13.145
Praise of the Lord
Yudhishthira said.
O Madhusūdana, you ought to explain to me the knowledge that you then acquired here by the grace of Durvāsas. (13-145-1)
O best among the wise, I wish to truly know all about the great fortune and the names of that great soul. (13-145-2)
Vāsudeva said.
O great king, indeed, after bowing to Kapardin, I shall tell you what has been obtained, the highest good, and the fame that has been gained. (13-145-3)
O lord of the people, listen to me as I speak: With self-restraint, having risen in the morning, I recite with joined palms the Śatarudrīya hymn. (13-145-4)
At the end of his penance, Prajāpati, possessed of great austerity, created that (the world). But, O dear one, Śaṅkara created both immobile and mobile beings. (13-145-5)
There is nothing whatsoever higher than Mahadeva, O Lord of men; here, in all the three worlds, he alone is truly the origin of all beings. (13-145-6)
Nor indeed can anyone stand before the great-souled one. Truly, an equal to him is not found in the three worlds. (13-145-7)
Indeed, even by his scent alone in battle, the enemies—made unconscious and mostly slain by his fury—tremble and fall. (13-145-8)
His terrible roar, like the roar of thunder, even hearing it in battle, would burst the hearts of the gods. (13-145-9)
No gods, demons, Gandharvas, or serpents in the world—even those who dwell in caves—are happy when the angry wielder of Pināka (Śiva) is seen in his terrible form. (13-145-10)
Then Bhava (Śiva), angry and fearless, pierced the sacrifice of Dakṣa, the lord of creatures, as it was being performed. Having discharged an arrow from his bow with a resounding noise, he also gave a great roar. (13-145-11)
The gods did not attain happiness, peace, or freedom from despair; when the sacrifice suddenly fell into disorder and Maheshvara became angry. (13-145-12)
O Pārtha, by that twang of the bow-string, all the worlds were agitated and became helpless; the gods and asuras alike were distressed. (13-145-13)
The waters were agitated, the earth trembled, the mountains fled, and the sky split completely. (13-145-14)
O Bhārata, the worlds were enveloped in blinding darkness and did not shine; the rays of the luminaries, along with the sun, were destroyed. (13-145-15)
Then, exceedingly frightened, the sages, wishing for the welfare of all beings and themselves, performed rites of peace and well-being. (13-145-16)
Then, possessed of fierce valor and anger, he rushed at the gods; angry, he struck out Bhaga's eye with a blow. (13-145-17)
And he rushed at Puṣan, having assumed another body; as Puṣan was eating the sacrificial cake, he knocked out his teeth. (13-145-18)
Then those gods, trembling, truly bowed down to Śaṅkara. Again, Rudra fitted a blazing and very sharp arrow. (13-145-19)
Seeing Rudra's power, the frightened gods and the sages then began to appease Śarva (Rudra), those foremost among the wise. (13-145-20)
After the gods recited the Śatarudrīya and made reverent gestures, Maheshvara, praised by the thirty-three gods, became pleased. (13-145-21)
They assigned a special share of the sacrifice to Rudra. Out of fear, the gods, O king, sought refuge. (13-145-22)
Thus, due to that excessive anger, the sacrifice was concluded. And whatever is killed there is offered in the same way. (13-145-23)
Among the asuras, there were three ancient cities of the powerful in heaven: one of iron, one of silver, and another likewise of gold. (13-145-24)
Maghavan (Indra) was not able to break (it) even with all weapons. Then all the immortals, afflicted, went to Rudra for refuge. (13-145-25)
Thus all the assembled gods of great soul said: 'O Rudra, beings will become of Rudra-nature in all actions. Slay the demons together with their forts and protect the worlds, O bestower of honor.' (13-145-26)
Thus instructed, he said 'so be it', and fashioned Viṣṇu as the supreme arrow, Agni as the arrowhead, Vaivasvata Yama as the feathered end, the Vedas as the bow, and the excellent Sāvitrī as the bowstring. (13-145-27)
He, having made the gods his best chariot and employing them in all ways, pierced those (enemies) with that three-jointed, three-pointed arrow. (13-145-28)
O Bhārata, by Rudra’s arrow, shining like the sun and blazing with the power of the fire of dissolution, those demons along with their cities were burned there. (13-145-29)
And seeing the child with five tufts of hair seated on his lap, Umā, desiring to know, again said, "Who is this?" at that time. (13-145-30)
And being envious as Śakra was about to strike with the thunderbolt, he caused that arm—grasping the thunderbolt and resembling an iron club—to be paralyzed. (13-145-31)
The gods did not recognize him, the lord of the worlds. Along with all the prajāpatis, they all were bewildered in that Lord. (13-145-32)
Then the venerable Brahmā, after meditating on him of immeasurable energy and recognizing "this one is the best," saluted Umāpati. (13-145-33)
Then those gods propitiated Umā and Rudra, and he again became the arm of the slayer of strength, just as before. (13-145-34)
And he, having assumed the form of a powerful brāhmaṇa named Durvāsā, resided for a long time in my house at Dvāravatī. (13-145-35)
He committed many hostile acts in my house. Out of generosity, I endured those intolerable actions of his. (13-145-36)
He is Indra, the wind, the Aśvin twins, lightning, the moon, the lord, the sun, and Varuṇa. (13-145-37)
He is time, the ender, death, darkness, night and days, the months and half-months, the seasons, the junctions (twilights), and the year. (13-145-38)
He is the sustainer, the creator, the maker of all, the knower of all; he is the stars, the directions, the sub-directions, and also the planets. He whose form is the universe, whose self is immeasurable, the glorious one of infinite radiance. (13-145-39)
He is in one form, in two forms, in many forms, and he alone, in a hundred forms, in a thousand forms, and in a hundred thousand forms as well. (13-145-40)
Such is Mahādeva, moreover the lord; therefore, truly, it is not possible to describe even his qualities, even in hundreds of years. (13-145-41)
