Shloka 19
दाक्षयज्ञप्रस्थान-प्रश्नः
Satī Inquires about the Departure for Dakṣa’s Sacrifice
सत्युवाच । पितुर्मम महान् यज्ञो भवतीति मया श्रुतम् । तत्रोत्सवो महानस्ति समवेतास्सुरर्षयः
satyuvāca | piturmama mahān yajño bhavatīti mayā śrutam | tatrotsavo mahānasti samavetāssurarṣayaḥ
Satī said: “I have heard that my father is conducting a great sacrifice. There, a grand festival is being held, where the gods and the sage-seers have assembled together.”
Satī (Dākṣāyaṇī)
Tattva Level: pasha
Shiva Form: Mahādeva
Sthala Purana: Dakṣa’s great yajña (later insult to Śiva) becomes the archetypal ‘anti-Śiva’ sacrifice; its disruption leads to Satī’s self-immolation and Śiva’s cosmic response (Vīrabhadra episode).
Significance: Didactic warning: ritual without Śiva-bhakti becomes bondage; true pilgrimage is surrender to Pati beyond social prestige.
Shakti Form: Satī
Role: teaching
Offering: naivedya
FAQs
The verse sets the stage for Daksha’s yajna narrative, highlighting how grand ritual gatherings can still be spiritually incomplete when devotion to Pati (Śiva) is absent and ego (ahaṅkāra) dominates.
Though the verse describes a Vedic sacrifice, the Sati-Khanda context contrasts external yajña-splendor with the Shaiva Siddhanta emphasis on honoring Śiva as the supreme Lord (Saguna worship through Linga and devotion), without which ritual becomes fruitless.
The takeaway is to prioritize Shiva-bhakti alongside ritual—daily remembrance of the Panchakshara mantra “Om Namaḥ Śivāya” and inner humility, so outward rites do not become mere displays of status.