Face the Brutes PDF - Fearlessness, bravery examples, and Indian freedom

FACE THE BRUTES  “Abhayam sattva-samsuddhir jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih danam damas ca yajnas ca svadhyayas tapa arjavam” (Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 16- Shloka 1)) Sanskrit word “Abhaya” means “fearlessness”. Bhagavan Krishna states “Abhayam” as a primary divine quality, in Bhag...

FACE THE BRUTES  “Abhayam sattva-samsuddhir jnana-yoga-vyavasthitih danam damas ca yajnas ca svadhyayas tapa arjavam” (Bhagavad Gita (Chapter 16- Shloka 1)) Sanskrit word “Abhaya” means “fearlessness”. Bhagavan Krishna states “Abhayam” as a primary divine quality, in Bhagavad Gita. Fearlessness is a foremost important quality for both layman and spiritual seekers alike. Fear is said to be an effect of ignorance. Being fearless is knowing the fear, fighting it without going down or being desperate. In Sanatana Dharma Philosophy “Abhaya Mudra” is represented as a symbol of fearlessness. Our Goddesses Lakshmi Devi, Durga Devi, and Parvati Devi hold “Abhaya Mudra” which symbolizes protection from fear.  THE FEAR FACTOR Fear occurs when we get too concerned about what will happen next. This implies that fear is an imaginary condition by thinking about an outcome that may or may not occur in the future. The sages who have realized God are completely fearless. Wise men say that if we are rooted in the present moment of reality, there will not be any fear. Fear arises from thoughts of insecurity which could be physical, financial, and emotional in nature. Fear of failure results in emotional and behavioral symptoms, and it leads to physical problems like rapid heart rate, chest tightness etc. It will also create a strong mental feeling that we don’t have any skills, knowledge, and intelligence to achieve something and feel worthless. The fear generates low self-esteem which leads to academic failures, regret, sadness, disappointment, and shame. Fear stands as a terrible obstacle in our progress. However, overcoming fears and moving forward makes us stronger and wiser. Do you recollect any instances from your life when you become fearful? How did you manage such a situation? Did you ever try to identify the reasons for such fears?  WHO ARE FEARLESS? Those who live with fear feel life itself as a burden; nevertheless, if they can accept the responsibility of facing it with courage, make them fearless. They become stronger and capable of confronting everything without fear.  A 16-year-old girl Jyoti Kumari (Bihar’s Cycle Girl) from Darbhanga village of Bihar has become Corona Champion by winning Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Puraskar 2021 (Bravery Award). She carried her injured father from Gurugram (Haryana) to Bihar for 1200 kilometers on a cycle amidst Covid-19. It took 8 days by cycling 50-60 kilometers every day and her aim was only to escape from hunger and uncertain situations. This shows the courage, determination, and strength of the young girl which draws inspiration to many. The difficulties faced during the lockdown period forced her to take up the risk without thinking of a second option. This is indeed, an act of fearlessness.  Another incident happened in Kerala where a Multi-Utility Vehicle used as a school van (with permit) fell into a pond near Maradu shows the fearlessness and sacrifice of Latha Unni. The van had 8 students, and a caretaker (Aaya) named Latha Unni. When the van fell into the pond and got stuck there. She saved the lives of 5 kids first instead of her. However, she got stuck in the window and by the time taken to the hospital, she was declared dead. She was a mother of twin daughters studying in 8th standard. In both these cases, they would have been confronted with fear of whether they would fail in the attempt. But both of them took a chance and displayed fearlessness in different ways. If in the former example, it was a fearless effort to do the daring to save her father, in the latter case the woman sacrificed herself, overcoming fear of death, to save the life of many kids.  History of the Indian Freedom struggle illustrates stories of many such brave souls who sacrificed their lives for fighting against the invaders. One such fearless woman freedom fighter was Kuyili-The Veerthalapathy or Veeramangai. In 1772 C.E (common era), a small kingdom called Sivaganga in present-day Tamil Nadu was ruled by a King named Muthu Vaduga Nathar. The Nawab of Arcot sowed the seeds of a catastrophe in the country by entering into a diplomatic relationship with the East India company. With the military aid of the company, Nawab killed Muthu Vaduga Nathar. Queen Velunachiyar, the wife of Vaduganathar, went into hiding in a village called Virupachi.. Over the next eight years, Velunachiyar developed a new and powerful army. It was during this period of forest-hide, that the Queen met a young girl named Kuyili. Kuyili often thwarted the enemies' attempts to endanger the queen. In a short period, Kuyili was promoted as the chief commander of the women's army.  To emerge victoriously, Kuyili devised a secret plan without even consultation with her queen. On the day of Vijayadasami (auspicious Navratri puja culmination), she entered the Sivaganga fort with her companions to worship the Goddess. Since the war began, the British have not allowed any men born on Tamil soil into this fort. This was because the army warehouse was inside the fort, where they stored their weapons and ammunition. But, Kuyili and her companions left no trace of doubts and the fort guards let them in without any hesitation. Having reached the Sri Rajarajeswari Amman temple inside the Sivaganga fort, she opened the small pot in her possession and poured ghee into her own body. What fear would come for those who are blessed with DharmaBodha (clarity of thought) and Strength of mind! Appearing like the Goddess herself after a ghee bath, Kuyili took a flame from the lamp and lit her own saree. Transforming herself into a raging fire, she fled to the British arsenal. Before the baffled soldiers could do anything, the armory was set ablaze and it all exploded along with Kuyili. The British army, having lost its ammunition, surrendered to Velu Nachiyar's army soon. Queen Velunachiyar ruled over Sivaganga for the next fifteen years without any threat from them. Fearlessness is also the courage to stick to Truth and Righteousness. Bhagavad Gita chapter 4 shloka 10 says vita-raga-bhaya-krodha man-maya mam upasritah bahavo jnana-tapasa puta mad-bhavam agatah “Being freed from attachment, fear and anger, being fully absorbed in Me and taking refuge in Me, many, many persons in the past became purified by knowledge of Me. To sum up, Karna though was fearless in battle like an ideal soldier was not fearless to stick on to righteousness. He knew in all the above instances, he was on the side of adharma, but his friendship commitment forced him to do so. On the other hand, in Ramayana, we see that Vibhishana forsake even his brother Ravana, when he realizes that Ravana was on the wrong side of war. The lesson we should learn from this excerpt is to leave the friendship for the sake of righteousness. That is actually the ideal fearlessness.  FACE THE BRUTES Once, Swami Vivekananda was walking along a path where there was a large tank of water on one side and a high wall on the other. So many monkeys were sitting on the ground, and they started attacking him. They howled, and shrieked and did not allow him to walk. Thus, he tried to run as fast as he could, however, the monkeys came faster and started to bite him. Soon, a strange monk called out and said to him “Face the brutes”. Swamiji turned and faced the monkeys, they fled. Hence, he advises us to “face the terrible, face it boldly. Hardships in life fall back when we cease to flee before them”. We should never run away from difficulties, but fight the fear, troubles, and ignorance before it makes us fail.  Chanakya Neeti (236) states that “Taavad Bhayeshu Bhetavyam Yaadav Bhayamanaagatam. Aagatam Tu Bhayam Veekshaya Prahartavyamshankayaa”. Means “One should be apprehensive of the cause of fear till it is far off, but when it comes close, fight it undaunted”. Chanakya says that the only way to overcome fear is to fight when it comes closer. He also states that “Bhaavaanaa Bhayanaashinee” (Chanakya Neeti 259) means “determined feeling destroys fear”. Feeling determination and facing it with courage helps to overcome fear. He also pronounces that courage alone is not vital for achieving success, it should be accompanied by knowledge and resources. Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says “Abhayam vai Bhrahma (4.25)” “Abhayam janaka, prapto’si (2.4)” meaning fearlessness is Brahman, and Janaka has attained this fearless state. Yanjnavalkya tells King Janaka that he has attained fearlessness and thereby wisdom.Thus, fearlessness is the ultimate state of realization (Bhrahman). Overcoming fear is one of the most significant achievements that lead to numerous accomplishments. Fearlessness, self-confidence, and truthfulness make your life happier and more contented. The new generation wants power and success likewise, they want to be confident. The most vital message from Upanishads is to have faith in yourself and divinity within. If a person has faith in self, he can face any situation and overcome any difficulty. The fear itself is an imaginary condition and it can be driven out by having a habit of inquiry. The Upanishads and scriptural studies advise us to think positively. Faith in oneself is the best solution to overcome an emotional problem Katha Upanishad calls up the young minds through this well-known statement “Uthishtata Jagrata Praapya Varaan Nibhodata”.  To be fearless, think yourself stronger and fight until the goal is reached. Practice Yoga and Meditation to exercise control over the mind A student can face fear with courage by setting up goals and milestones. As Chanakya said, “as soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it”. Overcoming fearlessness is not a massive task, but one should possess the strength and willpower to overcome it. Identify your strengths, weaknesses, upcoming opportunities, and threats to be fearless in life. AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA