Shloka 5
दक्षस्य यज्ञप्रवृत्तिः तथा ईश्वरवर्जितदेवसमागमः
Dakṣa’s Sacrificial Undertaking and the Devas’ Assembly without Īśvara
ततो हिमवतः पृष्ठे दक्षो वै यज्ञमाहरत् । गंगाद्वारे शुभे देशे ऋषिसिद्धनिषेविते
tato himavataḥ pṛṣṭhe dakṣo vai yajñamāharat | gaṃgādvāre śubhe deśe ṛṣisiddhaniṣevite
Thereafter, Dakṣa indeed undertook the sacrifice on the slopes of Himavān, at Gaṅgādvāra—a blessed region frequented by sages and perfected beings.
Suta Goswami
Tattva Level: pasha
Sthala Purana: Gaṅgādvāra (Haridwar) is evoked as a famed tīrtha at the Himalayan threshold; the verse situates Dakṣa’s yajña there, a locus later remembered in Dakṣa-related tīrtha traditions.
Significance: Gaṅgā-threshold tīrtha for purification; narrative warns that even in a śubha-kṣetra, ritual pride can veil devotion (tirodhāna).
Offering: dhupa
Cosmic Event: Tīrtha-kṣetra framing at the ‘gateway’ of Gaṅgā; sacred geography emphasized
FAQs
It sets the scene for Dakṣa’s grand yajña at an auspicious tīrtha, highlighting that sacred location and ritual prestige alone are insufficient without right devotion and humility toward Pati (Lord Śiva).
By introducing Dakṣa’s yajña, the text prepares the contrast between external sacrificial performance and proper reverence to Saguna Śiva (often approached through Liṅga-worship); neglect of Śiva in such rites becomes the narrative’s key fault.
The verse emphasizes tīrtha and yajña context; the Shaiva takeaway is to sanctify any rite with Śiva-bhakti—remembering the Pañcākṣarī (Om Namaḥ Śivāya) and maintaining inner humility alongside outer ritual.