Daksha decided to conduct a grand yajna (sacrifice). Elaborate arrangements were made to make it the most successful and grandest in history. He invited all the gods, demigods, great saints, all his daughters and relatives. He exempted Lord Shiva, who was actually the rightful God to receive all sacrificial offerings, from his list of invitees. Even Sati, his youngest daughter, wife of Lord Shiva, was also not invited.
| Values for Life : One feels very happy by humiliating others but fails to realise that same can happen to him. |
The news that her father was offering a gala yajna in which all her sisters and relatives would participate reached Sati. She was very keen to attend the function and rejoice the company of her kith and kin but unfortunately her husband, who was to be invited first, was kept away. By all means it was a humiliation from her father.
She could not restrain from the temptation of attending the event, even though her husband was dishonoured. She somehow summoned courage to approach Lord Shiva to seek permission to attend the function.
“No.” the one word answer exposed his mind, thoughts and assumption.
“But let me go, please,” she pleaded, “All my sisters and relatives will assemble there. It is ages since I met them.”
“You have not been invited.”
“What for an invitation?”, she argued again, “to go to one’s own parents?” “No person of self-respect will go uninvited.” “I will see my sisters and return. Let me go alone.”
The Lord kept mum. Taking it for granted Sati set out alone.
At Daksha’s, things did not go as per her expectations. Seeing her come to the yajnasala, Daksha burnt with anger. In front of all the assembled guests of noble origin including her sisters, relatives and priests, she was scolded. She implored to her father to forgive if any offence was ever made by her or her husband. Daksha now, without giving heed to her entreaties, started abusing her husband. This was something more than Sati could tolerate. She, with eyes reddish, stared at him and declared:
“O Daksha, I am going to burn this mortal body borne out of you, so that my material relations with you may come to an end. My husband will certainly teach you for the insult you have poured upon him. May Lord Shiva be my husband in my next birth also!”
She closed her eyes for a while and prayed with folded hands. A fire broke out from her yogic power in which she immolated herself.
Lord Shiva came to know of the events through telepathy. His pride was hurt and his anger arose. He burst into a dance as if in a delirium.
At the end of the dance, His rage reached the epitome and plucking a few hairs from his tuft and dropping them onto the ground He roared thus:
“Veerava, my son….Kaalee…my daughter…”
There instantly emerged a monster-like demigod “Veerava” with his weapon axe along with Kaali, a dreaded monster-like demigoddess.
With orders from the Lord they proceeded to Daksha’s abode. Observing the twin bhutas of the Lord, with fear and anguish, the puja performers, saints and other demigods present in the yajna assembly of Daksha ran in panic.
In the encounter ensued between Veerava and Daksha, the former severed the head of the latter and with the streaming blood quenched the thirst of his sister Kali. Daksha’s arrogance and vanity came to an end.
Upon the request of saint Narad, Lord Shiva revived the dead Daksha with the head of a goat.
(To be concluded )
KK Shanmukhan ( The writer can be contacted at [email protected] )
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