Fearlessness

bhagavad-bhakti-rasikā namasyā mādṛśāṁ sadā

bhagavad-bhakti-rasikā namasyā mādṛśāṁ sadā ||
śrī-kṛṣṇa-caraṇāmbhojārpitātmāno hi ye kila |
tad-eka-prema-lābhāśā tyaktārtha-jana-jīvanāḥ ||
aihikāmuṣmikāśeṣa-sādhya-sādhana-nispṛhāḥ |
jāti-varṇāśramācāra-dharmādhīnatva-pāragāḥ ||
ṛṇa-trayād anirmuktā veda-mārgātigā api |
hari-bhakti-balāvegād akutaścid-bhayāḥ sadā ||
nānyat kim api vāñchanti tad-bhakti-rasa-lampaṭāḥ |
svargāpavarga-narakeṣv api tulyārtha-darśinaḥ ||
bhagavān iva satyaṁ me ta eva parama-priyāḥ |
parama-prārthanīyaś ca mama taiḥ saṅgamaḥ ||
(Bṛhad Bhāgavatāmṛta: 1.3.54–59)

“[Parīkṣit Mahārāja to Nārada Ṛṣi:] Bhagavad-bhakti-rasikas are always to be offered obeisance to for those such as myself. Of self offered to the lotus feet of Śrī Kṛṣṇa; of desire for excellent prema thereto; having relinquished wealth, people [i.e., relatives and others], and livelihood; desireless of all objects to be attained and [all] means of attainment [of those objects] existent in this life and the next; having crossed beyond subjection to the conduct (ācāra) and duties (dhama) of class, varṇa, and āśrama; being ever free from fear from anywhere by virtue of the driving force of the power of bhakti to Hari even though [they are] not fully liberated from the three debts [to the devas, sages, and ancestors] and transgressors of the path of the Vedas, they, who are filled with hankering for bhakti-rasa, desire nothing else whatsoever, and are seers of the same object amid Svarga, liberation, and even Naraka, truly are supremely dear to me just as Bhagavān is, and association with them is the supreme object to be prayed for by me.”

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nṛṣu tava māyayā bhramam amīṣv avagatya bhṛśaṁ

nṛṣu tava māyayā bhramam amīṣv avagatya bhṛśaṁ
tvayi sudhiyo’bhave dadhati bhāvam anuprabhavam |
katham anuvartatāṁ bhava-bhayaṁ tava yad bhrū-kuṭiḥ
sṛjati muhus trinemir abhavac-charaṇeṣu bhayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.32)

[Translated according to Śrī Śrīdhara Svāmīpāda’s commentary:] “Understanding the ignorance as a consequence of your māyā among these human beings wherefrom repeated birth ensues, the wise foster bhāva [i.e., render service] profusely for you, Non-existence [i.e., you who are the cause of liberation from material existence]. How could your followers have any distress on account of [material] existence, since the furrowing of your brows—time (trinemi)—creates distress perpetually for those who are not in your shelter?”

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tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ

tasmād bhārata sarvātmā bhagavān īśvaro hariḥ |
śrotavyaḥ kīrtitavyaś ca smartavyaś cechatābhayam ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 2.1.5; cited in Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 1.2.7; Bhakti Sandarbha: 25, 125; Caitanya-caritāmṛta: 2.22.110)

“[Śukadeva Gosvāmī to Mahārāja Parīkṣit:] O descendant of Bharata! The Self of all, Bhagavān, Īśvara, Hari, is to be heard about, to be praised, and to be remembered by one desirous of fearlessness.”

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aghahara tava vīrya-proṣitāśeṣa-cintāḥ

aghahara tava vīrya-proṣitāśeṣa-cintāḥ
parihṛta-gṛha-vāstu-dvāra-bandhānubaddhāḥ |
nija-nijam iha rātrau prāṅganaṁ śobhayantaḥ
sukham avicalad-aṅgāḥ śerate paśya gopāḥ ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.4.174)

“O Aghahara, look at the gopas, who have cast away all worries by virtue of your vigor, given up the obligation of locking the doors of their households, finely decorated their own courtyards, and comfortably, with unmoving bodies, gone to sleep at night here [in Vraja].”

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māṅgalyaṁ jagatām eva viśvāsāspadatā matā

māṅgalyaṁ jagatām eva viśvāsāspadatā matā ||
yathā—
anyāyyaṁ na harāv iti vyapagata-dvārārgalā dānavā
rakṣī kṛṣṇa iti pramattam abhitaḥ krīḍāsu raktāḥ surāḥ |
sākṣī vetti sa bhaktim ity avanata-vrātāś ca cintojjhitāḥ
ke viśvambhara na tvad-aṅghri-yugale viśrambhitāṁ bhejire ||
(Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.259–260)

“[Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa’s quality of] Being the object of the entire world’s faith is considered [his quality of] auspiciousness (māṅgalya), [which is illustrated] as follows: ‘Because “There is no injustice in Hari,” the Dānavas [i.e., asuras] leave theirs doors unbolted, because “Kṛṣṇa is our protector,” the suras [i.e., devas] are carelessly absorbed in play all around, and because “He, the witnesser, knows our bhakti,” the humble [lit., “those who are bent down,” i.e., bhaktas] are worry-free. O Maintainer of the world! Who has not fostered confidence in your feet?”

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nānyatra mad bhagavataḥ pradhāna-puruṣeśvarāt

nānyatra mad bhagavataḥ pradhāna-puruṣeśvarāt |
ātmanaḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ bhayaṁ tīvraṁ nivartate ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.25.41)

“Intense fear [i.e., the plight of sāṁsārika existence] retreats from [i.e., ceases because of taking shelter in] me, Bhagavān, the foremost Puruṣa and Īśvara, the Ātma of all beings, and not from anywhere else.”

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tāvad bhayaṁ draviṇa-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ

tāvad bhayaṁ draviṇa-deha-suhṛn-nimittaṁ
śokaḥ spṛhā paribhavo vipulaś ca lobhaḥ |
tāvan mamety asad-avagraha ārti-mūlaṁ
yāvan na te’ṅghrim abhayaṁ pravṛṇīta lokaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 3.9.6)

“So fear, grief, longing, humiliation, and immense greed on account of wealth, the body, and companions, and so the false [alt., wicked] temperament of ‘mine’—the root of distress—remain as long as a person does not embrace your fearless feet.”

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sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo’kuto-bhayaḥ

sadhrīcīno hy ayaṁ loke panthāḥ kṣemo’kuto-bhayaḥ |
suśīlāḥ sādhavo yatra nārāyaṇa-parāyaṇāḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 6.1.17; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.565; Bhakti Sandarbha: 93, 121; Bṛhad and Laghu Vaiṣṇava-toṣaṇī-ṭīkā on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 10.87.3)

“In this world, this path [i.e., the path of bhakti to Śrī Nārāyaṇa], whereupon there are those of high character [i.e., gracious], virtue [i.e., non-desirousness], and devotion to Nārāyaṇa, is certainly well-directed [i.e., the most appropriate], since it is [supremely] beneficial and completely free from fear [i.e., any cause of obstruction or danger].”

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tasmāt tvam uddhavotsṛjya codanāṁ praticodanām

tasmāt tvam uddhavotsṛjya codanāṁ praticodanām |
pravṛttiñ ca nivṛttiñ ca śrotavyaṁ śrutam eva ca ||
mām ekam eva śaraṇam ātmānaṁ sarva-dehinām |
yāhi sarvātma-bhāvena mayā syā hy akuto-bhayaḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.12.14–5)

“Therefore, O Uddhava, abandoning injunctions and prohibitions [i.e., the injunctions and prohibitions given in the Śruti and the Smṛti], engagement and resignation [i.e., the dharmas of a gṛhastha and of a sannyāsī], and that which is to be heard and that which has been heard [i.e., all that pertains to such dharmas and the injunctions and prohibitions related to them in śāstra; alt., all else that is to be heard from śāstra, that is, all that is said in śāstra related to the jñāna-mārga], you should take shelter exclusively in me alone, the Ātmā of all embodied beings, with the full existence of your self. With me [i.e., thus becoming situated in my shelter], be completely fearless.”

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manye’kutaścid-bhayam acyutasya

manye’kutaścid-bhayam acyutasya
pādāmbujopāsanam atra nityam |
udvigna-buddher asad-ātma-bhāvād
viśātmanā yatra nivartate bhīḥ ||
(Śrīmad Bhāgavatam: 11.2.33; cited in Hari-bhakti-vilāsa: 11.258; Bhakti Sandarbha: 59)

“I affirm that here [i.e., in saṁsāra], worship of the lotus feet of Acyuta, wherein fear ceases in all respects, is complete fearlessness [i.e., is the ultimate safety and well-being] for those whose minds are perpetually disturbed because of identification with the unreal [i.e., the non-self: the material body and mind].”

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