Deliverance of Lord Siva 313
ties, especially passion and ignorance. Lord Sri Krsna has therefore stated
in the Bhagavad-gita that to take blessings from the demigods is less intelli-
gent because when one takes benedictions from the demigods, the results
of such benedictions are temporary. It is easy to get material opulence by
worshiping the demigods, but the result is sometimes disastrous. As such,
the benedictions derived from demigods are appreciated by the less intelli-
gent class of men. Persons who derive benedictions from the demigods
gradually become puffed up with material opulence and neglectful of
their benefactors.

Sukadeva Gosvami addressed King Pariksit thus: “My dear King, Lord
Brahma, Lord Visnu, and Lord Siva, the principal trio of the material
creation, are able to bless or to curse anyone. Of this trio, Lord Brahma
and Lord Siva become very easily satisfied, and at the same time they
become very easily angered. When they are satisfied they give benedictions
without any consideration, and when they are angry, they curse the
devotee without any consideration. But Lord Visnu is not like that. Lord
Visnu is very considerate. Whenever a devotee wants something from Lord
Visnu, Lord Visnu first of all considers whether such a benediction will ul-
timately be good for the devotee. Lord Visnu never bestows any benedic-
tion which will ultimately prove disastrous to the devotee, He is, by His tran-
scendental nature, always merciful; therefore, before giving any benedic-
tion, He considers whether it will prove beneficial for the devotee. Since the
Supreme Personality of Godhead is always merciful, even when it appears
that He has killed a demon, or even when He apparently becomes angry
toward a devotee, His actions are always auspicious. The Supreme Person-
ality of Godhead is therefore known as all-good. Whatever He does is good.

As for the benedictions given by demigods like Lord Siva, there is the
following historical incident cited by great sages. Once, Lord Siva, after
giving benediction to a demon named Vrkasura, the son of Sakuni, was
himself entrapped in a very dangerous position. Vrkasura was searching
after a benediction and was trying to decide which of the three presiding
deities to worship in order to get it. In the meantime he happened to meet
the great sage Narada and consulted with him as to whom he should
approach to achieve quick results from his austerity. He inquired, “‘Of the
three deities, namely Lord Brahma, Lord Visnu and Lord Siva, who is
most quickly satisfied?’’ Narada could understand the plan of the demon,
and he advised him, “You had better worship Lord Siva: then you will
quickly get the desired result. Lord Siva is very quickly satisfied and very
quickly dissatisfied also. So you try to satisfy Lord Siva.” Narada also
cited instances wherein demons like Ravana and Banasura were enriched
