Shloka 1
Vīrabhadra Destroys Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
Dakṣa-yajña-vināśa
मैत्रेय उवाच भवो भवान्या निधनं प्रजापते- रसत्कृताया अवगम्य नारदात् । स्वपार्षदसैन्यं च तदध्वरर्भुभि- र्विद्रावितं क्रोधमपारमादधे ॥ १ ॥
maitreya uvāca bhavo bhavānyā nidhanaṁ prajāpater asat-kṛtāyā avagamya nāradāt sva-pārṣada-sainyaṁ ca tad-adhvararbhubhir vidrāvitaṁ krodham apāram ādadhe
Maitreya said: Hearing from Nārada that Satī had died because of Prajāpati Dakṣa’s insult, and that his own attendant-soldiers had been driven off by the Ṛbhu demigods, Lord Śiva was seized by boundless wrath.
Lord Śiva understood that Satī, being the youngest daughter of Dakṣa, could present the case of Lord Śiva’s purity of purpose and would thus be able to mitigate the misunderstanding between Dakṣa and himself. But such a compromise was not attained, and Satī was deliberately insulted by her father by not being received properly when she visited his house without being invited. Satī herself could have killed her father, Dakṣa, because she is the personified material energy and has immense power to kill and create within this material universe. In the Brahma-saṁhitā her strength is described: she is capable of creating and dissolving many universes. But although she is so powerful, she acts under the direction of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Kṛṣṇa, as His shadow. It would not have been difficult for Satī to punish her father, but she thought that since she was his daughter, it was not proper for her to kill him. Thus she decided to give up her own body, which she had obtained from his, and Dakṣa did not even check her.
FAQs
This verse states that Dakṣa’s disrespect toward Satī led to her death, and when Śiva heard the news from Nārada—along with the report that his attendants were driven away—he became overwhelmed with boundless anger.
Within the narrative, Nārada serves as a divine messenger who communicates pivotal events; here he informs Śiva of Dakṣa’s offense, Satī’s death, and the humiliation of Śiva’s followers, setting the stage for the consequences of sacrificial pride and disrespect.
The verse highlights how grave disrespect and humiliation can ignite powerful reactions; it urges restraint, humility, and avoiding offensive speech—especially toward the devoted—because such acts can trigger destructive consequences for everyone involved.