No matter how much merit one may accumulate, nor how many hundreds of yajñas one might perform, without devotion to the Great Lord Shiva, the ultimate fruit remains unattainable. On the other hand, even if a person has committed the gravest of sins, should he worship Shiva with devotion, he is freed from all those sins—there can be no doubt about this. What more need be said? All acts of charity, austerity, sacrifice, and oblation are rendered fruitless for one who delights in reviling Shiva. At the great conflict that followed Daksha’s sacrifice, the hosts of gods, accompanied by Narayana, the Rudras, and the guardians of the worlds, were struck by the arrows loosed from the mighty bow of the lord of the hosts. Overwhelmed by pain, they fled the battlefield. Some of these celestial warriors wandered about with their hair in disarray; some staggered with limbs outstretched; some fell, their faces shattered; others lay motionless, unable to rise. Many gods perished there, their garments, ornaments, weapons, and armor scattered about. They collapsed in utter distress, their pride, arrogance, and strength abandoned. Having routed the path and scattered Daksha’s sacrifice with unbroken weapons, the lord of the hosts stood among the leaders of his followers, shining resplendent like a lion among bulls. The gods, led by Vishnu, with their bodies shattered and broken, reached a dire state in a mere moment—trembling, with only a few remaining. The fierce Pramatha hosts, incited by Virabhadra and filled with supreme fury, pursued the terrified gods and other celestial beings across the battlefield. Seizing them, the Pramathas bound their hands, feet, necks, and bellies with strong iron fetters. At that critical moment, Brahma, the blessed one, accompanied by the best of mountains and the son of Indra, moved by compassion and acting as a charioteer, approached the battlefield. He spoke in supplication, “Enough of this anger, O Lord! These dwellers of heaven are destroyed. Be gracious—let all be forgiven, together with the Romajas, O virtuous one.” Hearing Brahma’s plea, the supreme lord’s attendant, out of respect, became peaceful and pleased. The gods, seizing the opportunity, ministers of the god of gods, placed their hands reverently upon their heads and praised the lord with various hymns. They offered homage: “To Rudra the auspicious, lord of the Rudras, embodiment of Rudra; to the form of Kālāgni Rudra, destroyer of the bodies of Kāla and Kāma, slayer of the heads of the gods and of the wicked Daksha. Because of our association with the sin of Daksha, who acts without blemish, we have been punished in battle by you, O hero, though we are blameless. We have all been burned by you, O lord, and are afraid; you alone are our refuge—protect us who have come for shelter.” Thus praised and pleased, the lord released the gods from their bondage and brought them into the presence of the god of gods. There, the blessed lord stood in the sky with his attendants—Śarva, all-pervading, the great lord of all worlds. Seeing the supreme lord, the gods led by Vishnu, though pleased, were also fearful, and they bowed to Maheśvara. Observing their fear, Hara—the remover of distress—smiled as he looked at Pārvatī and spoke reassuringly: “Do not fear, all you gods; you are indeed my own people. Only for the sake of granting favor was punishment administered by the compassionate one. Your transgression, O immortals, has been forgiven by us. When we are angry, neither your position nor your life remains.” Thus addressed by Śarva, of immeasurable brilliance, all the gods at once, freed from doubt, danced joyfully. Their minds became clear, overwhelmed with bliss, and the dwellers of heaven began to compose hymns to Śaṃkara. They praised him thus: “You alone, O god, are the creator, protector, and destroyer of all worlds; you are the supreme lord, manifest in the forms of Kavi, Vishnu, and Rudra, whose essence sustains rajas, tamas, and sattva. Salutations to you, who are of all forms, creator of the universe, purifier; to the formless one, who, for the sake of devotees, has assumed a pleasing form. The moon, O lord of gods, was healed by your compassion, O Śaṃkara; after sinking, it attained happiness from the offering of the sun’s rays. Sīmantinī, whose husband was slain, O lord, by worshipping you, attained incomparable good fortune and sons from the vow of the moon day. The Lord gave to Śrīkara his own supreme abode; you are invincible by the circle of kings, O Sudarśana. The ocean of compassion rescued Medura along with his wife; by your act, you made Śāradā, once a widow, into one with a husband. You cut off the misfortune of Bhadrāyuṣ and granted him happiness; Sauminī was freed from the bondage of worldly existence by your service. You, O Śambhu, O Lord of the rivers, are the creator, sustainer, and destroyer through the qualities of rajas, sattva, and tamas, out of desire for the welfare of beings. You remove all pride, manifest all brilliance, are hidden within all knowledge and the like, and are the bestower of all grace. From you is everything, and you are everything; in you, O Lord of the Mountain, is all. Protect, protect, protect again—show mercy upon me.” At that moment, Brahma, with joined palms, bowed and, having obtained the opportunity, addressed the wielder of the trident: “Victory to you, O God, O Great God, remover of the distress of those who bow! In such offenses, who else but you shows favor? Those who were once defeated in battle and will be again—who would not be restored when the Supreme Lord is pleased? Whatever fault was committed here by the gods of gods in the battle, let that be considered an ornament, out of respect for your acceptance.” Thus, the gods, having recognized the supreme compassion and greatness of Shiva, found themselves restored, forgiven, and filled with joy in the presence of the Lord of all.