Shloka 23
गोत्रं त्वदीयं भगवान्वृषध्वजो दाक्षायणीत्याह यदा सुदुर्मना: । व्यपेतनर्मस्मितमाशु तदाऽहं व्युत्स्रक्ष्य एतत्कुणपं त्वदङ्गजम् ॥ २३ ॥
gotraṁ tvadīyaṁ bhagavān vṛṣadhvajo dākṣāyaṇīty āha yadā sudurmanāḥ vyapeta-narma-smitam āśu tadā ’haṁ vyutsrakṣya etat kuṇapaṁ tvad-aṅgajam
Because of our family tie, whenever Bhagavān Vṛṣadhvaja, Lord Śiva, addresses me as “Dākṣāyaṇī,” I at once become sorrowful, and my mirth and smile vanish. I grieve that this baglike body was born of you; therefore I shall abandon it.
The word dākṣāyaṇī means “the daughter of King Dakṣa.” Sometimes, when there was relaxed conversation between husband and wife, Lord Śiva used to call Satī “the daughter of King Dakṣa,” and because this very word reminded her about her family relationship with King Dakṣa, she at once became ashamed because Dakṣa was an incarnation of all offenses. Dakṣa was the embodiment of envy, for he unnecessarily blasphemed a great personality, Lord Śiva. Simply upon hearing the word dākṣāyaṇī, she felt afflicted because of reference to the context because her body was the symbol of all the offensiveness with which Dakṣa was endowed. Since her body was constantly a source of unhappiness, she decided to give it up.
FAQs
Sati expresses strong detachment, viewing the material body as impure and temporary—especially unbearable when it becomes connected with offense to Lord Śiva through Dakṣa’s pride.
Because being addressed by her paternal identity (daughter of Dakṣa) reminded her of Dakṣa’s hostility toward Śiva; seeing Śiva’s distress, she resolved to abandon the body born from Dakṣa.
Avoid pride-based disrespect toward saints and devotion; and cultivate detachment from bodily identity when it obstructs dharma, humility, and sincere devotion.