of constant fear of Samsaaram-

 

 

 

1. " Aatrankarai vaazh maram pol " -a tree standing alone on the riverbank has to

be in constant dread of being washed away when the river is in spate.

 

2. " Paambodu oru kooraiyile payindraar pol-the very sight of a snake in enough

to terrify whole armies. Such being the case, how would it be if we were forced

to spend an entire night in the company of a serpent, that too at close

quarters?

 

3. " Irupaadu eri kolliyin ul erumbe pol " " -just imagine the terror an

insignificant ant would feel, when caught on a log which is blazing on both

sides!

 

4. " Vellatthu idaippatta nariyinam pol " -Azhwar's dread of Samsaaram is akin to

that of a pack of foxes marooned on an islet, with the swirling waters of the

river menacingly closing in on them, with no way out of the deluge.

 

 

 

The Paramaatma is utterly without fear. He has absolutely none and nothing of

which He need be afraid. The Sahasranaama Stotram praises Him as " veeta bhaya: " .

However, during His avataaraas, we hear of a few instances where He displayed

fear. These, however, are only instances of the Lord acting according to the

play He has scripted for Himself, calling for the display of various emotions at

the appropriate junctures-otherwise, He has no need to fear anyone. During the

Ramavataram, we are told that Sri Rama was assailed by great fear. " Rama and

fear! " I hear you exclaiming. Can one of unparalleled bravery and courage like

the Prince of Ayodhya ( " Asahaaya Soora! Anapaaya Saahasa! " ) ever be plagued by

such a base emotion as fear? But the fact remains that fear did envelop Rama

and He was taken aback as if bitten by a serpent, all with good reason. Listen

to Sri Valmiki chronicling Rama's fear-

 

 

 

" Tat apoorvam narapate: drishtvaa roopam bhayaavaham

 

Raamopi bhayam aapanna: yadaa sprishtvaiva pannagam "

 

 

 

Summoned to the Chakravartthi's presence on the day fixed for His coronation,

Rama finds the emperor totally depressed, dejected, desolate and mentally and

physically drained. Gone are the majesty and magnificence which are the hallmark

of Dasaratha Chakravartthy, replaced by misery and depression, occasioned by

cruel Kaikeyee's audacious demand for the banishment of Rama and the coronation

of Bharata. It is this sad state of His beloved father that prompts fear in the

tender heart of Raghunandana for the former's wellbeing. Readers would agree

that such fear, born out of love and concern for one's dear most, is no blemish

at all, but a quality to be admired.

 

 

 

Another episode, when the Lord displayed an endearing fear of His mother, is

chronicled by Swami Desikan in Sri Gopala Vimsati. Tied up with difficulty to a

grinding stone by an exasperated mother to prevent Him from indulging in further

thievery of dairy products, Sri Krishna nevertheless keeps on the move, dragging

the grindstone with Him, with apparent difficulty. And during His progress

onward, He keeps glancing back with fearful eyes to verify whether His mother

has detected His escape and is following with more instruments of retribution.

When He finds that He is indeed not followed, Krishna's fear changes into a

smile of satisfaction at having successfully evaded His mother. Those who were

fortunate to witness the Paramatma's fear on the occasion must indeed have found

it extremely enchanting and endearing. Here is Swami Desikan's beautiful

couplet-

 

 

 

" Parivartita kandaram bhayena smita pullaadara pallavam smaraami

 

vitapitva niraasakam kayoschit vipula ulookala karshakam kumaaram "

 

 

 

Having seen how the Lord subjects Himself to fear, we are not surprised to find

that the immaculate Vedas too are fearful on occasion. This august body of

knowledge is in constant dread of people like me, who, with their half-baked

understanding, interpret Vedas incorrectly, twisting their purport to suit their

own theories. Impostors and charlatans often quote the Vedas, distorting their

true meaning and assigning connotations totally at variance with the ones

propounded by great Acharyas. It is of this class of people that Vedas are

afraid of, we are told by the following slokam-

 

 

 

" Itihaasa puranaabhyaam Vedam samupabrihmayet

 

Bibheti alpa shrutaat Veda: maam ayam pratarishyati iti "

 

 

 

We find the Vishnu Sahasranaamam assigning two mutually contradictory sobriquets

to the Lord, that too in close succession. " Bhayakrit " and " Bhayanaasana: " are

two of the tirunaamams enumerated in the Stotram, which portray the Lord in

diametrically opposite roles-one of the Creator of all Fear and the other, the

Destroyer of all Dread. To those who might wonder how it is possible for

Emperuman to act in dual and mutually exclusive roles, Sri Bhattar has an

explanation-

 

 

 

" Aagyaa atilanghinaam pumsaam narakaadi bhayankara:

 

Bhayakrit sa samaakhyaata: saptaarna bhava vardhana: "

 

 

 

The Lord speaks through the Scriptures, laying down what we ought to do and what

we ought not. These dicta have been formulated for our own welfare and when we

transgress them, we contract sin and as such, are liable for a tenure in

terrifying hell. Thus, when we refuse to be guided in our conduct by divine

dictates, the Lord generates fear for us.

 

 

 

On the other hand, when we faithfully tow the line of the Shruti and Smritis,

which are guidebooks of good conduct representing the Lord's own commandments

( " Shruti: Smriti: mamaiva aagyaa " ), Emperuman acts as a dispeller of fears for

us, from whatever source they surface-

 

 

 

" Aagyaa anuvarthinaam svasya bhayam naasayati iti Sa:

 

Bhayanaasana: ityukta: navaarna: karma kaaraka: "

 

 

 

Confirming this dual role of the Lord, Sri Periyavaacchaan Pillai says, in his

commentary on Periya Tirumozhi 11-8-1- " Bhayatthukku parihaaramum utpaadakanum

neeyaay irundaai " . Sri Andal's lines, " Thingalum Aadityanum ezhundaar pol angam

irandum " , tell us that Emperuman is capable of simultaneously exhibiting these

contradictory characteristics of creating and destroying fear-generating fear in

sinners while destroying the same in devotees. What better example of this could

there be than the Nrisimhavataram! While the entire world stood frozen in terror

at the unprecedented and fierce form the Lord had assumed for slaying

Hiranyakasipu, there was not an iota of fear in the heart of Sri Prahlaada, who

could approach the ferocious man-lion with impunity and be fondled by the Lord

with love and unbridled affection. This is why, perhaps, the word " Bheeshanam "

(meaning fearsome) in the Nrisimha Mantram is immediately followed by the word

" Bhadram " (most auspicious).While the fears of the Lord's devotees are instantly

destroyed, to those who do not plight their troth to Him, life is but a series

of fears, each one bigger than the previous, says Swami Desikan. The Acharya

adds that whichever deity in this wide world is recognized as the source of fear

and considered capable of providing relief from the same, is a mere puppet,

controlled by the Lord, who is the ultimate dispenser of both fear and relief

from the same-

 

 

 

" Abheeti: iha yat jushaam yat avadheeritaanaam bhayam

 

bhaayaabhaya vidhaayina: jagati yat nidese sthithaa:

 

tadetat atilanghita Druhina Sambhu Sakraadhikam

 

Ramaasakham adheemahe kimapi Rangadhuryam maha: "

 

 

 

However, if you really want to know about the Lord's role as a " Bhayakrit " , it

is Maareecha you must enquire with. Thrashed twice by the Raamabaanam, Maareecha

is so terrified of Rama that you need not even utter the full name of Rama to

make the raakshasa tremble with terror-even an ordinary word beginning with " R "

gives him the jitters. And Maareecha is so obsessed with Rama and terrified of

His prowess that he tends to see Rama in every nook and corner of the jungle.

This fright makes him see the Prince of Ayodhya, with His deadly bow and arrow,

everywhere he looks-to his fevered imagination, it appears as if a thousand

Ramas are standing everywhere in the jungle like so many avenging angels, ready

to finish him off -- he sees not one Rama, but thousands of Him, filling all

directions, the earth and the skies above- " api Rama sahasraani bheeta: pasyaami

Ravana! " . Mareecha, in his mortal fear, sees Sri Raghava in every tree and shrub

of the forest he lives in-

 

 

 

" Vrikshe vrikshe cha pasyaaAmi cheera krishnaajinaambaram

 

girheeta dhanusham Ramam paasa hastam ivaantakam "

 

 

 

It is this mortal fear of Rama that drives Maareecha to a life of austerity and

penance, forsaking all the normal activities of a raakshasa and resigning from

his ministership in Ravana's administration, according to the Mahabharata-

 

 

 

" Tatraabhyagacchan Maareecham poorvaamaatyam Dasaanana:

 

Pura Rama bhaayaat eva taapasyam samupaashritam "

 

 

 

Reading this, don't you wish for a moment that you were born as Maareecha, who,

notwithstanding his earlier career, could see and think of the Lord every moment

of his waking life and in his dreams too (which is much more than any of us can

boast of), though the reason for this transformation was not devotion but fear?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We understand that the residents of a particular country were absolutely free

from fear, during the reign of a particular monarch. The citizens of this model

nation had nothing to fear either from fellow men or from the elements of

nature. Due to the administration being deeply rooted in Dharmam, none had cause

for any fear from any source whatsoever. Can you guess which nation it was and

who the monarch? Since almost everyone would know the answer, no marks are given

for guessing-it was of course in the Rama Raajyam that people knew not what fear

was, as everyone was performing the duties enjoined upon him or her and was a

model of righteousness-

 

 

 

" Na vaatajam bhayam kinchit na apsu majjanti jantava:

 

Na cha agnijam bhayam kinchit yathaa Krita yuge tathaa "

 

 

 

This is perhaps not so surprising, considering Valmiki's assertion that fear has

no place wherever Sri Rama is present-

 

 

 

" Yatra Ramo bhayam naatra naasti tatra paraabhava:

 

Sa hi sooro mahaabaahu: putro Dasarathasya cha "

 

 

 

And why has the poet singled out Rama for praise as the destroyer of fear? With

good reason indeed, for it was Rama who declared that He would provide all

creatures " abhayam " or freedom from fear of all sorts, once they surrender to

Him- " Abhayam sarva bhootebhyo dadaami " . In fact, Raghunandana states the

provision of relief from fear to be His life's incontrovertible mission- " etat

vratam mama " . Even in the Arcchaavataaram, the Lord takes this business (of

providing relief from fear) very seriously, as can be observed from His palm

being held upright in a protective gesture-the " abhaya hastam " .

 

 

 

I am " afraid " that this piece has grown rather long. To conclude, let me pose to

you a rather simplistic question. It is customary to describe an ethical person

as a " God-fearing " man. Do you feel this to be appropriate? I, for one, feel

that we need not " fear " God, nor does He expect us to exhibit this emotion

towards Him. Even granting that He is the most powerful person, capable of

destroying whole worlds in a trice without exerting Himself in anyway, there is

no need for us to fear Him. Instead, what we ought to feel towards the Lord is

an uncontrollable love and affection. If the intention of being " God-fearing " is

to ensure adherence to canons of ethics and morality, the same would equally

well be served if we love God instead of fearing Him, for, our love would make

it impossible for us to defy any of His dictates and thus cause Him pain and

anguish.

 

 

 

Srimate Sri LakshmiNrisimha divya paduka sevaka SrivanSatakopa Sri Narayana

Yatindra Mahadesikaya nama:

 

dasan, sadagopan