Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 35
Dakṣa-yajña-bhaṅgaḥ — Dadhīci’s Teaching and the Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
देव्युवाच दक्षो यज्ञेन यजते पिता मे पूर्वजन्मनि / विनिन्द्य भवतो भावमात्मानं चापि शङ्कर
devyuvāca dakṣo yajñena yajate pitā me pūrvajanmani / vinindya bhavato bhāvamātmānaṃ cāpi śaṅkara
Die Göttin sprach: „In meiner früheren Geburt vollzog mein Vater Dakṣa ein Yajña; und, o Śaṅkara, er schmähte deine heilige Wesensart und sogar sich selbst.“
Devi (Sati/Parvati)
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
FAQs
By noting that Daksha “reviled even himself (ātmānam),” the verse points to how ego-driven ritual can turn against the very self it seeks to elevate—implying that true reverence aligns the self with the sacred rather than inflating pride.
No specific technique is prescribed in this verse; it functions as a moral-psychological setup: without inner discipline (self-restraint, humility, and devotion), outer yajña can become spiritually counterproductive—an idea that later supports the Kurma Purana’s yoga-oriented teachings.
Indirectly: the narrative frames Shiva as the object of true sanctity beyond ritual pride, a theme consistent with the Kurma Purana’s broader synthesis where devotion and right understanding—not sectarianism—ground dharma (and later, harmony with Vishnu/Kurma’s instruction).