Bhashya
सोऽबिभेत् ।सः प्रजापतिः, योऽयं प्रथमः शरीरी पुरुष-विधो व्याख्यातः सः, अबिभेत् भीतवान् अस्मदादिवदेवेत्याहयस्मादयं पुरुषविधः शरीरकरणवान् आत्मनाशविषयविपरी-तदर्शनवत्त्वादबिभेत्, तस्मात्तत्सामान्यादद्यत्वेऽप्येकाकी बि-भेति ।किं चास्मदादिवदेव भयहेतुविपरीतदर्शनापनोदकारणं यथाभूतात्मदर्शनम् ।सोऽयं प्रजापतिः ईक्षाम् ईक्षणं चक्रे कृतवान्ह ।कथमित्याह — यत् यस्मात् मत्तोऽन्यत् आत्मव्यतिरेकेण वस्त्वन्तरं प्रतिद्वन्द्वीभूतं नास्ति, तस्मिन्नात्मविनाशहेत्वभावे, कस्मान्नु बिभेमि इति ।तत एव यथाभूतात्मदर्शनादस्य प्रजापतेर्भयं वीयाय विस्पष्टमपगतवत् ।तस्य प्रजापतेर्यद्भयं तत्केवलाविद्यानिमित्तमेव परमार्थदर्शनेऽनुपपन्नमित्याह — कस्माद्ध्यभेष्यत् ? किमित्यसौ भीतवान् ? परमार्थनिरूपणायां भयमनुपपन्नमेवेत्यभिप्रायः ।यस्माद्वितीयाद्वस्त्वन्तराद्वै भयं भवति ; द्वितीयं च वस्त्वन्तरमविद्याप्रत्युपस्थापितमेव ।न ह्यदृश्यमानं द्वितीयं भयजन्मनो हेतुः, ‘तत्र को मोहः कः शोक एकत्वमनुपश्यतः’ इति मन्त्रवर्णात् ।यच्चैकत्वदर्शनेन भयमनुदत्, तद्युक्तम् ; कस्मात् ? द्वितीयाद्वस्त्वन्तराद्वै भयं भवति ; तदेकत्वदर्शनेन द्वितीयदर्शनमपनीतमिति नास्ति यतः ॥
In plain words
He was afraid. That Prajāpati, described earlier as this first embodied human-formed entity, was afraid—frightened just like ordinary mortals. Because this embodied being, equipped with bodily instruments, harbored the false notion that the self could perish, he was afraid; and for this very reason, even today, an isolated person feels afraid. Furthermore, the antidote to the false perception that causes fear is the direct realization of the Self as it truly is. This Prajāpati reflected: 'Since there is no second hostile entity apart from myself, and no cause for self-destruction, of what should I be afraid?' Through that very realization of his true nature, his fear vanished entirely. That his fear was born purely of ignorance—and has no place once supreme reality is perceived—is why the text asks: 'For why should he have feared?' Why did he feel terror? When ultimate truth is examined, fear is simply impossible. For fear always arises from a second entity, and that second entity is nothing other than a projection of ignorance. An unseen second can never be the source of fear, as the Vedic text confirms: 'Where is delusion, what sorrow, for one who sees oneness?' That the vision of unity dispelled his fear is entirely fitting; why? Because fear truly arises from a second, and when that second is wiped out by the realization of oneness, fear has no ground left to stand upon.
Close to the Sanskrit
He was afraid. That Prajāpati, who was explained as this first embodied person-formed [entity], was afraid, being frightened just like us and others. Since this embodied one, equipped with bodily instruments, feared due to possessing false vision regarding self-destruction, therefore, by that commonality, even today a solitary person is afraid. Moreover, the means to dispel false perception which is the cause of fear is the direct vision of the Self as it is. This Prajāpati performed contemplation: 'Since there is no other entity apart from me, a hostile rival, in the absence of any cause for the destruction of the self, why should I fear?' From that very realization of the Self as it is, the fear of this Prajāpati vanished completely. That the fear of that Prajāpati was caused solely by ignorance and is untenable upon the realization of the ultimate truth—[the text] states: 'For why should he have feared?' Why was he frightened? In the inquiry into ultimate truth, fear is certainly untenable, is the intent. Because fear truly arises from a second entity, and a second entity is projected solely by ignorance. For an unperceived second is not the cause for the birth of fear, according to the scriptural passage: 'Where is delusion, what sorrow, for one who sees oneness?' And that which dispelled fear through the vision of oneness is appropriate; why? Because fear truly arises from a second entity; that perception of a second has been eradicated by the vision of oneness, hence it does not exist.