Shloka 16
Dakṣa Offends Lord Śiva: Cursing and Countercursing in the Sacrificial Assembly
तस्मा उन्मादनाथाय नष्टशौचाय दुर्हृदे । दत्ता बत मया साध्वी चोदिते परमेष्ठिना ॥ १६ ॥
tasmā unmāda-nāthāya naṣṭa-śaucāya durhṛde dattā bata mayā sādhvī codite parameṣṭhinā
To that lord of madness—bereft of all cleanliness and foul of heart—at the bidding of Paramesthī Brahmā, I gave my chaste daughter. Alas, what a fate!
It is the duty of parents to hand over their daughters to suitable persons just befitting their family tradition in cleanliness, gentle behavior, wealth, social position, etc. Dakṣa was repentant that on the request of Brahmā, who was his father, he had handed over his daughter to a person who, according to his calculation, was nasty. He was so angry that he did not acknowledge that the request was from his father. Instead, he referred to Brahmā as parameṣṭhī, the supreme teacher in the universe; because of his temperament of gross anger, he was not even prepared to accept Brahmā as his father. In other words, he accused even Brahmā of being less intelligent because he had advised Dakṣa to hand over his beautiful daughter to such a nasty fellow. In anger one forgets everything, and thus Dakṣa, in anger, not only accused the great Lord Śiva, but criticized his own father, Lord Brahmā, for his not very astute advice that Dakṣa hand over his daughter to Lord Śiva.
FAQs
This verse reflects Satī’s pain at being linked to Dakṣa’s impure, wicked mentality—foreshadowing that offenses against Śiva and devotees corrupt one’s purity and ruin the sanctity of yajña.
In the narrative, Satī laments that although she is virtuous, her father Dakṣa—described here as impure and malicious—gave her away (under Brahmā’s arrangement), and his later hatred toward Śiva makes her feel ashamed and distressed.
Guard against pride and malicious speech—especially toward saints and devotees—because inner impurity expressed as contempt can destroy relationships, spiritual progress, and the sanctity of religious acts.