On 27th March 2025, HH Bhakti Vikas Swami Maharaj visited Iskcon Newtown Kolkata and spoke ealborately on “root cause of fear” and how to free ourselves from all fear. Maharaj was speaking on Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37 verse. Let us see what Maharaj said about the “cause of fear” and the solution he talked about.
Below article is based on HH Bhakti Vikas Swami Maharaj’s class.
bhayaṁ dvitīyābhiniveśataḥ syād
īśād apetasya viparyayo ’smṛtiḥ
tan-māyayāto budha ābhajet taṁ
bhaktyaikayeśaṁ guru-devatātmā
“Fear arises when a living entity misidentifies himself as the material body because of absorption in the external, illusory energy of the Lord. When the living entity thus turns away from the Supreme Lord, he also forgets his own constitutional position as a servant of the Lord. This bewildering, fearful condition is effected by the potency for illusion, called māyā. Therefore, an intelligent person should engage unflinchingly in the unalloyed devotional service of the Lord, under the guidance of a bona fide spiritual master, whom he should accept as his worshipable deity and as his very life and soul.” Srimad Bhagavatam 11.2.37
This verse is quoted quite often by Srila Prabhupada especially the first line. Srila Bhakti Siddhanta Saraswati Thakura, spoke on the first verse of Srimad Bhagavatam daily for 30 days and explained it in different ways. His talk was generally 2 hours long.
Fear at every step
The subject of today’s verse revolves around fear, the cause of fear, and attaining freedom from fear.
We learn from this verse that fear is intrinsic characteristic of material living. Suffering is intrinsic to material existence – duḥkhālayam aśāśvatam, Bhagavad Gita 8.15. Everything in this world is miserable and temporary.
There is a good example, I used to give. While living in England, I would see some birds, black birds. They would be sitting on the grass looking inside the hole for little worms. And at the same time, they would be moving their head here and there thinking some living beings like cat can come and catch them.
Fear is typical characteristic of material condition.
“Abhay” means without fear. Its possible to be without fear.
“bhajahū re mana śrī-nanda-nandana
abhaya-caraṇāravinda re”
It is by taking shelter of the lotus feet of Nanda Nandana. Krishna is fearless. In this world there is fear at every step – padaṁ padaṁ yad vipadām.
At every step in this world there is danger. We may not feel but you may slip and fall down suddenly, bomb could drop at any moment, or you could be attacked while you are walking down on the streets.
Its common in America to be attacked. In America they prefer daytime to attack and in United Kingdom they attack in the night. I had this experience in youth when some people jumped up and started beating me. The world is full of fear.
Why there is fear? Because in this world everyone is turning away from Krishna.
Desire frustrates us
In this material world everyone is born with a desire to enjoy separately from Krishna. And this itself is envy, nastiness. We are envious of Krishna, so we are envious of everyone.
In the course of fulfilling our desire, we become competitive and when our desires are not fulfilled, we become frustrated. We cannot enjoy independent from Krishna. In liberated stage one is friendly. But in the conditioned state it is opposite.
Here, we have opposite way of thinking. Instead of thinking good of others, we think bad. Instead of having good will towards others, we have bad feelings towards others.
But in the liberated state we desire benefit of others.
Taking pleasure in giving pain
Krishna is the dominator, Krishna is the Supreme Controller, all others are servants. Krishna is suhṛdaṁ sarva-bhūtānāṁ, Bhagavad Gita 5.29. He is the best well-wisher of all. Srila Prabhupada once explained su-hridya means heart and soul friend. Krishna is friend of all living beings. In material world we have the nature of dominating others. Then we have person like Hiranyakasipu who takes pleasure in giving pain to others. Although for social intercourse, we greet others – we say “Hello” or “Hi” – but everyone is envious. That was seen in nazi Germany.
In western Europe and also in Russia nazi factor looms large. Normal German people would round up Jews and torture them and kill them. There were many such instances. We may think we are not doing anything like this but by the power of bad association, we may become like that.
How one becomes so cruel? An experiment in a school
In 1970, there was one experiment done in a school in USA. The teacher was teaching how cruel nazis were. How they were taking pleasure in torturing Jews and killing them. They were doing all sorts of biological experiments upon Jews. At the end of the class students asked how can ordinary people become like that and get involved in such crimes? So, the teacher started a psychological experiment.
Next day when he came to the class, he said that in the class we should have discipline. You should follow me what I say to follow. And in 5 days he made them his fanatical follower. Then the teacher said that this is not just confined to the classroom but it’s a nationwide movement. I will show you a video to prove this. He also gave the option that those who want to leave the class, they can leave but they have to suffer in the exam, they may fail too. Some students left the class, but many remained. And then the teacher showed the video of Hitler.
And Hitler was speaking emphatically. In fact, Hitler was a great motivational speaker. And after watching the video of Hitler the students understood that they are also going into that mood i.e. the mood of Hitler.
In fact, it is difficult to become good but easy to become bad especially in Kaliyuga.
Another cause for fear
We inflict harm on others. Be careful of nice people! They are nice but they are eating meat. They do not think that animals were slaughtered for them to have protein boost. One gets huge karmic reaction for killing animals. In India today lakhs of chickens are killed daily because most people like to eat flesh.
There is another reason why there is fear because at the back of the mind we know we will get reaction for bad things we are doing, and we cannot escape.
Srila Prabhupada says that people in India are generally afraid of meat eating and illicit sex.
People do not know laws of God, so they invent their own laws.
Solution for all our problems is in..
One of the purposes of Krishna Consciousness movement is to make people fearful of doing wrong things. By doing wrong they cause suffering to others and invite themselves tremendous suffering. Such people are fools and rascals.
Foolish because one does not know laws of God and rascal because they think they can get away with it.
India has best culture. But Indians are most foolish because they are following degraded western culture.
We should promote reading of books like Srimad Bhagavatam and ask people to follow it. Preach what is there in the book and not anything else.
In Bangladesh, one person, asked a teacher, “Should we follow you or whatever is there in the book.?” It’s so bad. Those who have understood the essence of sastra will act accordingly and will teach according to the sastra.
People like nice gurus because they say what we like to hear. Such gurus are popular. But sadhus should tell you that you are in a dangerous situation. Now you have got this human body, so you have an opportunity to go back to godhead.
People are committing so many sins daily that they will have to suffer for many lifetimes. People do not know this so Vyasadeva compiled Srimad Bhagavatam. By devotional service to God, we can become free from all the anarthas. People do not know, so Vyasdeva gave Srimad Bhagavatam. Speak on this, let people know the truth.
Solution to all problems (including fear) is in Srimad Bhagavatam.
At the end of the class, Maharaj said, “Your Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga is very beautiful.”
