Verse 1.2.87-88

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of verse 1.2.87-88:

शिव-दत्त-वरोन्मत्तात् त्रिपुरेश्वरतो मयात् ।
तथा वृकासुरादेश् च सङ्कटं परमं गतः ॥ ८७ ॥
शिवः समुद्धृतोऽनेन हर्षितश् च वचोऽमृतैः ।
तद्-अन्तरङ्ग-सद्-भक्त्या कृष्णेन वश-वर्तिना ।
स्वयम् आराध्यते चास्य माहात्म्य-भर-सिद्धये ॥ ८८ ॥

śiva-datta-varonmattāt tripureśvarato mayāt |
tathā vṛkāsurādeś ca saṅkaṭaṃ paramaṃ gataḥ || 87 ||
śivaḥ samuddhṛto'nena harṣitaś ca vaco'mṛtaiḥ |
tad-antaraṅga-sad-bhaktyā kṛṣṇena vaśa-vartinā |
svayam ārādhyate cāsya māhātmya-bhara-siddhaye || 88 ||

Once, Śrī Śiva bestowed boons on the Maya dāṇava Tripurādhīśvara, who was the subduer of the three worlds, and at other times to Vṛkāsura and other demons. They caused him great anxiety as they became mad after receiving their boons. At those times Śrī Kṛṣṇa protected him from the critical danger of such demons, and He relieved him from his anxiety and crisis by pleasing him with His sweet, nectarean words. Being subjugated by the pure devotion of Śrī Śiva, Śrī Kṛṣṇa personally worships him as His intimate devotee (antaraṅga-bhakta), because of the glories of his profound depths of realization.

Commentary: Dig-darśinī-ṭīkā with Bhāvānuvāda

(By Śrīla Sanātana Gosvāmī himself including a deep purport of that commentary)

Mahādeva is most beloved by Śrī Kṛṣṇa. Brahmā elaborates on this topic with the four verses beginning with śiva. Śrī Bhagavān protected Śrī Śiva from the great fear of the rasa-kūpasiddhi of Tripurādhīśvara, the Maya dānava and controller of the three worlds, who became maddened and blinded due to the boon of Śrī Śiva. Moreover, He protected Śrī Śiva from the great fear of Vṛkāsura, who had pleased Śiva by performing great austerities, and who was granted a boon from Śrī Śiva that the head of whomever he placed his hand upon would immediately crack open. Achieving this boon, he began running after Śaṅkarajī to place his hand upon his head. However, Bhagavān Śrī Kṛṣṇa killed that demon by His own hand and protected Śaṅkarajī. In the same way, Śiva had bestowed a boon on the Maya dānava Tripurāsura that as long as he kept on drinking the nectarlike juice from his well of nectar (rasa-kūpa), no one would be able to kill him. Becoming proud by that boon, Tripurāsura challenged Śiva to a fight and gave him great difficulty. Then Bhagavān Viṣṇu protected Śiva by drinking the well Himself.

Rāvaṇa also gained great power and strength from the boon of Śaṅkarajī by lifting Kailāśa Mountain and thus repeatedly troubled him. Bhagavān Rāma killed him and protected Śrī Śiva from that danger. All these pastimes are mentioned in such scriptures as Śrīmad Bhāgavatam and other Vedic texts.

O my son Nārada, what more can I say? By his offenses Śrī Śiva felt ashamed, but he never was neglected by me. Rather he obtained great happiness from the nectarean, sweet words.

To increase his glories, Śrī Kṛṣṇa has said (Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam or Bhāgavata Purāṇa 10.88.39):

अहो देव महा-देव पापो’यं स्वेन पाप्मना हतः को नु महत्स्व् ईश
जन्तुर् वै कृत-किल्बिषः क्षेमी स्यात् किं नु विश्वेशे कृतागस्को जगद्-गुरौ

aho deva mahā-deva pāpo’yaṃ svena pāpmanā hataḥ ko nu mahatsv īśa
jantur vai kṛta-kilbiṣaḥ kṣemī syāt kiṃ nu viśveśe kṛtāgasko jagad-gurau

“Alas, this sinful demon has been killed by his own offensive reactions! O Lord, by comitting offenses to great personalities, how can there be any aupiciousness? You are the spiritual master of the entire world. If that wicked-minded person commits an offense to you, what is there to say about him?”

Please listen further. That same Supreme Person in other forms such as Bhagavān Paraśurāma, who became subjugated by Śrī Śiva, is personally worshipping Śrī Śiva with a devotional sentiment as one of His intimate devotees (antaraṅga-bhaktas). Why should Bhagavān Paraśurāma worship Śrī Śiva? They do so to substantiate that the glories of Śrī Śiva as greater than their own glories—by this, it is clear that Bhagavān showers the glories of His devotee with loving affection.