When Faith Walks Before Fear: Srila Prabhupada & Bhagavad Gita’s Sanatan Insight on Risk

This soul-stirring insight reveals how faith in Krishna overcomes fear, with Srila Prabhupada’s life as a living Gita.

In a world driven by logic, data, and risk assessment, the act of surrendering everything to an unseen Divine might seem absurd. Yet, it is in this very surrender that Sanatan Dharma reveals its deepest wisdom.

The life of Srila Prabhupada, the founder of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), is a living testimony of what happens when faith walks before fear. His journey across the seas in 1965, with nothing but 200 rupees and a heart full of devotion, mirrors the profound message of the Bhagavad Gita: perform your duty, surrender the outcome, and trust in Divine protection.

Srila Prabhupada: A Journey Rooted in Bhakti

Srila Prabhupada was not a young man when he boarded the cargo ship Jaladuta to travel from India to the United States. At 69, with fragile health and no financial backing, he set sail to spread Krishna consciousness in a foreign land. Was this courage? Was it madness? From a worldly point of view, it was a massive risk. But from the lens of Sanatan Dharma, it was a divine calling answered with fearless faith.

He carried a trunk full of his translated Bhagavad Gita As It Is, a few scriptures, and puffed rice, unsure if he would find suitable food. But most importantly, he carried the blessings of his guru, his devotion to Lord Krishna, and the unchanging truths of the Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita: Risk Management the Sanatan Way

In Chapter 2 of the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gives Arjuna a powerful spiritual strategy that blends faith with duty:

कर्मण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन |

मा कर्मफलहेतुर्भूर्मा मा ते संगो'स्त्वकर्मणि ||

You have the right to perform your prescribed duties, but you are not entitled to the fruits of your actions. Never consider yourself the cause of the results and never be attached to not doing your duty. (Bhagavad Gita 2.47)

Srila Prabhupada lived this verse. He never worried about success or failure. His focus was on doing his service with purity, leaving the rest to Krishna. That’s the core of Sanatangyan wisdom—Karma with Bhakti, action with surrender.

Balancing Faith and Intelligence

Some people confuse faith with blind belief. But in Sanatan Dharma, faith is intelligent surrender. Prabhupada never acted impulsively. He had a clear plan, spiritual knowledge, and a mission. What made him different was his conviction that Krishna would support his efforts.

Another powerful verse from the Gita gives clarity:

मात्रास्पर्शास्तु कौन्तेय शीतोष्णसुखदुखदाः |

आगमापायिनो'नित्यास्तांस्तितिक्षस्व भारत ||

O son of Kunti, the nonpermanent appearance of happiness and distress are like the seasons. They arise and pass away. One must learn to tolerate them. (Bhagavad Gita 2.14)

Prabhupada had two heart attacks during his voyage, yet he didn’t turn back. He saw challenges as temporary tests from the Lord. That is Sanatangyan courage – not absence of fear, but presence of divine trust.

Srila Prabhupada’s Teachings on Spiritual Strength

In many of his lectures, Srila Prabhupada emphasized that the soul is not this body but an eternal servant of Krishna. He said:

"Real independence means to surrender to Krishna. Material independence is illusion."

This is the original risk we took as souls – choosing independence from God and entering the material world. But Sanatan Dharma gives us the way back: through Bhakti, knowledge, and surrender.

Another Gita verse confirms this:

मय्य्येव मन आधत्स्व मयि बुद्धिं निवेशय |

निवसिष्यसि मय्य्येव अत ऊर्ध्वं न संशय: ||

Fix your mind on Me, devote yourself to Me; you will live in Me, no doubt. (Bhagavad Gita 12.8)

Prabhupada lived in Krishna consciousness every moment. His calmness in crisis, fearlessness in a foreign land, and unwavering focus on service were not human qualities alone—they were fruits of deep spiritual absorption.

The Sanatangyan Blueprint for Risk & Reward

Today, the world often tells us to avoid risk, play safe, and follow conventional success paths. But Srila Prabhupada's journey shows that when faith leads, fear dissolves. He didn't have guarantees, but he had Guru kripa, Gita gyaan, and Krishna bhakti.

According to the Vedas, we are eternal spiritual souls (atmas) living temporarily in a body (deha). We once lived in the spiritual world (Vaikuntha) but misused our free will by desiring to enjoy separately from Krishna.

That choice brought us here — a world of birth, death, disease, and old age (janma-mrityu-jara-vyadhi – Gita 13.9).

Just like a spark falls from fire, the soul fell from the spiritual world, and now seems lost in this material fire.

 — Srila Prabhupada, Science of Self-Realization

So the next time you hesitate to take a step toward your spiritual duty or purpose, remember: when faith walks before fear, you won’t walk alone.

Hare Krishna!