chÄyÄ-pratyÄhvayÄbhÄsÄ
hy asanto 'py artha-kÄriṇaḥ
evaá¹ dehÄdayo bhÄvÄ
yacchanty Ä-má¹›tyuto bhayam
chÄyÄ - shadows; pratyÄhvaya - echoes; ÄbhÄsÄḥ - and false appearances; hi - indeed; asantaḥ - nonexistent; api - although; artha - ideas; kÄriṇaḥ - creating; evam - in the same way; deha-Ädayaḥ - the body and so on; bhÄvÄḥ - material conceptions; yacchanti - they give; Ä-má¹›tyutaḥ - up to the point of death; bhayam - fear.
Although shadows, echoes and mirages are only illusory reflections of real things, such reflections do cause a semblance of meaningful or comprehensible perception. In the same way, although the identification of the conditioned soul with the material body, mind and ego is illusory, this identification generates fear within him even up to the moment of death.
Although shadows, echoes and mirages are mere reflections of real substances, they create strong emotions in persons falsely accepting them as real. In the same manner, a conditioned soul is seized by such emotions as fear, lust, anger and hope because of his illusory perception of himself as the material body, mind and false ego. By practical example it is thus shown that even illusory objects may cause highly emotional reactions. Ultimately our emotions should be absorbed in the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is eternal truth. Fear is forever vanquished when one takes shelter of the Lord’s lotus feet. One can then enjoy the pure emotions of liberated life.
