In You, O Lord, Even the Negative Becomes Positive

muhuḥ svāsa-kampa-tri-rekhāṅka-kaṇṭha

His gentle neck in tremors slight,
Three lines adorned his form of light.
His breath came quick in quivering flow,
Revealing love through fear’s soft glow.

(Damodarashtakam — Verse 2, Line 3)

My dear Lord, your beauty is enhanced by your fear, not diminished by it. We, with our temporary conditioned bodies, go out of our way to look attractive—and only when we are in a positive mood do we appear even slightly attractive. A person who is scared or crying doesn’t look attractive. Such a person may evoke tender, protective emotions in others, but not because they look beautiful—rather because they seem vulnerable.

You, my beloved Lord, are so extraordinarily and transcendentally beautiful that even while you are in a state of fear—indeed, even terror—as when you are crying fervently, your beauty becomes enhanced. The three lines formed on your neck as you breathe heavily in fear only add to your charm.

O inconceivable Lord, just as the fearful becomes beautiful in you, grant me the conviction that if I stay within you—acting in harmony with your will and living in the light of your words—then you can turn even the fearful things that happen to me into something meaningful, perhaps even something beautiful.
Help me understand that my present experience is not destined to be my permanent one; you will lead me from this passing darkness into the eternal light of your unfailing love.