Kurma Purana — Purva Bhaga, Shloka 59
Svāyambhuva Lineage to Dakṣa; Pṛthu’s Devotion; Pāśupata Saṃnyāsa; Dakṣa–Satī Episode
तस्य तद्वाक्यमाकर्ण्य सा देवी शङ्करप्रिया / विनिन्द्य पितरं दक्षं ददाहात्मानमात्मना
tasya tadvākyamākarṇya sā devī śaṅkarapriyā / vinindya pitaraṃ dakṣaṃ dadāhātmānamātmanā
Nang marinig ang mga salitang iyon, ang Diyosa—minamahal ni Śaṅkara—ay sinaway ang kanyang amang si Dakṣa at, sa sariling kapangyarihang panloob, sinunog ang sarili niyang katawan.
Sūta (narrator) recounting the Dakṣa-yajña episode to the sages
Primary Rasa: karuna
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
FAQs
By saying she “burned herself by herself” (ātmānam ātmanā), the verse highlights inner sovereignty: the self can act through tapas/inner power, suggesting mastery of body and mind through the deeper Self.
It implies yogic tapas—inner heat/energy disciplined by will—where intense concentration and spiritual power can transcend bodily limitation, a theme aligned with ascetic and Pāśupata-oriented ideals in the Purāṇic tradition.
Though Śiva is foregrounded (Śaṅkarapriyā), the Kurma Purana’s wider frame treats such episodes as part of a unified dharma-vision where devotion and divine order are harmonized across Śaiva and Vaiṣṇava streams.