Shloka 16
Hari’s Special Mercy, Śiva’s Quick Boons, and the Deliverance from Vṛkāsura
दशास्यबाणयोस्तुष्ट: स्तुवतोर्वन्दिनोरिव । ऐश्वर्यमतुलं दत्त्वा तत आप सुसङ्कटम् ॥ १६ ॥
daśāsya-bāṇayos tuṣṭaḥ stuvator vandinor iva aiśvaryam atulaṁ dattvā tata āpa su-saṅkaṭam
Śiva became pleased with ten-headed Rāvaṇa and also with Bāṇa when they praised him like bards in a royal court. He granted them unparalleled power, yet afterward he found himself in great distress.
Rāvaṇa worshiped Lord Śiva to gain power and then misused that power to uproot the lord’s residence, sacred Kailāsa-parvata. On Bāṇāsura’s request, Lord Śiva agreed to personally guard Bāṇa’s capital, and later he had to fight for Bāṇa against Śrī Kṛṣṇa and His sons.
FAQs
This verse states that Śiva, pleased by the praise of Rāvaṇa and Bāṇa, granted them unmatched power, but that gift later became a cause of severe difficulty—showing the danger of boons given without considering the recipient’s nature.
Because the recipients (notably powerful asuras) tend to misuse extraordinary boons; the Bhāgavatam highlights that even a well-intended grant of power can backfire when it empowers adharma.
Be careful when empowering others—praise and flattery should not replace discernment; give responsibility, resources, or authority only with wise safeguards and attention to character.