Chapter 11 - The Gods’ prayer

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Vyāsa said:—

1. O son of Brahmā, of great intellect, O most excellent among the devotees of Śiva, you are blessed. When the three cities were burnt what did the gods do?

2. Where did Maya who was spared go? Where did the ascetics go? Please narrate all, if it relates to Śiva’s story.

Sūta said:—

3. On hearing the words of Vyāsa, Sanatkumāra the holy son of the creator remembered the feet of Śiva and spoke.

Sanatkumāra said:—

4. Listen O Vyāsa, son of Parāśara, and of great intellect, to the sin-destroying story of the great lord, who follows worldly conventions.

5. When the three cities of Asuras were utterly burnt, the Gods became surprised.

6. The gods including Indra, Viṣṇu and others became silent and bewildered on seeing the excessively brilliant Siva.

7-8. On merely seeing the terrible form of Śiva, dazzling the ten quarters, resembling countless suns in refulgence and on a par with the fire at the hour of dissolution, and also the goddess Pārvatī, the daughter of Himavat, the illustrious gods stood humbly in their fright.

9. On seeing the army of the gods terrified, the excellent sages did not say anything. They stood all round and bowed.

10-11. Then Brahmā too who was excessively afraid on seeing Śiva’s terrible form, was delighted at heart and fervently prayed along with the gods. Viṣṇu who was also afraid prayed to Śiva the lord of the Gods, the slayer of the Tripuras, who was accompanied by his consort Pārvatī, the lord who is subservient to his devotees.

Brahmā said:—

12. “O lord of the gods, O supreme lord, bestower of blessings to the devotees, be pleased, O bestower of wholesome blessings to all the gods.

13. Be pleased, O lord of the worlds, be pleased. O bestower of bliss. Be pleased, O lord Śiva. Be pleased, O supreme lord.

14. Obeisance to you, of the form of Oṃkāra, O great lord who enable the devotees to cross the ocean of existence by your very form. Be pleased, O lord of gods, O destroyer of the Tripuras, O supreme lord.

15. O Śiva, O favourite of your devotees. Obeisance to you, the lord of many names. Obeisance to you, free from attributes, O you who are greater than Prakṛti and Puruṣa.

16. Obeisance to you, free from aberrations, the eternal, the ever satiated, the resplendent, the unsullied, the divine one of three attributes.

17. Obeisance to you, possessed of attributes. Obeisance to you, the lord of heaven. Obeisance to the calm, tridentbearing Śiva.

18. Obeisance to the omniscient, to one who is the refuge of all. Obeisance to you born in a trice. Obeisance to Vāmadeva, Rudra, the Puruṣa, accessible to the good.

19. Obeisance to Aghora, to one easily served. Obeisance to you, subservient to the devotees. Obeisance to īśāna, the most excellent, the bestower of bliss to his devotees.

20. O great lord, save, save us all the frightened gods. By burning the three cities, the gods have been satisfied and contented.”

21. After eulogising thus, the gods severally bowed to him. The delighted gods, Brahmā and others, bowed to lord Śiva.

22. Then Brahmā himself eulogised lord Śiva the destroyer of the Tripuras after bowing to him with stooping shoulders and palms joined in reverence.

Brahmā said:—

23. “O holy lord, lord of the gods, O slayer of the Tripuras, O Śiva, O great lord, let my devotion to you remain eternal.

24. O Śiva, let me always remain your charioteer. O lord of the gods, O supreme lord, be favourable to me always.”

Sanatkumāra said:—

25. After thus eulogising Śiva who is favourably disposed to his devotees, with humility, the liberal hearted Brahmā stopped and stood there with stooping shoulders and palms joined in reverence.

26. Lord Viṣṇu too bowed to lord Śiva. With palms joined in reverence, he eulogised lord Śiva.

Viṣṇu said:—

27. O overlord of the Gods, O great lord, O merciful one, O kinsman of the distressed. Be pleased, O supreme lord. Be merciful, O favourite of those who bow to you.

28. Obeisance to you devoid of the attributes. Again obeisance to you possessed of attributes. Again obeisance to you of the form of Prakṛti and Puruṣa.

29. Obeisance to you of the form of attributes. Obeisance to the soul of the universe. Obeisance to you who love devotion. Obeisance to Śiva the calm one, the great soul.

30. Obeisance to Sadāśiva. Obeisance to Śiva, the lord of the worlds. Let my devotion to you steadily increase.

Samtkumāra said:—

31. After saying this, lord Viṣṇu the most excellent of the great devotees of Śiva stopped. Then all the Gods bowed to him and spoke to lord Śiva.

The gods said:—

32. O lord of gods, O great god, O Śiva, the merciful. Be pleased O lord of the worlds. Be pleased O supreme lord.

33. Be pleased. You are the creator of every thing. We bow to you joyously. Let our devotion to you be steady and endless.

Sanatkumāra said:—

34. Thus eulogised by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and the Gods, Śiva the benefactor of the worlds, the delighted lord of the gods, replied.

Śiva said:—

35. O Brahmā, O Viṣṇu, O gods, I am very much pleased with you all. All of you consider carefully and then let me know the boon you desire.

Sanatkumāra said:—

36. On hearing these words mentioned by Śiva, O excellent sage, all the Gods replied delightedly.

The gods said:—

31-38. O lord, if you are pleased, if the boon is to be granted by you to us, O lord of the master of gods, after knowing that we the gods are your slaves, then O most excellent deity, be pleased to appear always whenever misery befalls us and destroy the misery.

Sanatkumāra said:—

39. Thus requested simultaneously by Brahmā, Viṣṇu and the gods, Rudra was pleased in his mind and he said “Let it be ever so.

40. I am delighted by these hymns. O gods, I shall confer on those who read, recite and hear these hymns whatever they crave for”.

41. Saying this, the delighted Śiva the remover of the distress of gods, gave them every thing that was highly delightful to all the gods.