Srimad Bhagavatam — Chaturtha Skandha, Shloka 1
Satī at Dakṣa’s Sacrifice: Condemnation of Blasphemy and Voluntary Departure by Yoga-Fire
मैत्रेय उवाच एतावदुक्त्वा विरराम शङ्कर: पत्न्यङ्गनाशं ह्युभयत्र चिन्तयन् । सुहृद्दिदृक्षु: परिशङ्किता भवान् निष्क्रामती निर्विशती द्विधास सा ॥ १ ॥
maitreya uvāca etāvad uktvā virarāma śaṅkaraḥ patny-aṅga-nāśaṁ hy ubhayatra cintayan suhṛd-didṛkṣuḥ pariśaṅkitā bhavān niṣkrāmatī nirviśatī dvidhāsa sā
Maitreya berkata: Setelah berkata demikian, Śaṅkara terdiam, memikirkan nasib Satī di kedua sisi. Satī rindu melihat sanak keluarganya di rumah ayahnya, namun juga takut pada peringatan Bhavān; hatinya bimbang, ia keluar-masuk ruangan seperti ayunan yang bergerak ke dua arah.
Satī’s mind was divided about whether to go to her father’s house or obey the orders of Lord Śiva. The struggle between the two decisions was so strong that she was pushed from one side of the room to another, and she began to move just like the pendulum of a clock.
FAQs
This verse shows Satī becoming divided—going out and returning—after seeing Śiva’s anxiety, indicating her intense inner struggle between family ties and loyalty to her husband and dharma.
Śiva stopped speaking because he was foreseeing danger—“the destruction of his wife’s body”—and weighed the consequences of Satī going to Daksha’s assembly.
When a situation is spiritually or emotionally toxic, this verse encourages pausing, foreseeing consequences, and recognizing inner conflict before acting—especially when honor, relationships, and principles collide.