English
Vaishampāyana said:—The sage Narada then repaired to the residence of Mahendra; and there he passed the night in witnessing the festivities (held in honor of Siva) (1). The illustrious Adityas, the best of gods, the Vasus, the learned Rajarshis who had attained to paradise through their meritorious deeds (2), the Nagas, the Yakshas, the Siddhas, the Charanas, the sages of ascetic austerities, Brahmharsis by thousands, Devarshis and Moonies (3), the high-souled Saparnas, the highly powerful Marutas, and hundreds of other divine creatures were assembled there (4). The god Maheswara of immeasurable energy, accompanied by Uma and surrounded by his attendants sat at the head of them all (5). That protector of all creatures was surrounded also by those foremost of the Devarshis who suffer no decay even at the end of thousands of Kalpas, (6) who are worshipped by gods equal to Indra, are possessed of self-knowledge, free from pride and who ever tread the path of rectitude (7). The Rudras the progeny of Kasyapa, Skanda, the god of fire, that best of rivers Ganga, Archisman, Tamburu, Bharisa, that foremost of eloquent speakers, those possessed of the ascetic merit, and such other leaders of the divine host, then O Bharata, adored that supreme god Siva (8–9). O ruler of men, other gods devoted to religious ways and austerities and followers of the path of the pious,—followed their above-named leaders (i.e., offered homages to Siva), (10). O king, those men who desirous of good, worship the gods on earth, those men are in their turned worshipped in heaven by the immortals desirous of securing good (11). O descendant of the Kouravas, those men versed in the Vedas, who live according to the ordinances of the Sastras and who adore the gods in the performance of their religious ceremonies for the benefit of their ancestral manes, those are held in high estimation in the next world by the gods (12). O ruler of men, there the illustrious Chitraratha, the king of the Gandharvas together with his son, delightfully played upon the heavenly musical instruments (13). Urnayu, Chitrasena, Hahahuhu, Dumbara, Tamvura and other Gandharvas sang the six different harmonies (14). Urvasi, Viprachiti, Hemā, Rambhā, Hemadantā Ghritachi, and Sahajanyā and other damsels then performed numerous kinds of dances there (15). The self-possessed illustrious Siva accepted these homages with pleasure, and that lord of the world pleased with these worshipful acts of Sakra, went back to his own residence (16).