Vivekachudamani 359

सति सक्तो नरो याति सद्भावं ह्येकनिष्ठया । 

कीटको भ्रमरं ध्यायन् भ्रमरत्वाय कल्पते ॥ 

sati sakto naro yāti sadbhāvaṃ hyekaniṣṭhayā | 

kīṭako bhramaraṃ dhyāyan bhramaratvāya kalpate || 

(Sankaracarya's Vivekachudamani 359) 

One devoted to the Real becomes the Real through single-pointed devotion, just as the 'worm' exclusively thinking upon the wasp (bhramara), becomes itself the wasp. 

Even a little devotion can protect you from falling down into a lower species of life. Such devotion never suffers loss or diminution. If we don’t achieve full success at the end of this life, then we have to face the fear of death and the afterlife. Where will we go? While death is a great fear, falling into the lower species, where there is no chance to act for self-realization, is a greater fear. 

Death is never fearful for those who practice bhakti and self-realized. The Lord Vishnu personally carries the soul forward either to the spiritual world or to the next life where the soul can again continue his activities in spiritual life. A devotee who takes shelter of this merciful Vishnu has nothing to fear.