Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 15
Dakṣa Offends Lord Śiva: Cursing and Countercursing in the Sacrificial Assembly
प्रेतावासेषु घोरेषु प्रेतैर्भूतगणैर्वृत: । अटत्युन्मत्तवन्नग्नो व्युप्तकेशो हसन् रुदन् ॥ १४ ॥ चिताभस्मकृतस्नान: प्रेतस्रङ्न्रस्थिभूषण: । शिवापदेशो ह्यशिवो मत्तो मत्तजनप्रिय: । पति: प्रमथनाथानां तमोमात्रात्मकात्मनाम् ॥ १५ ॥
pretāvāseṣu ghoreṣu pretair bhūta-gaṇair vṛtaḥ aṭaty unmattavan nagno vyupta-keśo hasan rudan
Il vit dans des lieux terribles comme les crématoires, entouré de pretas et de bhūtas. Nu comme un fou, les cheveux en désordre, il erre tantôt riant tantôt pleurant; il s’enduit de la cendre du bûcher, ne se baigne pas régulièrement et porte des guirlandes de crânes et d’os. Ainsi n’est-il ‘Śiva’ que de nom; en vérité il est inauspicieux et délirant, seigneur des pramathas dans le tamas et cher aux êtres égarés.
Those who do not regularly bathe are supposed to be in association with ghosts and crazy creatures. Lord Śiva appeared to be like that, but his name, Śiva, is actually fitting, for he is very kind to persons who are in the darkness of the mode of ignorance, such as unclean drunkards who do not regularly bathe. Lord Śiva is so kind that he gives shelter to such creatures and gradually elevates them to spiritual consciousness. Although it is very difficult to raise such creatures to spiritual understanding, Lord Śiva takes charge of them, and therefore, as stated in the Vedas, Lord Śiva is all-auspicious. Thus by his association even such fallen souls can be elevated. Sometimes it is seen that great personalities meet with fallen souls, not for any personal interest but for the benefit of those souls. In the creation of the Lord there are different kinds of living creatures. Some of them are in the mode of goodness, some are in the mode of passion, and some are in the mode of ignorance. Lord Viṣṇu takes charge of persons who are advanced Kṛṣṇa conscious Vaiṣṇavas, and Lord Brahmā takes charge of persons who are very much attached to material activities, but Lord Śiva is so kind that he takes charge of persons who are in gross ignorance and whose behavior is lower than that of the animals. Therefore Lord Śiva is especially called auspicious.
FAQs
In this verse, Dakṣa derides Śiva’s external appearance and associates him with tamas, using it to justify contempt—an example of how pride and offense distort spiritual vision.
Dakṣa was resentful and proud, and he viewed Śiva’s transcendental, unconventional conduct through a material lens, criticizing him before the assembly as part of his developing hostility.
Do not judge spiritual persons by external lifestyle or symbols; arrogance and criticism of the saintly can ruin one’s own progress—cultivate humility and careful speech.