Sanskrit blog: I am Fear

साहं भीतिः

अज्ञानान्मे जननमभवत् पोषिता दुर्नयेन

नैराश्यं मे दयिततनुजः सोदरः कालनाशः ।

शत्रुर्वृद्धेरलघुकरणं पीडने च प्रजानाम्

साहं भीतिः हृदयवसतिः कण्टकं लोकमार्गे ।।

नैकान् वर्णान् खलु सरटवत् धारयन्ती सलीलम् ।

आख्यातास्मीत्यवहितमतिः कुत्रचित् गाढशङ्का ।

आशाभङ्क्त्री  खलु युवजने ध्वंसिनी सुस्पृहायाः ।

लक्ष्यच्छेत्री सरलमनुजानन्वहं क्लेशयामि ॥

एकः स्वामी यमहमनिशं संस्मरन्ती प्रवेपे ।

येनाज्ञप्ता मनुजमनसः सत्वरं प्रद्रवामि ।

ख्यातो लोके कुशलमतिभिः विश्वजेता विवेकः ।

तं हे मर्त्याः व्रजत शरणं शून्यतां यामि शीघ्रम् ॥   

Inspired by the following passage:

"I am fear. I am the menace that lurks in the path of life, never visible to the eye but sharply felt in the heart. I am the father of despair, the brother of procrastination, the enemy of progress, the tool of tyranny. Born of ignorance and nursed on misguided thought, I have darkened more hopes, stifled more ambitions, shattered more ideals and prevented more accomplishments than history could ever record.

"Like the changing chameleon, I assume many disguises. I masquerade as caution. I am sometimes known as doubt or worry. But whatever I'm called, am still fear, the obstacle of achievement.

"I know no master but one. It's name is understanding. I have no power but what the human mind gives me, and I vanish completely when the light of understanding reveals the facts as they really are, for I am really nothing."

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