Prayers of Shiva Jvara to Lord Krishna

2015-06-03
Srimad Bhagavatam 10.63.23-25 - Prayers of Shiva Jvara to Lord Krishna (download mp3)
by Sankirtan Prabhu at ISKCON Chowpatty
www.iskcondesiretree.com




SB 10.63.23
atha narayanah devah
 tam drstva vyasrjaj jvaram
mahesvaro vaisnavas ca
 yuyudhate jvarav ubhau

Translation:
Seeing this personified weapon approach, Lord Narayana then released His own personified fever weapon, the Visnu-jvara. The Siva-jvara and Visnu-jvara thus battled each other.


SB 10.63.24
mahesvarah samakrandan
 vaisnavena balarditah
alabdhvabhayam anyatra
 bhito mahesvaro jvarah
saranarthi hrsikesam
 tustava prayatañjalih

Translation:
The Siva-jvara, overwhelmed by the strength of the Visnu-jvara, cried out in pain. But finding no refuge, the frightened Siva-jvara approached Lord Krsna, the master of the senses, hoping to attain His shelter. Thus with joined palms he began to praise the Lord.

Purport:
As pointed out by Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti, it is significant that the Siva-jvara had to leave the side of his master, Lord Siva, and directly take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Krsna.


SB 10.63.25
jvara uvaca
namami tvananta-saktim paresam
 sarvatmanam kevalam jñapti-matram
visvotpatti-sthana-samrodha-hetum
 yat tad brahma brahma-lingam prasantam

Translation:
The Siva-jvara said: I bow down to You of unlimited potencies, the Supreme Lord, the Supersoul of all beings. You possess pure and complete consciousness and are the cause of cosmic creation, maintenance and dissolution. Perfectly peaceful, You are the Absolute Truth to whom the Vedas indirectly refer.

Purport:
Previously the Siva-jvara felt himself to be unlimitedly powerful and thus attempted to burn Sri Krsna. But now he himself has been burned, and understanding that Sri Krsna is the Supreme Lord, he humbly approaches to bow down and offer praise to the Absolute Truth.

According to the acaryas, the word sarvatmanam indicates that Lord Sri Krsna is the Supersoul, the giver of consciousness to all living beings. Krsna confirms this in the Bhagavad-gita (15.15): mattah smrtir jñanam apohanam ca. “From Me come remembrance, knowledge and forgetfulness.”

In his commentary Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti emphasizes that the Siva-jvara has realized in many ways Lord Krsna’s supremacy over his own master, Lord Siva. Thus the Siva-jvara addresses Krsna as ananta-sakti, “possessor of unlimited potency”; paresa, “the supreme controller”; and sarvatma, “the Supersoul of all beings” — even of Lord Siva.

The words kevalam jñapti-matram indicate that Lord Krsna possesses pure omniscience. According to our limited understanding, we act in this world, but Lord Krsna, with His unlimited understanding, performs infinite works of creation, maintenance and annihilation. As Srila Jiva Gosvami points out, even the functions of the gross elements, such as air, depend on Him. The Taittiriya Upanisad (2.8.1) confirms this: bhisasmad vatah-pavate. “Out of fear of Him, the wind blows.” Thus Lord Sri Krsna is the ultimate object of worship for all living beings.