Devanagari
माहेश्वर: समाक्रन्दन् वैष्णवेन बलार्दित: ।
अलब्ध्वाभयमन्यत्र भीतो माहेश्वरो ज्वर: ।
शरणार्थी हृषीकेशं तुष्टाव प्रयताञ्जलि: ॥ २४ ॥
Verse text
māheśvaraḥ samākrandan
vaiṣṇavena balārditaḥ
alabdhvābhayam anyatra
bhīto māheśvaro jvaraḥ
śaraṇārthī hṛṣīkeśaṁ
tuṣṭāva prayatāṣjaliḥ
Synonyms
māheśvaraḥ
—
(the fever weapon) of Lord Śiva
;
samākrandan
—
crying out
;
vaiṣṇavena
—
of the Vaiṣṇava-jvara
;
bala
—
by the strength
;
arditaḥ
—
tormented
;
alabdhvā
—
not obtaining
;
abhayam
—
fearlessness
;
anyatra
—
elsewhere
;
bhītaḥ
—
frightened
;
māheśvaraḥ jvaraḥ
—
the Māheśvara-jvara
;
śaraṇa
—
for shelter
;
arthī
—
hankering
;
hṛṣīkeśam
—
Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of everyone’s senses
;
tuṣṭāva
—
he praised
;
prayata
—
aṣjaliḥ — with palms joined in supplication .
Translation
The Śiva-jvara, overwhelmed by the strength of the Viṣṇu-jvara, cried out in pain. But finding no refuge, the frightened Śiva-jvara approached Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses, hoping to attain His shelter. Thus with joined palms he began to praise the Lord.
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
The Śiva-jvara, overwhelmed by the strength of the Viṣṇu-jvara, cried out in pain. But finding no refuge, the frightened Śiva-jvara approached Lord Kṛṣṇa, the master of the senses, hoping to attain His shelter. Thus with joined palms he began to praise the Lord.
KB 10.63.24
Gradually, the Śiva-jvara’s temperature diminished, and the Śiva-jvara began to cry for help from Lord Śiva, but Lord Śiva was unable to help him in the presence of the Nārāyaṇa-jvara. Unable to get any help from Lord Śiva, the Śiva-jvara could understand that he had no means of escape outside of surrendering unto Nārāyaṇa, Lord Kṛṣṇa Himself. Lord Śiva, the greatest of the demigods, could not help him, what to speak of the lesser demigods, and therefore the Śiva-jvara ultimately surrendered unto Kṛṣṇa, bowing before Him and offering a prayer so that the Lord might be pleased and give him protection.
This incident of the fight between the ultimate weapons of Lord Śiva and Lord Kṛṣṇa proves that if Kṛṣṇa gives someone protection no one can kill him and if Kṛṣṇa does not give one protection no one can save him. Lord Śiva is called Mahādeva, the greatest of all the demigods, although sometimes Lord Brahmā is considered the greatest of all the demigods because he can create. However, Lord Śiva can annihilate the creations of Brahmā. Still, both Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva act only in one capacity: Lord Brahmā can create, and Lord Śiva can annihilate. But neither of them can maintain. Lord Viṣṇu, however, not only maintains but creates and annihilates also. Factually, the creation is not effected by Brahmā, because Brahmā himself is created by Lord Viṣṇu. And Lord Śiva is created, or born, of Brahmā. The Śiva-jvara thus understood that without Kṛṣṇa, or Nārāyaṇa, no one could help him. He therefore rightly took shelter of Lord Kṛṣṇa and, with folded hands, began to pray as follows.
Purport
As pointed out by Śrīla Viśvanātha Cakravartī, it is significant that the Śiva-jvara had to leave the side of his master, Lord Śiva, and directly take shelter of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Lord Kṛṣṇa.
Purport (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Jvara began to weep. Not finding relief from fear even after going to his own master Siva, knowing Siva could not protect him, being very afraid (bhita), he offered respects to Krsna on the ground, and with devotion he offered praise with folded hands.
Purport (Jiva Goswami)
Wailing loudly (samākrandan), the Śiva-jvara fought. Then he became afflicted by the strength of Viṣṇu-jvara. Not finding fearlessness elsewhere, wherever he went in fear, he was followed by Viṣṇu-jvara, like Durvasā being followed by Sudarśaṇa. He went everywhere in the mood of surrender, asking “Please protect me” but no one could save him from fear. Then, fearful, desiring protection or shelter (śaraṇārthī), he folded his hands, being purified by devotion, or enthusiastic with devotion (prayata) and praised the Lord. Another version has praṇata: bowing with devotion. Kṛṣṇa was master of his senses he thought compassionately of him. “Śiva-jvara, afflicted by me, is now surrendering to me.”