Shloka 14

बाणयुद्धम्, हरिहरसंवादः, ज्वरप्रकरणम्, अनिरुद्धमोचनम्

Bāṇa’s War, the Jvara Episode, Hari–Hara Dialogue, and Aniruddha’s Release

Devanagari script

ततस् त्रिपादस् त्रिशिरा ज्वरो माहेश्वरो महान् बाणरक्षार्थम् अत्यर्थं युयुधे शार्ङ्गधन्वना

Transliteration

tatas tripādas triśirā jvaro māheśvaro mahān bāṇarakṣārtham atyarthaṃ yuyudhe śārṅgadhanvanā

Translation

Then arose the great Māheśvara Fever, three-footed and three-headed; and, intent on protecting Bāṇa, it fought with fierce resolve against the wielder of Śārṅga—Lord Viṣṇu (Kṛṣṇa) Himself.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

त्रिपादःthree-footed (one)

त्रिशिराःthree-headed (one)

ज्वरःthe fever (personified)

माहेश्वरःŚaiva, of Maheśvara

महान्great

बाणरक्षार्थम्for protecting Bāṇa

अत्यर्थम्very intensely

युयुधेfought

शार्ङ्गधन्वनाby the wielder of the Śārṅga bow

Speaker

Sage Parāśara (narrating to Maitreya)

Parashara-Maitreya Dialogue

Speaker: Parasara

Topic: Continuation of Krishna’s exploits—battle at Bāṇa’s city and the arising of Māheśvara’s Jvara

Teaching: Historical

Quality: authoritative

Avatara Context

Avatara: Krishna

Purpose: Krishna confronts the Māheśvara Jvara to subdue Śiva’s protective force and uphold cosmic order while restraining Bāṇa’s excesses.

Leela: Yuddha

Dharma Restored: Limits on asuric/daitya-aligned violence and the supremacy of Bhagavān’s protective sovereignty over all energies

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Even formidable divine powers (like Māheśvara’s Jvara) operate under Bhagavān’s higher sovereignty, so refuge in Krishna is ultimately unsurpassed.

Vedantic Theme: Dharma

Application: When confronted by overwhelming forces, cultivate śaraṇāgati (taking refuge) rather than fear, remembering all powers are subordinate to the Lord’s will.

Vishishtadvaita: All śaktis and deities function as dependent realities (śeṣa) within the supreme Lord’s order (śeṣi), affirming hierarchy without denying divinity’s plurality.

Vaishnava Theology

Vishnu Form: Krishna

Characters & Entities

Vishnu (as Krishna)

Shiva (Maheśvara)

Bāṇāsura

Māheśvara Jvara (personified fever)

FAQs

What is the significance of Māheśvara Jvara in the Vishnu Purana?

It represents Śiva’s personified, weapon-like power (a fever-being) deployed to defend Bāṇāsura, highlighting how even formidable divine forces appear in battle against Krishna’s sovereign presence.

How does Sage Parāśara explain the conflict between Shiva’s forces and Krishna?

Parāśara narrates it as a dramatic battlefield unfolding where protectors of Bāṇa—up to Śiva’s own manifestations—enter combat, yet the narrative framework maintains Vishnu/Krishna as the decisive, ordering power.

The theological importance of Lord Vishnu in this context?

By naming Krishna as Śārṅgadhanvan and placing even Māheśvara’s mighty manifestation in direct contest with Him, the verse reinforces Vishnu’s role as the supreme regulator of cosmic outcomes.