Shloka 16
बाणासुरस्य शङ्करस्तुतिः तथा युद्धयाचनम् | Bāṇāsura’s Praise of Śiva and Petition for Battle
यदेष मानुषशिरो मयूरसहितो ध्वजः । विद्यते तव दुष्टात्मंस्तस्य स्यात्पतनं यदा
yadeṣa mānuṣaśiro mayūrasahito dhvajaḥ | vidyate tava duṣṭātmaṃstasya syātpatanaṃ yadā
So long as your banner—bearing a human head and adorned with peacock feathers—still stands, O wicked-souled one, your fall is held at bay; but when that standard collapses, your downfall will surely come.
Lord Shiva (as the inner ruler of destiny, warning in the battle narrative)
Tattva Level: pati
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It teaches that adharma is sustained only temporarily by external power-signs; when the support of ego and cruelty collapses, karma ripens and divine order (Śiva’s niyati) brings inevitable downfall.
Saguna Śiva is shown as the upholder of cosmic law in history and battle; devotion to Śiva (often through the Liṅga) aligns one with dharma, while arrogance and violence lead to collapse when Śiva’s ordinance manifests.
A practical takeaway is to cultivate humility and self-restraint with daily japa of the Pañcākṣarī mantra (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and remembrance that worldly “standards” are impermanent, while Śiva-dharma endures.