Shloka 36
दक्षयज्ञे मुनिदेवसमागमः / The Gathering of Sages and Gods at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
ब्रह्मोवाच । तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा दक्षो रोषसमन्वितः । उवाच त्वरितं मूढः प्रहसन्निव दुष्टधीः
brahmovāca | tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā dakṣo roṣasamanvitaḥ | uvāca tvaritaṃ mūḍhaḥ prahasanniva duṣṭadhīḥ
Brahmā said: Hearing those words, Dakṣa—filled with anger—spoke at once. Deluded and of wicked intent, he spoke as though laughing in mockery.
Brahma
Tattva Level: pashu
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: This verse sits within the Dakṣa-yajña prelude: Dakṣa’s anger and mockery become the immediate karmic cause for Satī’s withdrawal and the later disruption of the sacrifice by Śiva’s agency (via Vīrabhadra), a paradigmatic Purāṇic critique of ritual divorced from devotion.
Significance: Didactic rather than sthala-specific: warns that yajña without Śiva-bhakti becomes spiritually sterile and leads to downfall (adharma).
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: liberating
FAQs
It highlights how pride and ritual-ego (ahaṅkāra) distort the intellect: Dakṣa’s anger makes him mock what should be approached with reverence, showing that inner disposition—not mere status—determines spiritual clarity.
Dakṣa’s derision foreshadows the classic contrast in the Purāṇa between external authority and true bhakti: Saguna Shiva (as worshipped in Linga/archa) is approached through humility, while contempt toward Shiva or Shiva-bhaktas becomes a cause of spiritual downfall.
The implied practice is cultivating śiva-bhakti with humility—supporting japa of the Pañcākṣarī (“Om Namaḥ Śivāya”) and disciplined purity of thought—so anger and mockery do not become offenses (aparādha) against Shiva and his devotees.