66. भवभीतिनिवारणः Bhava-bhīti-nivāraṇaḥ

One who dispelled the fear of transmigratory existence

It is natural for a discerning person who analyses the ageless transmigratory cycle of births and deaths, to develop bhīti, fear, of bhava, this cycle.

178 66. Bhava-bhīti-nivāraṇaḥ Bhagavatpāda portrays the grave concern of such a person as he approaches a Guru, thus: “I am scalded by the fire of transmigratory existence that is hard to subdue; I am terrified and surrendered unto you; please save me!” Bhagavatpāda then states that the great Guru, looking at him with glances drenched in the essence of compassion, must grant him freedom from fear, and must compassionately teach him the Truth.¹⁸²

Unless the mind is relieved from the grip of such fear, the fear itself acts as a hindrance to spiritual progress. Nothing other than the comforting assurance of a realised and competent Guru can rid one of that fear so as to enable one to practice enquiry into the Truth, as taught by the Guru, with a calm and resolute mind. Further, the nivāraṇa, complete eradication, of this fear happens only by the direct realisation of the Supreme Truth as imparted by the Guru, which gets rid of the illusion of duality itself. His Holiness is described here as having been such a Guru.

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The following incident was narrated by Sri Narahari who was a seventeen-year-old working at the Maṭha at the time of this incident.

“It was 1982, when both Their Holinesses were camping at Gaya. They had retired for the night after pūjā. It was past 11 p.m. I tried to sleep but fear kept me from sleeping. There was a small stream, all that was left of a river, flowing alongside the Maṭha. A cremation was taking place on the other side of the stream. Lights in the hall where I was sleeping were off. The wail from the cremation site and the sight of the flames reflecting from the walls inside the hall with the shadows of people moving around the pyre virtually scared me to death.

“I woke up Sri Ananta Bhatta who was sleeping near the pūjā room downstairs. Reluctantly, he came up the stairs with me. He was snoring in a matter of minutes, but I lay awake rolling in my bed for a long time. Fatigue should have put me to sleep some time around 3 a.m.

“I was woken up at around 5.30 a.m. The lights were on in the rooms of both Their Holinesses. His Holiness came out of His room and told me to come into His room. He then asked me, “Did you sleep well last night?” I answered that I had hardly slept. I then explained the cause of my fear. With an understanding smile, He comforted me with soft words. His words made such an impact on me that I can recollect them even today. He said, ‘A dead body being consigned to flames is just like firewood being burnt. Suppose that we keep some logs of wood and burn them. Will you be afraid?’ I answered in the negative. He continued, ‘Life has left the dead body, and hence it is just like a piece of wood. Burning it is therefore just like burning a log of wood. Hence, there is no cause for fear. Do not be afraid anymore.’ I slept peacefully that night. In fact, I have had no such fears ever since.”

His Holiness got rid of the agony caused by the fear that Sri Narahari harboured, using a powerful analogy that the young lad could visualize, understand and relate to. Thus, He struck at the very root of the boy’s fear by getting rid of his underlying delusion through the enunciation of fact.

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[The following parable presented by His Holiness shows how the mind is the cause of both saṁsāra and liberation.]

A three-year-old boy asked for an apple. As there was none at home, his mother offered him other fruits instead. He refused them and insisted that he be given only an apple. His mother told him that she would procure one for him in the evening. He, however, began to cry and continued wailing till his indulgent mother took him to a shop and allowed him to pick an apple of his choice. It was when his desire was gratified that he smiled joyfully.

His seven-year-old sister, who had witnessed all this, desired to have some fun at his expense. She informed him with assumed gravity, “Without realizing it, you ate a seed. I saw you do so. Do you know what will happen? An apple tree will start growing in your stomach. It will cause you great pain and, emerging from your nose and mouth, make you look funny.” He swallowed her tale hook, line and sinker and turned pale with fright. Seeing him petrified, his mother ascertained the cause and did her best to pacify him. She emphasized more than once that his sister had been pulling his leg. But her explanation fell on deaf ears. He continued to remain terror-stricken and did not take even a drop of water for hours. His mother started to worry about him. So, the moment her husband returned from work, she informed him about what had happened.

He held his son in his arms and said in a gentle reassuring voice, “Normally, no tree grows inside the stomach when an apple seed is swallowed. Even when it does, it is small. In fact, it is so tiny that it does not cause any pain and cannot be seen by others. So, even if a tree develops within you, you will neither suffer nor become the butt of ridicule. You like apples. Once there is a tree within you, you will have a constant supply of apples. You can put your fingers inside your mouth and pluck out a small fruit which you can then chew and swallow. It would be wonderful to be able to get delicious apples any time you desire them. Is it not?”

The boy nodded, with the traces of a smile forming on his face. “Do you want the tree to grow or not?” queried the father. “Definitely I do”, responded the boy. “The seed may not sprout. But if it does, then, to help it develop into a tree, you will have to eat food and drink water. If you starve yourself, the tree will die,” declared the father. Promptly, the boy ran to his mother and asked for his meal and a glass of water. His terror was completely replaced by joy and enthusiasm.

180 67. Mahāvākya-viveka-jñaḥ

The boy was initially unhappy because of his unfulfilled desire for an apple. Thereafter, he was overcome with trepidation owing to his foolishly-imagined future danger to the body he was intensely fond of. His mind was thus the cause of his unhappiness before and after he obtained an apple.

The Maitrāyaṇī-upaniṣad declares, “The mind is of two kinds, pure and impure. It is impure when with desire; it is pure when devoid of desire.... The mind indeed is responsible for the bondage and liberation of humans. When attached to objects, it brings about bondage. When devoid of the thoughts of objects, it leads to liberation.”¹⁸³

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