Chapter 30 of 59 · Rudra Samhita - Yuddha Khanda · Overall chapter 200 of 464
Prayer to the Lord of Devas
Vishnu and Brahma pass through Shiva's fifteen gates to his assembly hall above Goloka itself and describe its splendour at length before petitioning him directly for Shankhachuda's destruction, naming the danava's true identity as the cursed gopa Sudama.
Sanatkumara said
Vyasa, Rama's lord went with Vidhatri and the gods to Shiva's world, great and divine, needing no support and not made of the elements. With a beaming face Vishnu entered gladly. Many kinds of jewels were strewn about, dazzling and exceedingly resplendent. He reached the first gate, served by excellent ganas, a radiant place of great prosperity, lofty and very beautiful. He saw the doorkeepers seated on jewelled thrones, shining in white garments and adorned with jewelled ornaments, with fair beautiful bodies, five faces and three eyes, brave ones holding tridents and adorned with bhasma and rudrakshas. With Brahma, Rama's lord humbly bowed to them and told them the reason, that they wanted to see the lord and asked their leave. Having it, they went in and saw another door, large, supremely radiant, wonderful and very beautiful. They told the doorkeepers they wished to approach the lord, and, having permission, entered. So the lotus-born one passed through fifteen doors. He reached a large gate and saw Nandi there. As before, he bowed properly and praised Nandi. Allowed in, he rejoiced and slowly entered with Vishnu. Inside they saw Shambhu's lofty, radiant assembly hall. He was surrounded by attendants with handsome bodies adorned with ornaments, whose auspicious forms were like Maheshvara's, with five faces, three eyes and blue necks, handsome and radiant, lighting the directions, adorned with bhasma and gem-encrusted rudrakshas. The assembly hall was square and as lovely as the disc of the crescent moon, charming, built of gems, necklaces and the essence of diamonds, crafted with priceless jewels and decked with lotus petals. It had colourful pictures with nets and necklaces of gems. By Shankara's wish it had been built with the choicest rubies, with hundreds of steps of syamantaka jewels and joints of golden thread decorated with fine sandal shoots. Blue sapphires lay all round. It was beautifully designed. The breeze carried fragrance everywhere. It extended a thousand yojanas and was full of many servants. Vishnu, lord of the gods, saw Shankara seated in the middle with Amba, like the moon among stars. He sat on a colourful throne made of priceless jewels, wearing a diadem, earrings and a necklace of gems, his limbs smeared with bhasma dust, toying with a lotus. Dancing and singing went on before him; smiling, he watched happily, his mind calm and pleased. Uma's beloved was extremely radiant, chewing fragrant betel given by Devi. Full of devotion the ganas served him with white whisks, and the siddhas praised him with shoulders lowered in devotion. Paresha was beyond the gunas, the lord who gave birth to the three divinities, without a second, formless, who took a form by his own wish, free of maya, without origin, the primordial being, lord of maya and greater than the greatest, beyond Prakriti and Purusha, always self-ruling. They saw his distinguished features, complete in every way. Vishnu and Brahma bowed, joined their hands and praised him.
Vishnu and Vidhatri said
Lord of the gods, Mahadeva, supreme brahman, lord of everything, you are beyond the three gunas and free of anxiety, the lord who created the three divinities. We have taken refuge in you. Lord, we are distressed; save us. Protector, Parameshvara, we have been afflicted by Shankhachuda and are suffering. The world next to this place is called Goloka, where the lord Krishna is established as divinity. Sudama was once his foremost companion. Ruled by destiny, he was cursed by Radha and has become the danava Shankhachuda. Shambhu, exiled by him, we suffer in every direction. The gods have been deprived of their rights and roam the earth. Except you, none of the residents of heaven can kill him. For the happiness of the worlds, kill him. You are without qualities, truth, infinite, infinite in valour, yet present in the gunas. You are beyond Purusha and Prakriti. Lord, at creation you are rajas in Brahma the creator. Creator of the three worlds, as sattva you preserve through Vishnu. To bring the worlds' destruction, at dissolution you are tamas in Rudra. You are called Shiva, who is without the three gunas, the fourth, with illumination as your own form. At your initiation the protector of cows is in Goloka. Day and night Krishna plays in the middle of your cattle pen. Lord, you are the cause of everything, beyond Vidhatri, Vishnu and Ishvara, changeless, the constant witness, Pareshvara the paramatman, aide and protector of the distressed, their preserver and friend, lord of the three worlds, kind to those who take refuge. Lord of Gouri, save us. Parameshvara, show us your favours. Lord, we are under your sway; do as you wish.
Sanatkumara said
Vyasa, the two gods, Hari and Brahma, said this and stopped, clasping their hands and humbly bowing before Shiva.
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.