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In Geetha it is said that lust and anger are worse qualities.

But it didn't stress any where that fear is a bad quality. Am I correct? Is there any slokha explicitly saying that fear is very worse quality?

If not, is fear not as bad as lust and angry?

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    Anger and desire are the two fundamental evils which combine to create other qualities that is why Kamokarshit japa is given to a sadhak to realize the fundamental evils.
    – Yogi
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 12:46
  • I don't see the Gita saying that fear is one of the worst qualities. Fear is an upadhi, a natural occurance to all living beings. The greatest upadhis are lust and greed. Fear will drop off by itself when the heart is controlled, when lust and gold are controlled..
    – Swami Vishwananda
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 5:42

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Gita classifies fear as a bad quality as can be seen in this shloka:

Freed from passion, fear and anger, ever absorbed in My thought, and ever dependent on Me - many have attained to My state, being purified by the fire of knowledge and austerity.

Gita 4.10

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Well, not sure how fear compares with lust and anger or which one is worse; but fear is certainly not good as talked by Swami Vivekananda here

Fear is death, fear is sin, fear is hell, fear is unrighteousness, fear is wrong life. All the negative thoughts and ideas that are in this world have proceeded from this evil spirit of fear.

Quoting Sri Ramakrishna on fear here (search page 145)

One should not be ashamed of chanting God's holy name. As the saying goes, 'One does not succeed so long as one has these three: shame, hatred, and fear.'

But the fear of God is necessary as it prevents one from acting in immoral and illegal ways.

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Our ancient scriptures never classified passion, fear, anger, etc, as bad qualities. They are only weaknesses . That is why it was said:

आहार-निद्रा-भय-मैथुनं च समानमेतत्पशुभिर्नराणाम् । धर्मो हि तेषामधिको विशेषो धर्मेण हीनाः पशुभिः समानाः ॥

"food, sleep, fear and mating, these acts of humans are similar to animals'. Of them (humans), dharma (right conduct) is the only special thing, without dharma humans are also animals."

(hitopadeshaH kathAmrutam http://blog.practicalsanskrit.com/2010/01/human-or-animal-what-is-difference.html)

Through this sloka, we are told about common traits to both animals and human beings and about that quality DHARMA, which separates animals from Human beings.

Again, passion, fear, anger, etc, are not weaknesses in all cases .

We have to understand that passion, fear, anger, etc, may be impediment for a person desiring to progress SPIRITUALLY, but not to a student or a householder.

  1. If a student does not have passion towards his studies, he can not gain knowledge.

  2. If a parents do not show anger towards misbehaving children, they can not set them on right path

  3. If a person does not learn to fear about hazardous materials like electricity, poisonous chemicals, explosives, etc (or) wild animals (or) dangerous situations, it will pose threat to very life of humans. Are not animals running away out of fear, when a threat to their life has been perceived?

In respect of humans desiring to progress spiritually, passion, fear, anger, etc, these are to be considered weaknesses only but not bad qualities.

Unless the spiritual aspirant overcomes his weaknesses, i.e., passion, fear, anger, etc, his progress will be little.

The life of Sage Vishwamitra is an example in this regard. As long as he was overwhelmed by his weaknesses like desire for opposite sex, anger, ego, jealousy,etc, he could not succeed in his attempts.

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  • @DoubleDouble:It is always advisable to introduce yourself, before making any comments, when you are not familiar with the customs of other cultures.
    – Srimannarayana K V
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 18:58
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    Hello, I'm DoubleDouble. I disagree on "2." - anger is not necessary to set children on the right path. The only thing anger does is make you more violent. This is only helpful if you are in a violent situation. (But, I am not familiar with Hinduism - is this something Hinduism teaches?)
    – DoubleDouble
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 19:16
  • Can you please add to the answer, the reference for the shloka you used? (where it is from, link will help)
    – Say No To Censorship
    Commented Nov 13, 2015 at 23:19
  • @DoubleDouble: I could infer from your sarcastic comments that you do not belong to Hinduism and perhaps, you may not belong to this country. I do not know how you people set the children in right path, without expressing your anger, slapping, if necessary, when they misbehave. Even my father shouted at me and slapped rarely, when I was in my teens and misbehaved. I learnt the lesson.
    – Srimannarayana K V
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 3:04
  • @sv.: I used to hear this verse ever since I started showing interest in spiritualism, but I never cared for the source of this sloka. I will try to get it.
    – Srimannarayana K V
    Commented Nov 14, 2015 at 3:11

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