65. भयशोकादिरहितः Bhaya-śokādi-rahitaḥ

One devoid of fear, dejection, etc.

Bhagavatpāda mentions śoka (sorrow), moha (delusion), bhaya (fear), etc. as being born of false perception.¹⁷² Harṣa, elation, is the opposite of śoka, and the two are often spoken of together as in the Śruti passage, “The steadfast one, knowing that the Supreme Being is attainable through fixing the mind on the Ātman, rids himself of śoka and harṣa.”¹⁷³ This nāma is therefore taken as dealing with bhaya, harṣa-śoka and moha.

It is a matter of common knowledge that bhaya, fear, agitates the mind. Analysing the world, Bhartṛhari says that everything is fraught with bhaya, including enjoyment of sense pleasures, family reputation, wealth, prestige, power, beauty, celebration of one’s learning and virtues, as well as the body, and concludes with the remedy: “Dispassion alone is free from fear.”¹⁷⁴ In the final reckoning, only one who has realized the oneness of Ātman-Brahman has no fear from anything whatsoever.¹⁷⁵

Harṣa arises on experiencing pleasure, and śoka, on the experience of what is disliked and on the separation from what is liked.¹⁷⁶ Elation poses a serious problem as explained by Ṛṣi Āpastambha: “The elated one develops conceit;

176 65. Bhaya-śokādi-rahitaḥ the conceited one transgresses dharma; on transgressing dharma, once again there is indeed the experience of hell.”¹⁷⁷ Dejection is, of course, never a desirable state for anybody, for it only causes sorrow and delusion. The way out from harṣa-śoka is to maintain a sameness, which is the practice of karma-yoga marked by the performance of actions for the sake of God, detachment and same-sightedness in success and failure.¹⁷⁸ For the total cessation of all sorrows, the scriptures declare, “The knower of the Ātman overcomes sorrow.”¹⁷⁹

Bhagavatpāda says, “Moha is misapprehension or lack of discrimination born of false impressions.”¹⁸⁰ It is to Arjuna who was steeped in such delusion, that Kṛṣṇa says, “Therefore arise, O Arjuna, with the resolve to fight the war.” ¹⁸¹ Essentially, Kṛṣṇa asks him to fight because it is his own dharma, for following one’s own dharma purifies the mind and helps in destroying delusion. Complete destruction of delusion, and hence sorrow, takes place only when the fundamental ignorance of own’s true nature is destroyed.

When this nāma asserts that His Holiness was free from fear, sorrow, etc., it means that He was eminently established in all the cures for these maladies. Above all, He was established in the non-dual bliss beyond ignorance where mental vicissitudes are inconsequential, and hence was beyond all fear, sorrow, elation and delusion. In His presence and by His guidance and grace, others were also cured of these malaises.

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During His Holiness’s first All-India tour, a young boy once darted across the road in front of the pilot van. The driver slammed the brakes and the van screeched to a halt directly over the boy, who had slipped and fallen flat. Fortunately, he fell between the wheels and escaped uninjured though the vehicle was stationed atop him. The villagers who beheld the scene presumed the boy dead and rushed in a rage towards the hapless driver, who was already stricken with trepidation. Meanwhile, the boy crawled under the van, emerged from the rear and took to his heels, without the others noticing him. Not finding the boy, the irate crowd began to rain blows on the driver. In moments, he was bleeding. The security guard got out of the vehicle to rescue the driver but that was not to be his day. He grappled with a villager who attempted to snatch his rifle and soon, both went tumbling down the slope. The workhand managed to run away with the rifle, leaving the pitiable security guard not only injured but also very insecure.

In the meantime, His Holiness’s car arrived there. He immediately identified the head of the group and beckoned to him. Tempers ran high and villagers rushed towards His Holiness’s car, gesticulating wildly. His Holiness was not in the least afraid. The force of their ire was spent the moment His Holiness addressed them with soft words. His Holiness’s magnetic personality and soothing words had a miraculous effect on the furious gathering. Wrath gave way to reverence so much so that soon, the leader and the others stood with folded hands before His Holiness beseeching Him to stay at that place and grace them. At His Holiness’s instance, the leader sent for the man who had snatched the rifle away and returned it to the security guard. The villagers had obtained a Guru and order was restored.

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In 1977, His Holiness’s ṣaṣṭyabdapūrti celebrations were held at Chennai with great devotional fervour. Devotees from all over the country converged in Chennai for the sacred occasion. An atirudra-mahāyajña and a sahasracaṇḍī-mahāyajña were conducted and the celebrations spanned several days, concluding on 11^th November, the sacred vardhantī day.

His Holiness’s attitude towards the functions were expressed by Him when He addressed the gathering of devotees during the celebration. He said, “It is incumbent upon a king performing the Rājasūya-yāga to hear his praise for sometime. I am no monarch but an ascetic. There is no obligation on a saṁnyāsin to hear His own praise and, in fact, it is not even advisable. Further, I am not in the least interested in being eulogised. But here I am sitting in a sabhā wherein people are praising me. You are all deriving pleasure by panegyrising me and are keen that I should be present. I have nothing to gain by praise or loose by criticism. Hence I am not raising any objections to the celebrations and am present as a witness.”

His Holiness’s Guru’s jayantī was also celebrated during the functions. Speaking on the occasion, His Holiness outlined His Guru’s life, talked of the great grace His Guru had conferred upon Him and declared, “My Guru was a great jīvanmukta. His birthday has fallen amidst these celebrations. I firmly feel that it is for this occasion that all the functions are meant.”

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Once a disciple, H. S. Suryanarayana, asked His Holiness, “Where is Śiva? How will He appear?” His Holiness said, “Śiva is right here. He is in everyone; in you, in your wife, in your friend and in your servant. You don’t realise Him because of the delusion that you and the others exist separate from Him.”

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