Hatred, fear, prejudice and pride narrow the human heart. Swami Sri Yukteswar shows us how to overcome these inner fetters and rediscover the magnanimity within. An analysis by OSWALD PEREIRA
The human heart is capable of immense love, compassion and generosity. Yet hatred, fear, prejudice and ego often prevent these qualities from expressing themselves.
In his book, The Holy Science, Swami Sri Yukteswar, the revered guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, identifies eight such negative tendencies as the meannesses of the heart. He teaches that spiritual growth is not about acquiring goodness from outside but removing the inner obstacles that conceal our natural divinity.
These eight fetters are hatred, shame, fear, grief, condemnation, race or prejudice, pride of pedigree, and self-importance.
Eight Fetters That Shrink the Heart
Hatred makes us hostile towards others, often allowing past hurts to dictate present relationships. Shame makes us feel unworthy, trapping us in the memory of our mistakes. Fear robs us of confidence and prevents us from trusting life.
Grief, when allowed to dominate us, keeps us imprisoned in the past instead of helping us appreciate what life has given us.
Condemnation makes us judge others without understanding their circumstances. Prejudice divides humanity along the lines of race, religion, caste and community, obscuring the fundamental unity of life.
Pride of pedigree makes us feel superior because of our family, ancestry or social standing. Self-importance places the ego at the centre of our existence, leaving little room for humility and selfless service.
These eight tendencies may appear different, but they share a common characteristic: they make the individual consciousness smaller. Instead of recognising our connection with others, we become imprisoned in our own likes, dislikes, fears and prejudices.
The Way to Transcend Them
Sri Yukteswar does not ask us to manufacture goodness or impose artificial virtues upon ourselves. His teaching is that we must remove the inner obstacles that conceal our natural magnanimity.
In Chapter IV of The Holy Science, titled ‘The Revelation’, he explains that the practice of Yama and Niyama helps human beings overcome their animal instincts and acquire magnanimity of the heart. Yama and Niyama are the ethical and moral disciplines of yoga. They include non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, self-control, non-possessiveness, cleanliness, contentment, self-discipline, self-study and surrender to God.
Sri Yukteswar makes an important point: these disciplines are not merely moral instructions. They are essential preparations for genuine spiritual progress. As he explains, when the meannesses of the heart disappear, magnanimity, or Mahatwam, emerges, accompanied by an innate courage. Only then is one truly prepared for deeper practices such as Asana and meditation.
The practical application of this wisdom begins with self-observation. When hatred arises, we can consciously cultivate goodwill. When shame troubles us, we can remember that we are children of God, capable of learning and changing.
Fear can be countered by trust in the Divine. Grief can gradually give way to gratitude for the love and experiences life has given us.
Similarly, instead of condemning someone, we can try to understand what that person might be going through. Instead of prejudice, we can cultivate an awareness of our shared humanity.
Pride of pedigree can be replaced by humility, recognising the divine light in everyone. Self-importance can yield to joyful, selfless service.
Eight Days to a Magnanimous Heart
One simple way to practise Sri Yukteswar’s teaching is to devote eight days to the eight fetters, examining one tendency each day. We need not condemn ourselves when we discover these traits. We simply observe them, pause, breathe and consciously cultivate their opposite.
At the end of each day, we can ask ourselves two questions: Which meanness visited my heart today? What happened when I consciously tried to release it?
This exercise is not about achieving instant perfection. It is about gradually changing our habitual responses and allowing the heart to expand.
The deeper message of The Holy Science is profoundly liberating. Spirituality is not about becoming somebody we are not. It is about uncovering the divine qualities already within us.
When hatred gives way to love, fear to courage, prejudice to unity and ego to humility, the heart discovers its natural greatness.
Sri Yukteswar’s wisdom reminds us that the journey towards God begins not merely with rituals, prayers or meditation, but with the transformation of our inner nature.
When the eight fetters fall away, the heart becomes magnanimous, the spirit courageous and the path to divine realisation clearer.
We do not have to make the heart great. We have to stop making it small.
Oswald Pereira, a senior journalist, has written ten books, including The Vijay Revolution: People Power & the Politics of Hope, Beyond Autobiography of a Yogi, The Newsroom Mafia, Chaddi Buddies, The Krishna-Christ Connexion, How to Create Miracles in Our Daily Life and Crime Patrol: The Most Thrilling Stories. Oswald is a disciple of Paramhansa Yogananda and practises Kriya Yoga.
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