# Fearlessness *On transcending fear through devotional service* --- ### A Devotee in Pure Consciousness Is Not Disturbed > So a devotee who is in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he is satisfied with that consciousness only. *Ahaitukī.* He has no other reason: "Oh, I am trying to become Kṛṣṇa conscious because I want such and such thing." He has no demand. Simple that consciousness is sufficient. It is so pleasing. It is so satisfying that *yasmin sthite,* if one is actually situated in Kṛṣṇa consciousness, then *guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate*. Just see the Prahlāda Mahārāja. He is... So devastating incidences are taking place, when all the demigods have become afraid and his father is killed and very ghastly appearance and the lion form incarnation of the Lord is groaning. But he is not afraid. He's not at all afraid. *Yasmin sthite guruṇāpi duhkhena na vicālyate*. — [[spoken/1968/680829sb.mon|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 7.9.13–14, Montreal, August 29, 1968]] --- ### Simply by Uttering Nārāyaṇa He Was Saved > Kṛṣṇa is so kind. As soon as He heard that "This man is chanting 'Nārāyaṇa' at the time of his death," immediately He sent His assistants, Viṣṇudūtas, to give him shelter. Therefore in the *Bhagavad-gītā* it is said, *svalpam apy asya dharmasya trāyate mahato bhayāt*. The *mahato bhayāt...* This man, this Ajāmila, is fallen into great calamity. The Yamadūtas, the assistants of the superintendent of death, Yamarāja, has come there to drag him. So *mahato bhayāt.* It was a great, fearful, dangerous place. But simply by uttering "Nārāyaṇa" he was saved. — [[spoken/1970/701216sb.sur|Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 6.1.27–34, Surat, December 16, 1970]] --- ### His Devotee Will Never Be Destroyed > So here Kṛṣṇa says, *kaunteya pratijānīhi.* "You promise, so I shall protect your promise." And what is that? *Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati:* "Anyone who has taken to Kṛṣṇa consciousness, he will be never destroyed. He will never be destroyed." *Na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśyati.* What is that destruction? The destruction is... Of course, a living entity is never destroyed so far his constitution is concerned. *Na hanyate hanyamāne*. The destruction of this body is not his destruction. The real destruction is that when we lose our spiritual consciousness, we lose our identity. That is destruction. — [[spoken/1966/661221bg.ny|Bhagavad-gītā 9.29–32, New York, December 21, 1966]] --- ### Everyone's Karma Depends on Work > So here Kṛṣṇa says that "People are concerned with his work. A man is concerned with his work." *Karmaṇā jāyate jantuḥ karmaṇaiva pralīyate:* "He gets his facilities of life according to the past good work, bad work, and he is preparing his life, next, by that work." *Sukhaṁ duḥkhaṁ bhayaṁ kṣemaṁ karmaṇaivābhipadyate:* "So therefore, either happiness or distress or fearfulness or poverty or economic question, everything depends on this *karma,* on this work." — [[spoken/1966/661114gp.ny|Govardhana Pūjā Lecture, New York, November 14, 1966]] --- ### Anxiety Due to Material Knowledge > So long we have this material body we will always be, samudvigna, full of anxiety. Once we come into the realm of actual knowledge this anxiety *udvignatā* will be destroyed. If this anxiety is destroyed but we do not make further advancement... Just like if a man is suffering from fever and the fever subsides, but though the fever has subsided that does not mean he has become healthy. Only if he gets out of the bed, walks around, eats properly and feels good only then can we say that he is healthy. Just to get rid of fever is not the goal. Similarly if we just acquire knowledge, *Ahaṁ brahmāsmi*, I am spirit, I am not this material body, this is not sufficient knowledge. — [[spoken/1975/750829bg.vrn|Bhagavad-gītā Lecture, Vṛndāvana, August 29, 1975]] --- ### Best Carefulness Is Chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa > There cannot be any excuse. Therefore we have to be very, very careful. And the best carefulness is chanting Hare Kṛṣṇa. *Mām eva ye prapadyante māyām etāṁ taranti te.* Simply we surrender... — [[spoken/1970/701221r1.sur|Room Conversation, Surat, December 21, 1970]] --- ### Māyā Will Beat with Shoes > *Prabhupāda:* That's the thing. He won't do, so māyā forces him to do it by beating with shoes repeatedly. *Daivī hy eṣā guṇa-mayī mama māyā duratyayā.* Having been beaten by shoes, he comes to his senses. That is his remedy. Beating with shoes by *māyā,* that's all. This is *māyā's* job. To trash nicely. In this way suffer miseries life after life. Life after life. — [[spoken/1976/760815ed.bom|Evening Darśana, Bombay, August 15, 1976]] --- ### If Sincere, Nobody Can Harm You > We simply counteract if we remain sincere and follow the spiritual master, nobody can harm you. But if you are not so strong, then there will be trouble. But if you stick to your position, as I have advised, then you will be successful. — [[spoken/1975/750103r1.bom|Room Conversation, Bombay, January 3, 1975]] --- *8 verified verbatim quotes from Śrīla Prabhupāda on fearlessness*