Srimad Mahabhagavatham : 4.2 - Swami Krishnananda.

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Saturday, June 04,  2022. 06:00.

Chapter-4: The Stories of Siva and Sati, and of Rishabhadeva and Bharata-2.

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Sati was in great chagrin that an invitation had not been extended to Siva. She was disturbed that her father had ignored both her and Siva, but as he was her father, she told Siva, “I want to go to my father's yajna.”

Lord Siva said, “It is not proper for you to go there.”

“Why?” Sati asked.

“Daksha does not like me. He has no regard for me, and therefore, you going there is not proper,” replied Siva.

But Sati said, “No, he is my father.”

“He may be your father, but he hates me, so you should not go if I am not going. I am not responsible for the consequences,” said Siva

“What consequences? I shall take care of myself,” Sati told him.

“I am telling you again, it is not good for you to go there. You will not gain anything by it, and this adventure will not end in anyone's happiness. I advise you not to go,” warned Siva.

“No, I must go,” Sati insisted.

“I don't think I should send my attendants to take you there. It would be highly improper of me,” said Siva.

“I shall go with my own attendants!” said Sati.

Sati collected all her attendants and marched, under the impression that she, being the divine daughter of this great Daksha, will be highly honoured in the midst of all the gods.

With great expectations of glory before her, she went to the yajna and stood at the gate. She expected someone to come and receive her, but nobody looked at her. Daksha gave scarce regard for her, and for fear of Daksha, no other god would utter a word. Of course, her mother and associates came and hugged her, but she rejected their greeting, perhaps because her father was not concerned with her. She looked here and there.

“What is happening? How is it that no one is receiving me?” Sati thought. Then she remembered the words of Siva. “I disregarded him, and came here. Now neither can I stand here, nor can I go back to him shamefacedly.” She expected somebody to come. Nobody came. Time passed like this, and the yajna was going on. The gods turned their backs to her. It was a very serious situation.

Sati stood up, and loudly proclaimed in a ferocious language, “Due to the impropriety of this yajna where the great master Siva is not invited, it cannot be called a divine sacrifice when the chief divinity is not present. Fie upon all you gods! Shamelessly you have attended the yajna of this irresponsible Daksha, whom I no longer regard as my father. Siva is being disrespected. The two words ‘si' and ‘va' are sufficient to give salvation to people, and such a divinity is being disregarded here. Is this a divine sacrifice? Are you gods? Have you any sense? Daksha did not invite Lord Siva, and you come and sit here at the feet of this terrible person whom I shamelessly called father. I am very sorry that I was born to him.”

Sati sat down, with great sorrow burning her body. She sat in a state of yoga, invoked agni from within herself, and the yoga within burnt her. Flames came up and consumed her. All were shocked. What is this that has happened? They had nothing to say either this way or that way. All were wondering what to do. There was nothing that they could do, nothing that they could say. They were shocked, nothing but shocked.

News reached Lord Siva. He could have opened his third eye and burnt everybody if he wanted, but he had something else in his mind. He pulled a hair from his head and struck it on the ground. A fierce giant rose up.

To be continued ....

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