Shloka 66
The Destruction of Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
श्रुत्वा रुद्रस्तु तद्वार्त्तां पत्न्यानाश सुदुःखितः । हंतुं यज्ञं धीरभवत्देवानामिह पश्यताम्
śrutvā rudrastu tadvārttāṃ patnyānāśa suduḥkhitaḥ | haṃtuṃ yajñaṃ dhīrabhavatdevānāmiha paśyatām
Als Rudra jene Kunde vernahm, vom Verlust seiner Gemahlin tief betrübt, fasste er den festen Entschluss, das Opfer zu vernichten, während die Götter dort zusahen.
Narrator (Purāṇic narration; specific dialogue-pair not explicit from the single verse)
Concept: Ritual (yajña) divorced from reverence and right relationship invites ruin; grief can harden into destructive resolve when dharma is violated.
Application: Do not let status or ritual correctness become arrogance; when wronged, seek dharmic redress rather than vengeance—otherwise even ‘religious’ settings become theaters of harm.
Primary Rasa: raudra
Secondary Rasa: karuna
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"Rudra stands amid a storm of emotion, eyes reddened with grief, matted locks flaring like dark flames. In the distance the yajña-śālā glows with sacrificial fire, but the gods—arrayed in anxious ranks—watch as his resolve crystallizes into a terrible vow to shatter the rite.","primary_figures":["Rudra/Śiva (Pinākin)","assembled Devas","invisible memory of Satī (as absence)"],"setting":"Sacrificial arena at the edge of a celestial-ritual ground; fire-altars, ladles, banners, and tense divine spectators","lighting_mood":"dramatic storm-lit","color_palette":["ash grey","smoky black","sacrificial flame orange","blood red","electric violet"],"tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style: fierce Rudra with Pināka bow, towering beside a blazing yajña-kuṇḍa, devas in ornate crowns recoiling, heavy gold-leaf radiance around Rudra’s halo contrasted with dark storm clouds, rich crimson and emerald textiles, embossed gold flames and ritual vessels.","pahari_prompt":"Pahari miniature style: Rudra in a windswept landscape, hair and tiger-skin rendered with fine lines, devas clustered near the yajña pavilion, subtle expressions of fear, cool greys and blues with warm fire highlights, delicate brushwork capturing grief turning to wrath.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style: Śiva with bold outlines and intense eyes, Pināka emphasized, devas in symmetrical rows, yajña fire as stylized red-yellow tongues, temple-wall aesthetic with strong color blocks and rhythmic ornamentation.","pichwai_prompt":"Pichwai cloth painting style: a symbolic yajña scene with ornate borders, stylized flames and ritual paraphernalia, Śiva as a central fierce figure framed by floral motifs; deep indigo background with gold accents, emphasizing cosmic drama rather than realism."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"dramatic","suggested_raga":"Durga","pace":"fast-dramatic","voice_tone":"authoritative","sound_elements":["thunder","conch shell","drum (ḍamaru-like)","crackling fire","tense silence after cadence"]}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: रुद्रस्तु=रुद्रः + तु; तद्वार्त्तां=तत्-वार्ताम्; पत्न्यानाश=पत्नी-आनाश (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); धीरभवत्=धीरः + अभवत्; देवानामिह=देवानाम् + इह
FAQs
It alludes to the well-known yajña-episode where Rudra, anguished by the loss of his wife (commonly connected with Satī), resolves to ruin the sacrificial rite, even in the presence of the gods.
Rudra’s grief (a personal, emotional cause) immediately becomes a cosmic force affecting a public ritual (yajña), showing how divine agency can override ritual order when dharma is violated.
Ritual power is not morally automatic: when arrogance or wrongdoing underlies a sacrifice, it can invite consequences—implying that inner integrity and right conduct are essential to dharma.