Fear, its cause and the solution

Having seen the universal form, Arjuna has directed his "divine vision" to know the future a bit. There he sees a terrifying form of LORD.

He Asks:
आख्याहि मे को भवानुग्ररूपो
नमोऽस्तु ते देववर प्रसीद।
विज्ञातुमिच्छामि भवन्तमाद्यं
न हि प्रजानामि तव प्रवृत्तिम्।।11.31।।

Having heard the complete description about the LORD again and again in his own words, Even after seeing the three forms of LORD (His human form as Krishna, his manifest universal form and the unmanifestd form) Arjuna is still confused. He is asking again "What is your source?" "What is your actions?" I want to know.

The cause for such confusion is "FEAR" Fear is caused by the limitation imposed by the TIME in the nature of "form". All forms are limited by TIME. They emerge out of time and merge back into TIME. So, every "FORM" is a time quantum!

Lord explains this concept very nicely:

श्री भगवानुवाच
कालोऽस्मि लोकक्षयकृत्प्रवृद्धो
लोकान्समाहर्तुमिह प्रवृत्तः।
ऋतेऽपि त्वां न भविष्यन्ति सर्वे
येऽवस्थिताः प्रत्यनीकेषु योधाः।।11.32।।
11.32 कालः time, अस्मि (I) am, लोकक्षयकृत् world-destroying, प्रवृद्धः full-grown, लोकान् the worlds, समाहर्तुम् to destroy, इह here, प्रवृत्तः engaged, ऋते without, अपि also, त्वाम् thee, न not, भविष्यन्ति shall live, सर्वे all, ये these, अवस्थिताः arrayed, प्रत्यनीकेषु in hostile armies, योधाः warriors.

तस्मात्त्वमुत्तिष्ठ यशो लभस्व
जित्वा शत्रून् भुङ्क्ष्व राज्यं समृद्धम्।
मयैवैते निहताः पूर्वमेव
निमित्तमात्रं भव सव्यसाचिन्।।11.33।।
11.33 तस्मात् therefore, त्वम् thou, उत्तिष्ठ stand up, यशः fame, लभस्व obtain, जित्वा having conquered, शत्रून् enemies, भुङ्क्ष्व enjoy, राज्यम् the kingdom, समृद्धम् the unrivalled, मया by Me, एव even, एते these, निहताः have been slain, पूर्वम् before, एव even, निमित्तमात्रम् a mere instrument, भव be, सव्यसाचिन् O ambidexterous one.

द्रोणं च भीष्मं च जयद्रथं च
कर्णं तथाऽन्यानपि योधवीरान्।
मया हतांस्त्वं जहि मा व्यथिष्ठा
युध्यस्व जेतासि रणे सपत्नान्।।11.34।।
11.34 द्रोणम् Drona, च and, भीष्मम् Bhishma, च and, जयद्रथम् Jayadratha, च and, कर्णम् Karna, तथा also, अन्यान् others, अपि also, योधवीरान् brave warriors, मया by Me, हतान् slain, त्वम् thou, जहि do kill, मा not, व्यथिष्ठाः be distressed with fear, युध्यस्व fight, जेतासि shall conquer, रणे in the battle, सपत्नान् the enemies.

Arjuna was having a basic doubt that how he can win over Bhishma, Drona, Karna, Krupacharya, etc., great warriors lined up in the Kaurava army. The "vasana" of this doubt caused "Fear" in him. The same fear directed Arjuna's attention to the terrifying aspect of the Viswaroopa. That lead him to ask the question about the lords actions!

But, LORD is always clear of his position. He says the terrifying aspect is the TIME that consumes everything here. Even if Arjuna rejects to fight, NONE of the FORMS of Bhishma, Drona, etc., fighters are going to survive. Everything will be destroyed by the aspect of TIME.

So, What was the Instruction given by LORD to his Disciple:
INSTRUCTION 26:
निमित्तमात्रम् a mere instrument, भव be, सव्यसाचिन् O ambidexterous one.

O great archer (who can fire the arrows on both hands with equal precision)! Just be an instrument! and get the fame of winning this WAR in which all these powerful warriors are already been slain!

Note: This instruction is not for everyone. Only to a skillful warrior like Arjuna who has completely surrendered to the LORD and given the complete authority to LORD to "Drive" him.

So, NO FORM is eternal as it is just a pocket of TIME. The SOUL (the essence) of ALL FORMS is never destroyed and it is always beyond TIME. Realizing this fact makes one transcend the TIME and be FEARLESS forever!

om tat sat