Shloka 26
अध्याय ५५ — बाणस्य पुनर्युद्धप्रवृत्तिः
Bāṇa’s Renewed Engagement in Battle
बाणोऽपि च महावीरो जगर्जाति प्रकुप्य ह । कृष्णं जघान गदया सोऽपतद्धरणीतले
bāṇo'pi ca mahāvīro jagarjāti prakupya ha | kṛṣṇaṃ jaghāna gadayā so'pataddharaṇītale
Then Bāṇa too—an exceedingly mighty hero—roared in fury and struck Kṛṣṇa with his mace; and Kṛṣṇa fell upon the surface of the earth.
Sūta Gosvāmin (narrating to the sages at Naimiṣāraṇya)
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
FAQs
It highlights how worldly power and battle-events unfold under the larger sovereignty of Pati (Śiva): even great heroes and divine figures experience rises and falls, reminding the seeker that lasting refuge is in Śiva-bhakti and inner surrender rather than mere force.
In the Yuddhakhaṇḍa setting, Bāṇa’s prowess is tied to his association with Śiva; the narrative frames conflict within devotion to Saguna Śiva—where the Lord protects dharma and regulates outcomes, teaching that devotion (to the Liṅga and Śiva’s manifest grace) is the true stabilizing power.
The practical takeaway is steadiness through japa and Śiva-smaraṇa: repeating the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) with Tripuṇḍra (bhasma) and Rudrākṣa supports composure when anger, fear, or conflict arises.