What the scriptures say about fearlessness

1. unstruck by desire
2. Joy
3. Fearlessness

Each higher joy is a hundred times the one below. Each equals the joy of the learned person who is not struck by desire. Knowing that joy, one fears nothing. One is no longer tormented by wondering why one did not do right and why one did wrong.

• Teacher

  सैषाऽऽनन्दस्य मीमाꣳसा भवति । युवा स्यात्साधुयुवाऽध्यायकः । आशिष्ठो दृढिष्ठो बलिष्ठः । तस्येयं पृथिवी सर्वा वित्तस्य पूर्णा स्यात् । स एको मानुष आनन्दः । ते ये शतं मानुषा आनन्दाः । स एको मनुष्यगन्धर्वाणामानन्दः । श्रोत्रियस्य चाकामहतस्य ।

  saiṣā’’nandasya mīmāꣳsā bhavati | yuvā syātsādhuyuvā’dhyāyakaḥ | āśiṣṭho dṛḍhiṣṭho baliṣṭhaḥ | tasyeyaṃ pṛthivī sarvā vittasya pūrṇā syāt | sa eko mānuṣa ānandaḥ | te ye śataṃ mānuṣā ānandāḥ | sa eko manuṣyagandharvāṇāmānandaḥ | śrotriyasya cākāmahatasya |

  Now an inquiry into joy. Let there be a young man, good, well read, quick, firm and strong, and let this whole earth full of wealth be his: that is one measure of human joy. A hundred human joys make one joy of the human gandharvas, and so too is the joy of a learned one untouched by desire.

  Taittiriya Upanishad 2.8.1-2

• Teacher

  यतो वाचो निवर्तन्ते । अप्राप्य मनसा सह । आनन्दं ब्रह्मणो विद्वान्। न बिभेति कुतश्चनेति ।

  yato vāco nivartante | aprāpya manasā saha | ānandaṃ brahmaṇo vidvān| na bibheti kutaścaneti |

  That from which words turn back, along with the mind, not reaching it: whoever knows the joy of Brahman fears nothing at all.

  Taittiriya Upanishad 2.9.1

• Teacher

  एतꣳह वाव न तपति । किमहꣳसाधु नाकरवम् । किमहं पापमकरवमिति ।

  etaꣳha vāva na tapati | kimahaꣳsādhu nākaravam | kimahaṃ pāpamakaravamiti |

  Such a one is no longer tormented by the thought: why did I not do good? Why did I do wrong?

  Taittiriya Upanishad 2.9.1

1. second
2. Fear
3. Discernment
4. Fearlessness
5. Loneliness

Alone, he was afraid. He reflected that since there is nothing other than him, he has nothing to fear. The fear left. Fear comes only from a second. Alone, he also found no joy, and one who is alone does not rejoice.

• Seer

  सोऽबिभेत् तस्मादेकाकी बिभेति । स हायमीक्षां चक्रे यन्मदन्यन्नास्ति कस्मान्नु बिभेमीति । तत एवास्य भयं वीयाय । कस्माद्ध्यभेष्यत् द्वितीयाद्वै भयं भवति ॥

  so’bibhet tasmādekākī bibheti | sa hāyamīkṣāṃ cakre yanmadanyannāsti kasmānnu bibhemīti | tata evāsya bhayaṃ vīyāya | kasmāddhyabheṣyat dvitīyādvai bhayaṃ bhavati ||

  He was afraid; that is why one who is alone is afraid. Then he thought: 'Since there is nothing but me, what am I afraid of?' At that his fear left him. What was there to fear? Fear arises only from a second.

  Brihadaranyaka Upanishad 1.4.2

1. Attachment
2. Fear
3. Letting go
4. Fearlessness

Pleasure brings fear of illness, family brings fear of decline, wealth brings fear of the king, honour brings fear of humiliation, strength brings fear of the enemy, beauty brings fear of age, learning brings fear of the debater, virtue brings fear of the slanderer, and the body brings fear of death. Everything on earth comes with fear, and dispassion alone is fearlessness.

• Bhartrihari

  भोगे रोगभयं कुले च्युतिभयं वित्ते नृपालाद्भयं माने दैन्यभयं बले रिपुभयं रूपे जराया भयम् । शास्त्रे वादिभयं गुणे खलभयं काये कृतान्ताद्भयं सर्वं वस्तु भयान्वितं भुवि नृणां वैराग्यमेवाभयम् ॥

  bhoge rogabhayaṃ kule cyutibhayaṃ vitte nṛpālādbhayaṃ māne dainyabhayaṃ bale ripubhayaṃ rūpe jarāyā bhayam | śāstre vādibhayaṃ guṇe khalabhayaṃ kāye kṛtāntādbhayaṃ sarvaṃ vastu bhayānvitaṃ bhuvi nṛṇāṃ vairāgyamevābhayam ||

  In pleasure lies the fear of disease; in high birth, the fear of a fall; in wealth, fear of the king; in honour, fear of humiliation; in strength, fear of enemies; in beauty, fear of old age; in learning, fear of rival debaters; in virtue, fear of the wicked; in the body, fear of death. Everything in this world carries fear; only dispassion is fearless.

  Bhartrihari · Vairagya Shatakam