Shloka 4
Vīrabhadra Destroys Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
Dakṣa-yajña-vināśa
तं किं करोमीति गृणन्तमाह बद्धाञ्जलिं भगवान् भूतनाथ: । दक्षं सयज्ञं जहि मद्भटानां त्वमग्रणी रुद्र भटांशको मे ॥ ४ ॥
taṁ kiṁ karomīti gṛṇantam āha baddhāñjaliṁ bhagavān bhūta-nāthaḥ dakṣaṁ sa-yajñaṁ jahi mad-bhaṭānāṁ tvam agraṇī rudra bhaṭāṁśako me
With palms joined, the gigantic being asked, “My lord, what shall I do?” Then Bhagavān Śiva, known as Bhūtanātha, commanded, “You are born from my own body and are the foremost of my gaṇas; therefore, at this sacrifice, slay Dakṣa and his soldiers.”
Here is the beginning of competition between brahma-tejas and śiva-tejas. By brahma-tejas, brahminical strength, Bhṛgu Muni had created the Ṛbhu demigods, who had driven away the soldiers of Lord Śiva stationed in the arena. When Lord Śiva heard that his soldiers had been driven away, he created the tall black demon Vīrabhadra to retaliate. There is sometimes a competition between the mode of goodness and the mode of ignorance. That is the way of material existence. Even when one is situated in the mode of goodness, there is every possibility that his position will be mixed with or attacked by the mode of passion or ignorance. That is the law of material nature. Although pure goodness, or śuddha-sattva, is the basic principle in the spiritual world, pure manifestation of goodness is not possible in this material world. Thus, the struggle for existence between different material qualities is always present. This quarrel between Lord Śiva and Bhṛgu Muni, centering around Prajāpati Dakṣa, is the practical example of such competition between the different qualitative modes of material nature.
FAQs
This verse shows the Lord’s sanction for ending Dakṣa’s yajña, indicating that a sacrifice performed in pride and offense is not protected and can be nullified by divine will.
Rudra hesitated, asking what to do; the Lord instructs him to punish Dakṣa along with the sacrificial arrangement, affirming Rudra’s leadership among the Lord’s attendants and the need to check arrogance and blasphemy.
Spiritual work done with ego and disrespect can collapse; the verse urges humility, respect for saints and devotees, and aligning religious actions with sincerity rather than prestige.