Shloka 9
Satī Desires to Attend Dakṣa’s Sacrifice; Śiva Warns Against the Pain of Relatives’ Insults
तस्मिन्भगिन्यो मम भर्तृभि: स्वकै- र्ध्रुवं गमिष्यन्ति सुहृद्दिदृक्षव: । अहं च तस्मिन्भवताभिकामये सहोपनीतं परिबर्हमर्हितुम् ॥ ९ ॥
tasmin bhaginyo mama bhartṛbhiḥ svakair dhruvaṁ gamiṣyanti suhṛd-didṛkṣavaḥ ahaṁ ca tasmin bhavatābhikāmaye sahopanītaṁ paribarham arhitum
At that sacrifice my sisters must surely have gone with their husbands, eager to see their kinsmen. I too long to adorn myself with the ornaments my father gave me and go with you to take part in that assembly.
It is a woman’s nature to want to decorate herself with ornaments and nice dresses and accompany her husband to social functions, meet friends and relatives, and enjoy life in that way. This propensity is not unusual, for woman is the basic principle of material enjoyment. Therefore in Sanskrit the word for woman is strī, which means “one who expands the field of material enjoyment.” In the material world there is an attraction between woman and man. This is the arrangement of conditional life. A woman attracts a man, and in that way the scope of material activities, involving house, wealth, children and friendship, increases, and thus instead of decreasing one’s material demands, one becomes entangled in material enjoyment. Lord Śiva, however, is different; therefore his name is Śiva. He is not at all attracted by material enjoyment, although his wife, Satī, was the daughter of a very great leader and was given to him by the request of Brahmā. Lord Śiva was reluctant, but Satī, as a woman, the daughter of a king, wanted enjoyment. She wanted to go to her father’s house, just as her other sisters might have done, and meet them and enjoy social life. Here, she specifically indicated that she would decorate herself with the ornaments given by her father. She did not say that she would decorate herself with the ornaments given by her husband because her husband was callous about all such matters. He did not know how to decorate his wife and take part in social life because he was always in ecstasy with thoughts of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. According to the Vedic system, a daughter is given a sufficient dowry at the time of her marriage, and therefore Satī was also given a dowry by her father, and ornaments were included. It is also the custom that the husband gives some ornaments, but here it is particularly mentioned that her husband, being materially almost nothing, could not do so; therefore she wanted to decorate herself with the ornaments given by her father. It was fortunate for Satī that Lord Śiva did not take the ornaments from his wife and spend them for gāñjā, because those who imitate Lord Śiva in smoking gāñjā exploit everything from household affairs; they take all of their wives’ property and spend on smoking, intoxication and similar other activities.
FAQs
In this verse Satī explains that her sisters and their families will certainly attend to meet relatives, and she too wishes to go—seeking permission—to honor the offerings brought for the occasion.
Satī is requesting Śiva’s consent to attend her father Dakṣa’s yajña, presenting her reasoning that family members are going and that she intends to offer appropriate gifts there.
Even when drawn by family and social duties, one should act with respect, seek wise counsel, and remain mindful that external rituals and gatherings should be approached with integrity and proper intention.