Shloka 2
Satī at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice: Condemnation of Blasphemy and Voluntary Departure by Yoga-Fire
सुहृद्दिदृक्षाप्रतिघातदुर्मना: स्नेहाद्रुदत्यश्रुकलातिविह्वला । भवं भवान्यप्रतिपूरुषं रुषा प्रधक्ष्यतीवैक्षत जातवेपथु: ॥ २ ॥
suhṛd-didṛkṣā-pratighāta-durmanāḥ snehād rudaty aśru-kalātivihvalā bhavaṁ bhavāny apratipūruṣaṁ ruṣā pradhakṣyatīvaikṣata jāta-vepathuḥ
Satī grew despondent when her wish to see her kinsmen was thwarted; out of affection she wept, overwhelmed by tears. Trembling, she looked upon her incomparable husband, Bhava (Śiva), in anger, as if she would scorch him with her gaze.
The word apratipūruṣam, used in this verse, means “one who has no equal.” Lord Śiva has no equal in the material world in regard to equality towards everyone. His wife, Satī, knew that her husband was equal towards everyone, so why in this case was he so unkind to his wife that he did not allow her to go to her father’s house? This distressed her more than she could tolerate, and she looked at her husband as if she were ready to blast him with her vision. In other words, since Lord Śiva is the ātmā ( śiva also means ātmā ), it is indicated here that Satī was prepared to commit suicide. Another meaning of the word apratipūruṣa is “the personality who has no rival.” Since Lord Śiva could not be persuaded to give her permission, Satī took shelter of a woman’s last weapon, weeping, which forces a husband to agree to the proposal of his wife.
FAQs
This verse shows Satī’s grief and anger arising from being obstructed from meeting her loved ones and from the tension around Dakṣa’s hostility—her emotions intensify to the point that she looks at Śiva “as if to burn him.”
In the narrative, Satī feels torn between affection for her family and loyalty to Śiva; the conflict and the dishonor surrounding Dakṣa’s attitude make her emotionally overwhelmed, and her anger erupts even toward her own husband.
The verse highlights how attachment and hurt can cloud judgment; a devotee can learn to pause before reacting in anger, seek clarity in dharma, and avoid words or actions that escalate offense and suffering.