Chapter 25 of 59 · Rudra Samhita - Yuddha Khanda · Overall chapter 195 of 464
Praise by Devas
The gods praise Shiva at length for Jalandhara's death, reciting a long list of past devotees - kings, a brahmana, courtesans, even a monkey and a cock in former lives, wearing rudraksha beads - who all found liberation through devotion to him regardless of their conduct or birth.
Sanatkumara said
After this, Brahma and the other gods and all the sages bowed low and praised the divinity, lord of the gods, in eloquent words.
The devas said
Lord of the gods, Mahadeva, you are kind to those who take refuge in you, always give the virtuous happiness and dispel your devotees' miseries. Your great and wonderful pastimes cannot be understood except through devotion. Protector, the wicked cannot reach you. Stay kindly disposed to us. Even the Vedas do not know your true greatness; all the great-souled chant of you as far as their understanding reaches. The thousand-faced one and others always chant of it with great joy and are purified by their own words. Lord of the gods, by your favour even a mute gains knowledge of the brahman. The Vedas say you can always be won through devotion. You are compassionate to the distressed, always pervade everything, and reveal yourself through virtuous devotion; you are changeless, the goal of the virtuous. Mahesha, your devotees have won many kinds of success. They have enjoyed every happiness and been indifferent to misery. Long ago Dasharha, lord of the Yadus, won success, and his wife Kalavati was also supremely devoted to you. King Mitrasaha and his beloved Madayanti were devoted to you and gained the supreme goal of kaivalya. Soumini, the daughter of Kekaya's elder brother, through devotion to you gained a supreme happiness hard even for virtuous yogis to win. Lord, through devotion to you Vimarshana, supreme among kings, enjoyed many pleasures for seven births and gained a virtuous end. Through devotion to you King Chandrasena enjoyed every pleasure and, freed from miseries, gained happiness in this world and the next. Shrikara, a gopi's son and Mahavira's disciple, was devoted to you and so enjoyed the virtuous goal and supreme happiness in the next world. You dispelled King Satyaratha's miseries and gave him a virtuous end, and made Prince Dharmagupta cross the world and find happiness. Great lord, compassionate one, the brahmana Shuchivrata was devoted to you; you gave knowledge to him and his mother and removed his poverty. Through devotion to you King Chitravarma gained a virtuous end and in this world enjoyed pleasures hard for even the immortals to get. With his wife Simantini, Prince Chandrangada was freed from every grief and gained happiness and the great goal. The brahmana Mandara, worst of the wicked, who lay with a courtesan, became Shiva's devotee and, worshipping you with her, gained a good end. Lord, through your compassion to devotees, Prince Bhadrayu with his mother gained happiness and the supreme goal. Maheshvara, there are wicked people who enjoy every kind of woman and always eat what should not be eaten, yet by serving you even they are freed. Shankara, Shambara's mind was devoted to you and he always wore bhasma; by keeping the bhasma rules, he went with his wife to your city. Lord, Bhadrasena's son Sudharma and the minister's son did good deeds and always wore rudrakshas; by your favour they enjoyed happiness in this world and were liberated. In earlier lives they had been a monkey and a cock, adorned with rudraksha beads. Pingala and Mahananda were courtesans, but through devotion to you they gained virtuous ends. Protector, you are busy uplifting your devotees. Sharada, a brahmana's daughter widowed young, through the power of devotion to you gained sons and good fortune. Binduga, a brahmana only in name, who lived with a courtesan, gained a supreme goal with his beloved Chanchula by hearing your fame. Lord, so many living beings have won success through feelings of devotion to you. Mahesha, friend of the distressed, abode of compassion, you are beyond Prakriti, the brahman, beyond Purusha, Parameshvara, without qualities yet supporting the three gunas. Your atman is in Brahma, Vishnu and Hara. You are always engaged in many deeds, eternal, changeless, lord of everything. Maheshvara, Brahma and all of us are your servants. Lord of the gods, be pleased. Shiva, protect us always. Protector, we are your subjects and always take refuge in you.
Sanatkumara continued
So Brahma and the other gods and lords among sages praised him, and with their minds on Shiva's two feet fell silent. Shambhu Mahesha heard the gods' auspicious words of praise, gave them excellent boons and at once vanished from the spot. With their enemies slain, Brahma and all the other gods were delighted and, pleased and chanting Shiva's fame, went to their own abodes. This is the supreme account of the crushing of Jalandhara and of Mahesha's sacred conduct. It destroys great floods of sins. This hymn of the gods is sacred and destroys every sin, always bringing great happiness and pleasing Mahesha. One who reads or has read these two accounts completely enjoys great happiness and gains the state of a Ganapati.
Retold in our own words from Bibek Debroy's English translation of the Shiva Purana (Penguin Classics). Names, numbers and the order of events follow the source.