Daksha, his daughter Sati and Son-in-Law Lord Shiva

[bhaktajan 0]

 

 

 

Srimad Bhagavatam

 

 

Translated into English by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

 

 

 

 

4<SUP>th</SUP> Canto Chapter 1 Verse 65-66, and, Chapters 2 to 7

 

 

Lord Shiva his his Sati, and, Dad-in-law Daksha

 

SB 4.1.65

The sixteenth daughter, whose name was Saté, was the wife of Lord Çiva. She could not produce a child, although she always faithfully engaged in the service of her husband.

SB 4.1.66

The reason is that Saté’s father, Dakña, used to rebuke Lord Çiva in spite of Çiva’s faultlessness. Consequently, before attaining a mature age, Saté gave up her body by dint of yogic mystic power.

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SB 4.2.1

Vidura inquired: Why was Dakña, who was so affectionate towards his daughter, envious of Lord Çiva, who is the best among the gentle? Why did he neglect his daughter Saté?

SB 4.2.2

Lord Çiva, the spiritual master of the entire world, is free from enmity, is a peaceful personality, and is always satisfied in himself. He is the greatest among the demigods. How is it possible that Dakña could be inimical towards such an auspicious personality?

SB 4.2.3

My dear Maitreya, to part with one’s life is very difficult. Would you kindly explain to me how such a son-in-law and father-in-law could quarrel so bitterly that the great goddess Saté could give up her life?

SB 4.2.4

The sage Maitreya said: In a former time, the leaders of the universal creation performed a great sacrifice in which all the great sages, philosophers, demigods and fire-gods assembled with their followers.

SB 4.2.5

When Dakña, the leader of the Prajäpatis, entered that assembly, his personal bodily luster as bright as the effulgence of the sun, the entire assembly was illuminated, and all the assembled personalities became insignificant in his presence.

SB 4.2.6

Influenced by his personal bodily luster, all the fire-gods and other participants in that great assembly, with the exceptions of Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva, gave up their own sitting places and stood in respect for Dakña.

SB 4.2.7

Dakña was adequately welcomed by the president of the great assembly, Lord Brahmä. After offering Lord Brahmä respect, Dakña, by the order of Brahmä, properly took his seat.

SB 4.2.8

Before taking his seat, however, Dakña was very much offended to see Lord Çiva sitting and not showing him any respect. At that time, Dakña became greatly angry, and, his eyes glowing, he began to speak very strongly against Lord Çiva.

SB 4.2.9

All sages, brähmaëas and fire-gods present, please hear me with attention, for I speak about the manners of gentle persons. I do not speak out of ignorance or envy.

SB 4.2.10

Çiva has spoiled the name and fame of the governors of the universe and has polluted the path of gentle manners. Because he is shameless, he does not know how to act.

SB 4.2.11

He has already accepted himself as my subordinate by marrying my daughter in the presence of fire and brähmaëas. He has married my daughter, who is equal to Gäyatré, and has pretended to be just like an honest person.

SB 4.2.12

He has eyes like a monkey’s, yet he has married my daughter, whose eyes are just like those of a deer cub. Nevertheless he did not stand up to receive me, nor did he think it fit to welcome me with sweet words.

SB 4.2.13

I had no desire to give my daughter to this person, who has broken all rules of civility. Because of not observing the required rules and regulations, he is impure, but I was obliged to hand over my daughter to him just as one teaches the messages of the Vedas to a çüdra.

SB 4.2.14-15

He lives in filthy places like crematoriums, and his companions are the ghosts and demons. Naked like a madman, sometimes laughing and sometimes crying, he smears crematorium ashes all over his body. He does not bathe regularly, and he ornaments his body with a garland of skulls and bones. Therefore only in name is he Çiva, or auspicious; actually, he is the most mad and inauspicious creature. Thus he is very dear to crazy beings in the gross mode of ignorance, and he is their leader.

SB 4.2.16

On the request of Lord Brahmä I handed over my chaste daughter to him, although he is devoid of all cleanliness and his heart is filled with nasty things.

SB 4.2.17

The sage Maitreya continued: Thus Dakña, seeing Lord Çiva sitting as if against him, washed his hands and mouth and cursed him in the following words.

SB 4.2.18

The demigods are eligible to share in the oblations of sacrifice, but Lord Çiva, who is the lowest of all the demigods, should not have a share.

SB 4.2.19

Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, in spite of the requests of all the members of the sacrificial assembly, Dakña, in great anger, cursed Lord Çiva and then left the assembly and went back to his home.

SB 4.2.20

Upon understanding that Lord Çiva had been cursed, Nandéçvara, one of Lord Çiva’s principal associates, became greatly angry. His eyes became red, and he prepared to curse Dakña and all the brähmaëas present there who had tolerated Dakña’s cursing Çiva in harsh words.

SB 4.2.21

Anyone who has accepted Dakña as the most important personality and neglected Lord Çiva because of envy is less intelligent and, because of visualizing in duality, will be bereft of transcendental knowledge.

SB 4.2.22

Pretentiously religious householder life, in which one is attracted to material happiness and thus also attracted to the superficial explanation of the Vedas, robs one of all intelligence and attaches one to fruitive activities as all in all.

SB 4.2.23

Dakña has accepted the body as all in all. Therefore, since he has forgotten the viñëu-päda, or viñëu-gati, and is attached to sex life only, within a short time he will have the face of a goat.

SB 4.2.24

Those who have become as dull as matter by cultivating materialistic education and intelligence are nesciently involved in fruitive activities. Such men have purposely insulted Lord Çiva. May they continue in the cycle of repeated birth and death.

SB 4.2.25

May those who are envious of Lord Çiva, being attracted by the flowery language of the enchanting Vedic promises, and who have thus become dull, always remain attached to fruitive activities.

SB 4.2.26

These brähmaëas take to education, austerity and vows only for the purpose of maintaining the body. They shall be devoid of discrimination between what to eat and what not to eat. They will acquire money, begging from door to door, simply for the satisfaction of the body.

SB 4.2.27

When all the hereditary brähmaëas were thus cursed by Nandéçvara, the sage Bhågu, as a reaction, condemned the followers of Lord Çiva with this very strong brahminical curse.

SB 4.2.28

One who takes a vow to satisfy Lord Çiva or who follows such principles will certainly become an atheist and be diverted from transcendental scriptural injunctions.

SB 4.2.29

Those who vow to worship Lord Çiva are so foolish that they imitate him by keeping long hair on their heads. When initiated into worship of Lord Çiva, they prefer to live on wine, flesh and other such things.

SB 4.2.30

Bhågu Muni continued: Since you blaspheme the Vedas and the brähmaëas, who are followers of the Vedic principles, it is understood that you have already taken shelter of the doctrine of atheism.

SB 4.2.31

The Vedas give the eternal regulative principles for auspicious advancement in human civilization which have been rigidly followed in the past. The strong evidence of this principle is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is called Janärdana, the well-wisher of all living entities.

SB 4.2.32

By blaspheming the principles of the Vedas, which are the pure and supreme path of the saintly persons, certainly you followers of Bhütapati, Lord Çiva, will descend to the standard of atheism without a doubt.

SB 4.2.33

The sage Maitreya said: When such cursing and countercursing was going on between Lord Çiva’s followers and the parties of Dakña and Bhågu, Lord Çiva became very morose. Not saying anything, he left the arena of the sacrifice, followed by his disciples.

SB 4.2.34

The sage Maitreya continued: O Vidura, all the progenitors of the universal population thus executed a sacrifice for thousands of years, for sacrifice is the best way to worship the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.2.35

My dear Vidura, carrier of bows and arrows, all the demigods who were performing the sacrifice took their bath at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamunä after completing the yajïa performance. Such a bath is called avabhåtha-snäna. After thus becoming purified in heart, they departed for their respective abodes.

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SB 4.3.1

TRANSLATION

Maitreya continued: In this manner the tension between the father-in-law and son-in-law, Dakña and Lord Çiva, continued for a considerably long period.

SB 4.3.2

When Lord Brahmä appointed Dakña the chief of all the Prajäpatis, the progenitors of population, Dakña became very much puffed up.

Dakña began a sacrifice named väjapeya, and he became excessively confident of his support by Lord Brahmä, He then performed another great sacrifice, named båhaspati-sava.

SB 4.3.4

While the sacrifice was being performed, many brahmarñis, great sages, ancestral demigods and other demigods, their wives all very nicely decorated with ornaments, attended from different parts of the universe.

SB 4.3.5-7

The chaste lady Saté, the daughter of Dakña, heard the heavenly denizens flying in the sky conversing about the great sacrifice being performed by her father. When she saw that from all directions the beautiful wives of the heavenly denizens, their eyes very beautifully glittering, were near her residence and were going to the sacrifice dressed in fine clothing and ornamented with earrings and necklaces with lockets, she approached her husband, the master of the bhütas, in great anxiety, and spoke as follows.

SB 4.3.8

Saté said: My dear Lord Çiva, your father-in-law is now executing great sacrifices, and all the demigods, having been invited by him, are going there. If you desire, we may also go.

SB 4.3.9

I think that all my sisters must have gone to this great sacrificial ceremony with their husbands just to see their relatives. I also desire to decorate myself with the ornaments given to me by my father and go there with you to participate in that assemble.

SB 4.3.10

My sisters, my mother’s sisters and their husbands, and other affectionate relatives must be assembled there, so if I go I shall be able to see them, and I shall be able to see the flapping flags and the performance of the sacrifice by the great sages. For these reasons, my dear husband, I am very much anxious to go.

SB 4.3.11

This manifested cosmos is a wonderful creation of the interaction of the three material modes, or the external energy of the Supreme Lord. This truth is fully known to you. Yet I am but a poor woman, and, as you know, I am not conversant with the truth. Therefore I wish to see my birthplace once more.

SB 4.3.12

O never-born, O blue-throated one, not only my relatives but also other women, dressed in nice clothes and decorated with ornaments, are going there with their husbands and friends. Just see how their flocks of white airplanes have made the entire sky very beautiful.

SB 4.3.13

O best of the demigods, how can the body of a daughter remain undisturbed when she hears that some festive event is taking place in her father’s house? Even though you may be considering that I have not been invited, there is no harm if one goes to the house of one’s friend, husband, spiritual master or father without invitation.

SB 4.3.14

O immortal Çiva, please be kind towards me and fulfill my desire. You have accepted me as half of your body; therefore please show kindness towards me and accept my request.

SB 4.3.15

The great sage Maitreya said: Lord Çiva, the deliverer of the hill Kailäsa, having thus been addressed by his dear wife, replied smilingly, although at the same time he remembered the malicious, heart-piercing speeches delivered by Dakña before the guardians of the universal affairs.

SB 4.3.16

The great lord replied: My dear beautiful wife, you have said that one may go to a friend’s house without being invited, and this is true, provided such a friend does not find fault with the guest because of bodily identification and thereby become angry towards him.

SB 4.3.17

Although the six qualities education, austerity, wealth, beauty, youth and heritage are for the highly elevated, one who is proud of possessing them becomes blind, and thus he loses his good sense and cannot appreciate the glories of great personalities.

SB 4.3.18

One should not go to anyone’s house, even on the consideration of his being a relative or a friend, when the man is disturbed in his mind and looks upon the guest with raised eyebrows and angry eyes.

SB 4.3.19

Lord Çiva continued: If one is hurt by the arrows of an enemy, one is not as aggrieved as when cut by the unkind words of a relative, for such grief continues to rend one’s heart day and night.

SB 4.3.20

My dear white-complexioned wife, it is clear that of the many daughters of Dakña you are the pet, yet you will not be honored at his house because of your being my wife. Rather, you will be sorry that you are connected with me.

SB 4.3.21

One who is conducted by false ego and thus always distressed, both mentally and sensually, cannot tolerate the opulence of self-realized persons. Being unable to rise to the standard of self-realization, he envies such persons as much as demons envy the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.3.22

My dear young wife, certainly friends and relatives offer mutual greetings by standing up, welcoming one another and offering obeisances. But those who are elevated to the transcendental platform, being intelligent, offer such respects to the Supersoul, who is sitting within the body, not to the person who identifies with the body.

SB 4.3.23

I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Väsudeva in pure Kåñëa consciousness. Kåñëa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Supreme Personality of Godhead, known as Väsudeva, is revealed without any covering.

SB 4.3.24

Therefore you should not see your father, although he is the giver of your body, because he and his followers are envious of me. Because of his envy, O most worshipful one, he has insulted me with cruel words although I am innocent.

SB 4.3.25

If in spite of this instruction you decide to go, neglecting my words, the future will not be good for you. You are most respectable, and when you are insulted by your relative, this insult will immediately be equal to death.

[bhaktajan 0]

SB 4.4.1

The sage Maitreya said: Lord Çiva was silent after speaking to Saté, seeing her between decisions. Saté was very much anxious to see her relatives at her father’s house, but at the same time she was afraid of Lord Çiva’s warning. Her mind unsettled, she moved in and out of the room as a swing moves this way and that.

SB 4.4.2

Saté felt very sorry at being forbidden to go see her relatives at her father’s house, and due to affection for them, tears fell from her eyes. Shaking and very much afflicted, she looked at her uncommon husband, Lord Çiva, as if she were going to blast him with her vision.

SB 4.4.3

Thereafter Saté left her husband, Lord Çiva, who had given her half his body due to affection. Breathing very heavily because of anger and bereavement, she went to the house of her father. This less intelligent act was due to her being a weak woman.

SB 4.4.4

When they saw Saté leaving alone very rapidly, thousands of Lord Çiva’s disciples, headed by Maëimän and Mada, quickly followed her with his bull Nandé in front and accompanied by the Yakñas.

SB 4.4.5

The disciples of Lord Çiva arranged for Saté to be seated on the back of a bull and gave her the bird which was her pet. They bore a lotus flower, a mirror and all such paraphernalia for her enjoyment and covered her with a great canopy. Followed by a singing party with drums, conchshells and bugles, the entire procession was as pompous as a royal parade.

SB 4.4.6

She then reached her father’s house, where the sacrifice was being performed, and entered the arena where everyone was chanting the Vedic hymns. The great sages, brähmaëas and demigods were all assembled there, and there were many sacrificial animals, as well as pots made of clay, stone, gold, grass and skin, which were all requisite for the sacrifice.

SB 4.4.7

When Saté, with her followers, reached the arena, because all the people assembled were afraid of Dakña, none of them received her well. No one welcomed her but her mother and sisters, who, with tears in their eyes and with glad faces, welcomed her and talked with her very pleasingly.

SB 4.4.8

Although she was received by her sisters and mother, she did not reply to their words of reception, and although she was offered a seat and presents, she did not accept anything, for her father neither talked with her nor welcomed her by asking about her welfare.

SB 4.4.9

Present in the arena of sacrifice, Saté saw that there were no oblations for her husband, Lord Çiva. Next she realized that not only had her father failed to invite Lord Çiva, but when he saw Lord Çiva’s exalted wife, Dakña did not receive her either. Thus she became greatly angry, so much so that she looked at her father as if she were going to burn him with her eyes.

SB 4.4.10

The followers of Lord Çiva, the ghosts, were ready to injure or kill Dakña, but Saté stopped them by her order. She was very angry and sorrowful, and in that mood she began to condemn the process of sacrificial fruitive activities and persons who are very proud of such unnecessary and troublesome sacrifices. She especially condemned her father, speaking against him in the presence of all.

SB 4.4.11

The blessed goddess said: Lord Çiva is the most beloved of all living entities. He has no rival. No one is very dear to him, and no one is his enemy. No one but you could be envious of such a universal being, who is free from all enmity.

SB 4.4.12

Twice-born Dakña, a man like you can simply find fault in the qualities of others. Lord Çiva, however, not only finds no faults with others’ qualities, but if someone has a little good quality, he magnifies it greatly. Unfortunately, you have found fault with such a great soul.

SB 4.4.13

It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient material body as the self to engage always in deriding great souls. Such envy on the part of materialistic persons is very good because that is the way they fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities.

SB 4.4.14

Saté continued: My dear father, you are committing the greatest offense by envying Lord Çiva, whose very name, consisting of two syllables, çi and va, purifies one of all sinful activities. His order is never neglected. Lord Çiva is always pure, and no one but you envies him.

SB 4.4.15

You are envious of Lord Çiva, who is the friend of all living entities within the three worlds. For the common man he fulfills all desires, and because of their engagement in thinking of his lotus feet, he also blesses higher personalities who are seeking after brahmänanda [transcendental bliss].

SB 4.4.16

Do you think that greater, more respectable personalities than you, such as Lord Brahmä, do not know this inauspicious person who goes under the name Lord Çiva? He associates with the demons in the crematorium, his locks of hair are scattered all over his body, he is garlanded with human skulls and smeared with ashes from the crematorium, but in spite of all these inauspicious qualities, great personalities like Brahmä honor him by accepting the flowers offered to his lotus feet and placing them with great respect on their heads.

SB 4.4.17

Saté continued: If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer’s tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.

SB 4.4.18

Therefore I shall no longer bear this unworthy body, which has been received from you, who have blasphemed Lord Çiva. If someone has taken food which is poisonous, the best treatment is to vomit.

SB 4.4.19

It is better to execute one’s own occupational duty than to criticize others’. Elevated transcendentalists may sometimes forgo the rules and regulations of the Vedas, since they do not need to follow them, just as the demigods travel in space whereas ordinary men travel on the surface of the earth.

SB 4.4.20

In the Vedas there are directions for two kinds of activities—activities for those who are attached to material enjoyment and activities for those who are materially detached. In consideration of these two kinds of activities, there are two kinds of people, who have different symptoms. If one wants to see two kinds of activities in one person, that is contradictory. But both kinds of activities may be neglected by a person who is transcendentally situated.

SB 4.4.21

My dear father, the opulence we possess is impossible for either you or your flatterers to imagine, for persons who engage in fruitive activities by performing great sacrifices are concerned with satisfying their bodily necessities by eating foodstuff offered as a sacrifice. We can exhibit our opulences simply by desiring to do so. This can be achieved only by great personalities who are renounced, self-realized souls.

SB 4.4.22

You are an offender at the lotus feet of Lord Çiva, and unfortunately I have a body produced from yours. I am very much ashamed of our bodily relationship, and I condemn myself because my body is contaminated by a relationship with a person who is an offender at the lotus feet of the greatest personality.

SB 4.4.23

Because of our family relationship, when Lord Çiva addresses me as Däkñäyaëé I at once become morose, and my jolliness and my smile at once disappear. I feel very much sorry that my body, which is just like a bag, has been produced by you. I shall therefore give it up.

SB 4.4.24

Maitreya the sage told Vidura: O annihilator of enemies, while thus speaking to her father in the arena of sacrifice, Saté sat down on the ground and faced north. Dressed in saffron garments, she sanctified herself with water and closed her eyes to absorb herself in the process of mystic yoga.

SB 4.4.25

First of all she sat in the required sitting posture, and then she carried the life air upwards and placed it in the position of equilibrium near the navel. Then she raised her life air, mixed with intelligence, to the heart and then gradually towards the pulmonary passage and from there to between her eyebrows.

SB 4.4.26

Thus, in order to give up her body, which had been so respectfully and affectionately seated on the lap of Lord Çiva, who is worshiped by great sages and saints, Saté, due to anger towards her father, began to meditate on the fiery air within the body.

SB 4.4.27

Saté concentrated all her meditation on the holy lotus feet of her husband, Lord Çiva, who is the supreme spiritual master of all the world. Thus she became completely cleansed of all taints of sin and quit her body in a blazing fire by meditation on the fiery elements.

SB 4.4.28

When Saté annihilated her body in anger, there was a tumultuous roar all over the universe. Why had Saté, the wife of the most respectable demigod, Lord Çiva, quit her body in such a manner?

SB 4.4.29

It was astonishing that Dakña, who was Prajäpati, the maintainer of all living entities, was so disrespectful to his own daughter, Saté, who was not only chaste but was also a great soul, that she gave up her body because of his neglect.

SB 4.4.30

Dakña, who is so hardhearted that he is unworthy to be a brähmaëa, will gain extensive ill fame because of his offenses to his daughter, because of not having prevented her death, and because of his great envy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.4.31

While people were talking among themselves about the wonderful voluntary death of Saté, the attendants who had come with her readied themselves to kill Dakña with their weapons.

SB 4.4.32

They came forward forcibly, but Bhågu Muni saw the danger and, offering oblations into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, immediately uttered mantric hymns from the Yajur Veda by which the destroyers of yajïic performances could be killed immediately.

SB 4.4.33

When Bhågu Muni offered oblations in the fire, immediately many thousands of demigods named Åbhus became manifested. All of them were powerful, having achieved strength from Soma, the moon.

SB 4.4.34

When the Åbhu demigods attacked the ghosts and Guhyakas with half-burned fuel from the yajïa fire, all these attendants of Saté fled in different directions and disappeared. This was possible simply because of brahma-tejas, brahminical power.

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SB 4.5.1

Maitreya said: When Lord Çiva heard from Närada that Saté, his wife, was now dead because of Prajäpati Dakña’s insult to her and that his soldiers had been driven away by the Åbhu demigods, he became greatly angry.

SB 4.5.2

Thus Lord Çiva, being extremely angry, pressed his lips with his teeth and immediately snatched from his head a strand of hair which blazed like electricity or fire. He stood up at once, laughing like a madman, and dashed the hair to the ground.

SB 4.5.3

A fearful black demon as high as the sky and as bright as three suns combined was thereby created, his teeth very fearful and the hairs on his head like burning fire. He had thousands of arms, equipped with various weapons, and he was garlanded with the heads of men.

SB 4.5.4

When that gigantic demon asked with folded hands, “What shall I do, my lord?” Lord Çiva, who is known as Bhütanätha, directly ordered, “Because you are born from my body, you are the chief of all my associates. Therefore, kill Dakña and his soldiers at the sacrifice.”

SB 4.5.5

Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, that black person was the personified anger of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he was prepared to execute the orders of Lord Çiva. Thus, considering himself capable of coping with any power offered against him, he circumambulated Lord Çiva.

SB 4.5.6

Many other soldiers of Lord Çiva followed the fierce personality in a tumultuous uproar. He carried a great trident, fearful enough to kill even death, and on his legs he wore bangles which seemed to roar.

SB 4.5.7

At that time, all the persons assembled in the sacrificial arena—the priests, the chief of the sacrificial performance, and the brähmaëas and their wives—wondered where the darkness was coming from. Later they could understand that it was a dust storm, and all of them were full of anxiety.

SB 4.5.8

Conjecturing on the origin of the storm, they said: There is no wind blowing, and no cows are passing, nor is it possible that this dust storm could be raised by plunderers, for there is still the strong King Barhi, who would punish them. Where is this dust storm blowing from? Is the dissolution of the planet now to occur?

SB 4.5.9

Prasüti, the wife of Dakña, along with the other women assembled, became very anxious and said: This danger has been created by Dakña because of the death of Saté, who, even though completely innocent, quit her body as her sisters looked on.

SB 4.5.10

At the time of dissolution, Lord Çiva’s hair is scattered, and he pierces the rulers of the different directions with his trident. He laughs and dances proudly, scattering their hands like flags, as thunder scatters the clouds all over the world.

SB 4.5.11

The gigantic black man bared his fearful teeth. By the movements of his brows he scattered the luminaries all over the sky, and he covered them with his strong, piercing effulgence. Because of the misbehavior of Dakña, even Lord Brahmä, Dakña’s father, could not have been saved from the great exhibition of anger.

SB 4.5.12

While all the people talked amongst themselves, Dakña saw dangerous omens from all sides, from the earth and from the sky.

SB 4.5.13

My dear Vidura, all the followers of Lord Çiva surrounded the arena of sacrifice. They were of short stature and were equipped with various kinds of weapons; their bodies appeared to be like those of sharks, blackish and yellowish. They ran all around the sacrificial arena and thus began to create disturbances.

SB 4.5.14

Some of the soldiers pulled down the pillars which were supporting the pandal of sacrifice, some of them entered the female quarters, some began destroying the sacrificial arena, and some entered the kitchen and the residential quarters.

SB 4.5.15

They broke all the pots made for use in the sacrifice, and some of them began to extinguish the sacrificial fire. Some tore down the boundary line of the sacrificial arena, and some passed urine on the arena.

SB 4.5.16

Some blocked the way of the fleeing sages, some threatened the women assembled there, and some arrested the demigods who were fleeing the pandal.

SB 4.5.17

Maëimän, one of the followers of Lord Çiva, arrested Bhågu Muni, and Vérabhadra, the black demon, arrested Prajäpati Dakña. Another follower, who was named Caëòeça, arrested Püñä. Nandéçvara arrested the demigod Bhaga.

SB 4.5.18

There was a continuous shower of stones, and all the priests and other members assembled at the sacrifice were put into immense misery. For fear of their lives, they dispersed in different directions.

SB 4.5.19

Vérabhadra tore off the mustache of Bhågu, who was offering the sacrificial oblations with his hands in the fire.

SB 4.5.20

Vérabhadra immediately caught Bhaga, who had been moving his eyebrows during Bhågu’s cursing of Lord Çiva, and out of great anger thrust him to the ground and forcibly put out his eyes.

SB 4.5.21

Just as Baladeva knocked out the teeth of Dantavakra, the King of Kaliìga, during the gambling match at the marriage ceremony of Aniruddha, Vérabhadra knocked out the teeth of both Dakña, who had shown them while cursing Lord Çiva, and Püñä, who by smiling sympathetically had also shown his teeth.

SB 4.5.22

Then Vérabhadra, the giantlike personality, sat on the chest of Dakña and tried to separate his head from his body with sharp weapons, but was unsuccessful.

SB 4.5.23

He tried to cut the head of Dakña with hymns as well as weapons, but still it was hard to cut even the surface of the skin of Dakña’s head. Thus Vérabhadra was exceedingly bewildered.

SB 4.5.24

Then Vérabhadra saw the wooden device in the sacrificial arena by which the animals were to have been killed. He took the opportunity of this facility to behead Dakña.

SB 4.5.25

Upon seeing the action of Vérabhadra, the party of Lord Çiva was pleased and cried out joyfully, and all the bhütas, ghosts and demons that had come made a tumultuous sound. On the other hand, the brähmaëas in charge of the sacrifice cried out in grief at the death of Dakña.

SB 4.5.26

Vérabhadra then took the head and with great anger threw it into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, offering it as an oblation. In this way the followers of Lord Çiva devastated all the arrangements for sacrifice. After setting fire to the whole arena, they departed for their master’s abode, Kailäsa.

[bhaktajan 0]

SB 4.6.1-2

All the priests and other members of the sacrificial assembly and all the demigods, having been defeated by the soldiers of Lord Çiva and injured by weapons like tridents and swords, approached Lord Brahmä with great fear. After offering him obeisances, they began to speak in detail of all the events which had taken place.

SB 4.6.3

Both Lord Brahmä and Viñëu had already known that such events would occur in the sacrificial arena of Dakña, and knowing beforehand, they did not go to the sacrifice.

SB 4.6.4

When Lord Brahmä heard everything from the demigods and the members who had attended the sacrifice, he replied: You cannot be happy in executing a sacrifice if you blaspheme a great personality and thereby offend his lotus feet. You cannot have happiness in that way.

SB 4.6.5

You have excluded Lord Çiva from taking part in the sacrificial results, and therefore you are all offenders at his lotus feet. Still, if you go without mental reservations and surrender unto him and fall down at his lotus feet, he will be very pleased.

SB 4.6.6

Lord Brahmä also advised them that Lord Çiva is so powerful that by his anger all the planets and their chief controllers can be destroyed immediately. Also, he said that Lord Çiva was especially sorry because he had recently lost his dear wife and was also very much afflicted by the unkind words of Dakña. Under the circumstances, Lord Brahmä suggested, it would behoove them to go at once and beg his pardon.

SB 4.6.7

Lord Brahmä said that no one, not even himself, Indra, all the members assembled in the sacrificial arena, or all the sages, could know how powerful Lord Çiva is. Under the circumstances, who would dare to commit an offense at his lotus feet?.

SB 4.6.8

After thus instructing all the demigods, the Pitäs and the lords of the living entities, Lord Brahmä took them with him and left for the abode of Lord Çiva, known as the Kailäsa Hill.

SB 4.6.9

The abode known as Kailäsa is full of different herbs and vegetables, and it is sanctified by Vedic hymns and mystic yoga practice. Thus the residents of that abode are demigods by birth and have all mystic powers. Besides them there are other human beings, who are known as Kinnaras and Gandharvas and are accompanied by their beautiful wives, who are known as Apsaräs, or angels.

SB 4.6.10

Kailäsa is full of mountains filled with all kinds of valuable jewels and minerals and surrounded by all varieties of valuable trees and plants. The top of the hill is nicely decorated by various types of deer.

SB 4.6.11

There are many waterfalls, and in the mountains there are many beautiful caves in which the very beautiful wives of the mystics are found.

SB 4.6.12

On Kailäsa Hill there is always the rhythmical sound of the peacocks’ sweet vibrations and the bees’ humming. Cuckoos are always singing, and other birds whisper amongst themselves.

SB 4.6.13

There are tall trees with straight branches that appear to call the sweet birds, and when herds of elephants pass through the hills, it appears that the Kailäsa Hill moves with them. When the waterfalls resound, it appears that Kailäsa Hill does also.

SB 4.6.14-15

The whole of Kailäsa Hill is decorated with various kinds of trees, of which the following names may be mentioned: mandära, pärijäta, sarala, tamäla, täla, kovidära, äsana, arjuna, ämra-jäti (mango), kadamba, dhüli-kadamba, näga, punnäga, campaka, päöala, açoka, bakula, kunda and kurabaka. The entire hill is decorated with such trees, which produce flowers with fragrant aromas.

SB 4.6.16

There are other trees also which decorate the hill, such as the golden lotus flower, the cinnamon tree, mälaté, kubja, mallikä and mädhavé.

SB 4.6.17

Kailäsa Hill is also decorated with such trees as kata, jackfruit, julara, banyan trees, plakñas, nyagrodhas and trees producing asafoetida. Also there are trees of betel nuts and bhürja-patra, as well as räjapüga, blackberries and similar other trees.

SB 4.6.18

There are mango trees, priyäla, madhuka and iìguda. Besides these there are other trees, like thin bamboos, kécaka and varieties of other bamboo trees, all decorating the tract of Kailäsa Hill.

SB 4.6.19-20

There are different kinds of lotus flowers, such as kumuda, utpala and çatapatra. The forest appears to be a decorated garden, and the small lakes are full of various kinds of birds who whisper very sweetly. There are many kinds of other animals also, like deer, monkeys, boars, lions, åkñas, çalyakas, forest cows, forest asses, tigers, small deer, buffalo and many other animals, who are fully enjoying their lives.

SB 4.6.21

There are varieties of deer, such as karëäntra, ekapada, açväsya, våka and kastüré, the deer which bears musk. Besides the deer there are many banana trees which decorate the small hillside lakes very nicely.

SB 4.6.22

There is a small lake named Alakanandä in which Saté used to take her bath, and that lake is especially auspicious. All the demigods, after seeing the specific beauty of Kailäsa Hill, were struck with wonder at the great opulence to be found there.

SB 4.6.23

Thus the demigods saw the wonderfully beautiful region known as Alakä in the forest known as Saugandhika, which means “full of fragrance.” The forest is known as Saugandhika because of its abundance of lotus flowers.

SB 4.6.24

They also saw the two rivers named Nandä and Alakanandä. These two rivers are sanctified by the dust of the lotus feet of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Govinda.

SB 4.6.25

My dear Kñattä, Vidura, the celestial damsels come down to those rivers in their airplanes with their husbands, and after sexual enjoyment, they enter the water and enjoy sprinkling their husbands with water.

SB 4.6.26

After the damsels of the heavenly planets bathe in the water, it becomes yellowish and fragrant due to the kuìkuma from their bodies. Thus the elephants come to bathe there with their wives, the she-elephants, and they also drink the water, although they are not thirsty.

SB 4.6.27

The airplanes of the heavenly denizens are bedecked with pearls, gold and many valuable jewels. The heavenly denizens are compared to clouds in the sky decorated with occasional flashes of electric lightning.

SB 4.6.28

While traveling, the demigods passed over the forest known as Saugandhika, which is full of varieties of flowers, fruits and desire trees. While passing over the forest, they also saw the regions of Yakñeçvara.

SB 4.6.29

In that celestial forest there were many birds whose necks were colored reddish and whose sweet sounds mixed with the humming of the bees. The lakes were abundantly decorated with crying swans as well as strong-stemmed lotus flowers.

SB 4.6.30

All these atmospheric influences unsettled the forest elephants who flocked together in the sandalwood forest, and the blowing wind agitated the minds of the damsels there for further sexual enjoyment.

SB 4.6.31

They also saw that the bathing ghäöas and their staircases were made of vaidürya-maëi. The water was full of lotus flowers. Passing by such lakes, the demigods reached a place where there was a great banyan tree.

SB 4.6.32

That banyan tree was eight hundred miles high, and its branches spread over six hundred miles around. The tree cast a fine shade which permanently cooled the temperature, yet there was no noise of birds.

SB 4.6.33

The demigods saw Lord Çiva sitting under that tree, which was competent to give perfection to mystic yogés and deliver all people. As grave as time eternal, he appeared to have given up all anger.

SB 4.6.34

Lord Çiva sat there, surrounded by saintly persons like Kuvera, the master of the Guhyakas, and the four Kumäras, who were already liberated souls. Lord Çiva was grave and saintly.

SB 4.6.35

The demigods saw Lord Çiva situated in his perfection as the master of the senses, knowledge, fruitive activities and the path of achieving perfection. He was the friend of the entire world, and by virtue of his full affection for everyone, he was very auspicious.

SB 4.6.36

He was seated on a deerskin and was practicing all forms of austerity. Because his body was smeared with ashes, he looked like an evening cloud. On his hair was the sign of a half-moon, a symbolic representation.

SB 4.6.37

He was seated on a straw mattress and speaking to all present, including the great sage Närada, to whom he specifically spoke about the Absolute Truth.

SB 4.6.38

His left leg was placed on his right thigh, and his left hand was placed on his left thigh. In his right hand he held rudräkña beads. This sitting posture is called véräsana. He sat in the véräsana posture, and his finger was in the mode of argument.

SB 4.6.39

All the sages and demigods, headed by Indra, offered their respectful obeisances unto Lord Çiva with folded hands. Lord Çiva was dressed in saffron garments and absorbed in trance, thus appearing to be the foremost of all sages.

SB 4.6.40

Lord Çiva’s lotus feet were worshiped by both the demigods and demons, but still, in spite of his exalted position, as soon as he saw that Lord Brahmä was there among all the other demigods, he immediately stood up and offered him respect by bowing down and touching his lotus feet, just as Vämanadeva offered His respectful obeisances to Kaçyapa Muni.

SB 4.6.41

All the sages who were sitting with Lord Çiva, such as Närada and others, also offered their respectful obeisances to Lord Brahmä. After being so worshiped, Lord Brahmä, smiling, began to speak to Lord Çiva.

SB 4.6.42

Lord Brahmä said: My dear Lord Çiva, I know that you are the controller of the entire material manifestation, the combination father and mother of the cosmic manifestation, and the Supreme Brahman beyond the cosmic manifestation as well. I know you in that way.

SB 4.6.43

My dear lord, you create this cosmic manifestation, maintain it, and annihilate it by expansion of your personality, exactly as a spider creates, maintains and winds up its web.

SB 4.6.44

My dear lord, Your Lordship has introduced the system of sacrifices through the agency of Dakña, and thus one may derive the benefits of religious activities and economic development. Under your regulative principles, the institution of the four varëas and äçramas is respected. The brähmaëas therefore vow to follow this system strictly.

SB 4.6.45

O most auspicious lord, you have ordained the heavenly planets, the spiritual Vaikuëöha planets and the impersonal Brahman sphere as the respective destinations of the performers of auspicious activities. Similarly, for others, who are miscreants, you have destined different kinds of hells which are horrible and ghastly. Yet sometimes it is found that their destinations are just the opposite. It is very difficult to ascertain the cause of this.

SB 4.6.46

My dear Lord, devotees who have fully dedicated their lives unto your lotus feet certainly observe your presence as Paramätmä in each and every being, and as such they do not differentiate between one living being and another. Such persons treat all living entities equally. They never become overwhelmed by anger like animals, who can see nothing without differentiation.

SB 4.6.47

Persons who observe everything with differentiation, who are simply attached to fruitive activities, who are mean minded, who are always pained to see the flourishing condition of others and who thus give distress to them by uttering harsh and piercing words have already been killed by providence. Thus there is no need for them to be killed again by an exalted personality like you.

SB 4.6.48

My dear lord, if in some places materialists, who are already bewildered by the insurmountable illusory energy of the Supreme Godhead, sometimes commit offenses, a saintly person, with compassion, does not take this seriously. Knowing that they commit offenses because they are overpowered by the illusory energy, he does not show his prowess to counteract them.

SB 4.6.49

My dear lord, you are never bewildered by the formidable influence of the illusory energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Therefore you are omniscient and should be merciful and compassionate toward those who are bewildered by the same illusory energy and are very much attached to fruitive activities.

SB 4.6.50

My dear Lord Çiva, you are a shareholder of a portion of the sacrifice, and you are the giver of the result. The bad priests did not deliver your share, and therefore you destroyed everything, and the sacrifice remains unfinished. Now you can do the needful and take your rightful share.

SB 4.6.51

My dear lord, by your mercy the performer of the sacrifice (King Dakña) may get back his life, Bhaga may get back his eyes, Bhågu his mustache, and Püñä his teeth.

SB 4.6.52

O Lord Çiva, may the demigods and the priests whose limbs have been broken by your soldiers recover from the injuries by your grace.

SB 4.6.53

O destroyer of the sacrifice, please take your portion of the sacrifice and let the sacrifice be completed by your grace.

[bhaktajan 0]

SB 4.7.1

The sage Maitreya said: O mighty-armed Vidura, Lord Çiva, being thus pacified by the words of Lord Brahmä, spoke as follows in answer to Lord Brahmä’s request.

SB 4.7.2

Lord Çiva said: My dear father, Brahmä, I do not mind the offenses created by the demigods. Because these demigods are childish and less intelligent, I do not take a serious view of their offenses, and I have punished them only in order to right them.

SB 4.7.3

Lord Çiva continued: Since the head of Dakña has already been burned to ashes, he will have the head of a goat. The demigod known as Bhaga will be able to see his share of sacrifice through the eyes of Mitra.

SB 4.7.4

The demigod Püñä will be able to chew only through the teeth of his disciples, and if alone, he will have to satisfy himself by eating dough made from chickpea flour. But the demigods who have agreed to give me my share of the sacrifice will recover from all their injuries.

SB 4.7.5

Those who have had their arms cut off will have to work with the arms of Açviné-kumära, and those whose hands were cut off will have to do their work with the hands of Püñä. The priests will also have to act in that manner. As for Bhågu, he will have the beard from the goat’s head.

SB 4.7.6

The great sage Maitreya said: My dear Vidura, all the personalities present were very much satisfied in heart and soul upon hearing the words of Lord Çiva, who is the best among the benedictors.

SB 4.7.7

Thereafter, Bhågu, the chief of the great sages, invited Lord Çiva to come to the sacrificial arena. Thus the demigods, accompanied by the sages, Lord Çiva, and Lord Brahmä, all went to the place where the great sacrifice was being performed.

SB 4.7.8

After everything was executed exactly as directed by Lord Çiva, Dakña’s body was joined to the head of the animal meant to be killed in the sacrifice.

SB 4.7.9

When the animal’s head was fixed on the body of King Dakña, Dakña was immediately brought to consciousness, and as he awakened from sleep, the King saw Lord Çiva standing before him.

SB 4.7.10

At that time, when Dakña saw Lord Çiva, who rides upon a bull, his heart, which was polluted by envy of Lord Çiva, was immediately cleansed, just as the water in a lake is cleansed by autumn rains.

SB 4.7.11

King Dakña wanted to offer prayers to Lord Çiva, but as he remembered the ill-fated death of his daughter Saté, his eyes filled with tears, and in bereavement his voice choked up, and he could not say anything.

SB 4.7.12

At this time, King Dakña, afflicted by love and affection, was very much awakened to his real senses. With great endeavor, he pacified his mind, checked his feelings, and with pure consciousness began to offer prayers to Lord Çiva.

SB 4.7.13

King Dakña said: My dear Lord Çiva, I committed a great offense against you, but you are so kind that instead of withdrawing your mercy, you have done me a great favor by punishing me. You and Lord Viñëu never neglect even useless, unqualified brähmaëas. Why, then, should you neglect me, who am engaged in performing sacrifices?

SB 4.7.14

My dear great and powerful Lord Çiva, you were created first from the mouth of Lord Brahmä in order to protect the brähmaëas in pursuing education, austerities, vows and self-realization. As protector of the brähmaëas, you always protect the regulative principles they follow, just as a cowherd boy keeps a stick in his hand to give protection to the cows.

SB 4.7.15

I did not know your full glories. For this reason, I threw arrows of sharp words at you in the open assembly, although you did not take them into account. I was going down to hell because of my disobedience to you, who are the most respectable personality, but you took compassion upon me and saved me by awarding punishment. I request that you be pleased by your own mercy, since I cannot satisfy you by my words.

SB 4.7.16

The great sage Maitreya said: Thus being pardoned by Lord Çiva, King Dakña, with the permission of Lord Brahmä, again began the performance of the yajïa, along with the great learned sages, the priests and others.

SB 4.7.17

Thereafter, in order to resume the activities of sacrifice, the brähmaëas first arranged to purify the sacrificial arena of the contamination caused by the touch of Vérabhadra and the other ghostly followers of Lord Çiva. Then they arranged to offer into the fire the oblations known as puroòäça.

SB 4.7.18

The great sage Maitreya said to Vidura: My dear Vidura, as soon as King Dakña offered the clarified butter with Yajur Veda mantras in sanctified meditation, Lord Viñëu appeared there in His original form as Näräyaëa.

SB 4.7.19

Lord Näräyaëa was seated on the shoulder of Stotra, or Garuòa, who had big wings. As soon as the Lord appeared, all directions were illuminated, diminishing the luster of Brahmä and the others present.

SB 4.7.20

His complexion was blackish, His garment yellow like gold, and His helmet as dazzling as the sun. His hair was bluish, the color of black bees, and His face was decorated with earrings. His eight hands held a conchshell, wheel, club, lotus flower, arrow, bow, shield and sword, and they were decorated with golden ornaments such as bangles and bracelets. His whole body resembled a blossoming tree beautifully decorated with various kinds of flowers.

SB 4.7.21

Lord Viñëu looked extraordinarily beautiful because the goddess of fortune and a garland were situated on His chest. His face was beautifully decorated with a smiling attitude which can captivate the entire world, especially the devotees. Fans of white hair appeared on both sides of the Lord like white swans, and the white canopy overhead looked like the moon.

SB 4.7.22

As soon as Lord Viñëu was visible, all the demigods—Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva, the Gandharvas and all present there—immediately offered their respectful obeisances by falling down straight before Him.

SB 4.7.23

In the presence of the glaring effulgence of the bodily luster of Näräyaëa, everyone else’s luster faded away, and everyone stopped speaking. Fearful with awe and veneration, all present touched their hands to their heads and prepared to offer their prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Adhokñaja.

SB 4.7.24

Although the mental scope of even demigods like Brahmä was unable to comprehend the unlimited glories of the Supreme Lord, they were all able to perceive the transcendental form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead by His grace. Only by such grace could they offer their respectful prayers according to their different capacities.

SB 4.7.25

When Lord Viñëu accepted the oblations offered in the sacrifice, Dakña, the Prajäpati, began with great pleasure to offer respectful prayers unto Him. The Supreme Personality of Godhead is actually the master of all sacrifices and preceptor of all the Prajäpatis, and He is served even by such personalities as Nanda and Sunanda.

SB 4.7.26

Dakña addressed the Supreme Personality of Godhead: My dear Lord, You are transcendental to all speculative positions. You are completely spiritual, devoid of all fear, and You are always in control of the material energy. Even though You appear in the material energy, You are situated transcendentally. You are always free from material contamination because You are completely self-sufficient.

SB 4.7.27

The priests addressed the Lord, saying: O Lord, transcendental to material contamination, by the curse offered by Lord Çiva’s men we have become attached to fruitive activities, and thus we are now fallen and therefore do not know anything about You. On the contrary, we are now involved in the injunctions of the three departments of the Vedic knowledge under the plea of executing rituals in the name of yajïa. We know that You have made arrangements for distributing the respective shares of the demigods.

SB 4.7.28

The members of the assembly addressed the Lord: O exclusive shelter for all who are situated in troubled life, in this formidable fort of conditional existence the time element, like a snake, is always looking for an opportunity to strike. This world is full of ditches of so-called distress and happiness, and there are many ferocious animals always ready to attack. The fire of lamentation is always blazing, and the mirage of false happiness is always alluring, but one has no shelter from them. Thus foolish persons live in the cycle of birth and death, always overburdened in discharging their so-called duties, and we do not know when they will accept the shelter of Your lotus feet.

SB 4.7.29

Lord Çiva said: My dear Lord, my mind and consciousness are always fixed on Your lotus feet, which, as the source of all benediction and the fulfillment of all desires, are worshiped by all liberated great sages because Your lotus feet are worthy of worship. With my mind fixed on Your lotus feet, I am no longer disturbed by persons who blaspheme me, claiming that my activities are not purified. I do not mind their accusations, and I excuse them out of compassion, just as You exhibit compassion toward all living entities.

SB 4.7.30

Çré Bhågu said: My dear Lord, all living entities, beginning from the highest, namely Lord Brahmä, down to the ordinary ant, are under the influence of the insurmountable spell of illusory energy, and thus they are ignorant of their constitutional position. Everyone believes in the concept of the body, and all are thus submerged in the darkness of illusion. They are actually unable to understand how You live in every living entity as the Supersoul, nor can they understand Your absolute position. But You are the eternal friend and protector of all surrendered souls. Therefore, please be kind toward us and forgive all our offenses.

SB 4.7.31

Lord Brahmä said: My dear Lord, Your personality and eternal form cannot be understood by any person who is trying to know You through the different processes of acquiring knowledge. Your position is always transcendental to the material creation, whereas the empiric attempt to understand You is material, as are its objectives and instruments.

SB 4.7.32

King Indra said: My dear Lord, Your transcendental form with eight hands and weapons in each of them appears for the welfare of the entire universe, and it is very pleasing to the mind and eyes. In such a form, Your Lordship is always prepared to punish the demons, who are envious of Your devotees.

SB 4.7.33

The wives of the performers of the sacrifice said: My dear Lord, this sacrifice was arranged under the instruction of Brahmä, but unfortunately Lord Çiva, being angry at Dakña, devastated the entire scene, and because of his anger the animals meant for sacrifice are lying dead. Therefore the preparations of the yajïa have been lost. Now, by the glance of Your lotus eyes, the sanctity of this sacrificial arena may be again invoked.

[bhaktajan 0]

SB 4.7.34

The sages prayed: Dear Lord, Your activities are most wonderful, and although You do everything by Your different potencies, You are not at all attached to such activities. You are not even attached to the goddess of fortune, who is worshiped by the great demigods like Brahmä, who pray to achieve her mercy.

SB 4.7.35

The Siddhas prayed: Like an elephant that has suffered in a forest fire but can forget all its troubles by entering a river, our minds, O Lord, always merge in the nectarean river of Your transcendental pastimes, and they desire never to leave such transcendental bliss, which is as good as the pleasure of merging in the Absolute.

SB 4.7.36

The wife of Dakña prayed as follows: My dear Lord, it is very fortunate that You have appeared in this arena of sacrifice. I offer my respectful obeisances unto You, and I request that You be pleased on this occasion. The sacrificial arena is not beautiful without You, just as a body is not beautiful without the head.

SB 4.7.37

The governors of various planets spoke as follows: Dear Lord, we believe only in our direct perception, but under the circumstances we do not know whether we have actually seen You with our material senses. By our material senses we can simply perceive the cosmic manifestation, but You are beyond the five elements. You are the sixth. We see You, therefore, as a creation of the material world.

SB 4.7.38

The great mystics said: Dear Lord, persons who see You as nondifferent from themselves, knowing that You are the Supersoul of all living entities, are certainly very, very dear to You. You are very favorable toward those who engage in devotional service, accepting You as the Lord and themselves as the servants. By Your mercy, You are always inclined in their favor.

SB 4.7.39

We offer our respectful obeisances unto the Supreme, who has created varieties of manifestations and put them under the spell of the three qualities of the material world in order to create, maintain and annihilate them. He Himself is not under the control of the external energy; in His personal feature He is completely devoid of the variegated manifestation of material qualities, and He is under no illusion of false identification.

SB 4.7.40

The personified Vedas said: We offer our respectful obeisances unto You, the Lord, the shelter of the quality of goodness and therefore the source of all religion, austerity and penance, for You are transcendental to all material qualities and no one knows You or Your actual situation.

SB 4.7.41

The fire-god said: My dear Lord, I offer my respectful obeisances unto You because by Your favor I am as luminous as blazing fire and I accept the offerings mixed with butter and offered in sacrifice. The five kinds of offerings according to the Yajur Veda are all Your different energies, and You are worshiped by five kinds of Vedic hymns. Sacrifice means Your Supreme Personality of Godhead.

SB 4.7.42

The demigods said: Dear Lord, formerly, when there was a devastation, You conserved all the different energies of material manifestation. At that time, all the inhabitants of the higher planets, represented by such liberated souls as Sanaka, were meditating on You by philosophical speculation. You are therefore the original person, and You rest in the water of devastation on the bed of the Çeña snake. Now, today, You are visible to us, who are all Your servants. Please give us protection.

SB 4.7.43

The Gandharvas said: Dear Lord, all the demigods, including Lord Çiva, Lord Brahmä, Indra and Maréci and the great sages, are all only differentiated parts and parcels of Your body. You are the Supreme Almighty Great; the whole creation is just like a plaything for You. We always accept You as the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and we offer our respectful obeisances unto You.

SB 4.7.44

The Vidyädharas said: Dear Lord, this human form of body is meant for attaining the highest perfectional objective, but, impelled by Your external energy, the living entity misidentifies himself with his body and with the material energy, and therefore, influenced by mäyä, he wants to become happy by material enjoyment. He is misled and always attracted by temporary, illusory happiness. But Your transcendental activities are so powerful that if one engages in the hearing and chanting of such topics, he can be delivered from illusion.

SB 4.7.45

The brähmaëas said: Dear Lord, You are sacrifice personified. You are the offering of clarified butter, You are the fire, You are the chanting of Vedic hymns by which the sacrifice is conducted, You are the fuel, You are the flame, You are the kuça grass, and You are the sacrificial pots. You are the priests who perform the yajïa, You are the demigods headed by Indra, and You are the sacrificial animal. Everything that is sacrificed is You or Your energy.

SB 4.7.46

Dear Lord, O personified Vedic knowledge, in the past millennium, long, long ago, when You appeared as the great boar incarnation, You picked up the world from the water, as an elephant picks up a lotus flower from a lake. When You vibrated transcendental sound in that gigantic form of a boar, the sound was accepted as a sacrificial hymn, and great sages like Sanaka meditated upon it and offered prayers for Your glorification.

SB 4.7.47

Dear Lord, we were awaiting Your audience because we have been unable to perform the yajïas according to the Vedic rituals. We pray unto You, therefore, to be pleased with us. Simply by chanting Your holy name, one can surpass all obstacles. We offer our respectful obeisances unto You in Your presence.

SB 4.7.48

Çré Maitreya said: After Lord Viñëu was glorified by all present, Dakña, his consciousness purified, arranged to begin again the yajïa which had been devastated by the followers of Lord Çiva.

SB 4.7.49

Maitreya continued: My dear sinless Vidura, Lord Viñëu is actually the enjoyer of the results of all sacrifices. Yet because of His being the Supersoul of all living entities, He was satisfied simply with His share of the sacrificial offerings. He therefore addressed Dakña in a pleasing attitude.

SB 4.7.50

Lord Viñëu replied: Brahmä, Lord Çiva and I are the supreme cause of the material manifestation. I am the Supersoul, the self sufficient witness. But impersonally there is no difference between Brahmä, Lord Çiva and Me.

SB 4.7.51

The Lord continued: My dear Dakña Dvija, I am the original Personality of Godhead, but in order to create, maintain and annihilate this cosmic manifestation, I act through My material energy, and according to the different grades of activity, My representations are differently named.

SB 4.7.52

The Lord continued: One who is not in proper knowledge thinks that demigods like Brahmä and Çiva are independent, or he even thinks that the living entities are independent.

SB 4.7.53

A person with average intelligence does not think the head and other parts of the body to be separate. Similarly, My devotee does not differentiate Viñëu, the all-pervading Personality of Godhead, from any thing or any living entity.

SB 4.7.54

The Lord continued: One who does not consider Brahmä, Viñëu, Çiva or the living entities in general to be separate from the Supreme, and who knows Brahman, actually realizes peace; others do not.

SB 4.7.55

The sage Maitreya said: Thus Dakña, the head of all Prajäpatis, having been nicely instructed by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, worshiped Lord Viñëu. After worshiping Him by performing the prescribed sacrificial ceremonies, Dakña separately worshiped Lord Brahmä and Lord Çiva.

SB 4.7.56

With all respect, Dakña worshiped Lord Çiva with his share of the remnants of the yajïa. After finishing the ritualistic sacrificial activities, he satisfied all the other demigods and the other people assembled there. Then, after finishing all these duties with the priests, he took a bath and was fully satisfied.

SB 4.7.57

Thus worshiping the Supreme Lord Viñëu by the ritualistic performance of sacrifice, Dakña was completely situated on the religious path. Moreover, all the demigods who had assembled at the sacrifice blessed him that he might increase his piety, and then they left.

SB 4.7.58

Maitreya said: I have heard that after giving up the body she had received from Dakña, Däkñäyaëé (his daughter) took her birth in the kingdom of the Himalayas. She was born as the daughter of Menä. I heard this from authoritative sources.

SB 4.7.59

Ambikä [goddess Durgä], who was known as Däkñäyiëé [saté], again accepted Lord Çiva as her husband, just as different energies of the Supreme Personality of Godhead act during the course of a new creation.

SB 4.7.60

Maitreya said: My dear Vidura, I heard this story of the Dakña yajïa, which was devastated by Lord Çiva, from Uddhava, a great devotee and a disciple of Båhaspati.

SB 4.7.61

The great sage Maitreya concluded: If one hears and again narrates, with faith and devotion, this story of the Dakña yajïa as it was conducted by the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Viñëu, then certainly one is cleared of all contamination of material existence, O son of Kuru.

Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Seventh Chapter, of the Çrémad-Bhägavatam.

[RadhaMukunda 0]

Read a translation from the Gita Press and pay extra attention to the words by Shiva, Sati and Vishnu: http://gitapress.org/

[bhaktajan 0]

(Iso M6, P):

Anupaçyati — One should “observe,” or systematically see.

This means that one must follow the previous äcäryas, the perfected teachers.

Anupaçyati is the exact Sanskrit word used in this connection.

Anu means “to follow,” and paçyati means “to observe.”

Thus the word anupaçyati means that one should not see things as he does with the naked eye but should follow the previous äcäryas.

Due to material defects, the naked eye cannot see anything properly. One cannot see properly unless one has heard from a superior source, and the highest source is the Vedic wisdom, which is spoken by the Lord Himself.

Vedic truths are coming in disciplic succession from the Lord to Brahmä, from Brahmä to Närada, from Närada to Vyäsa, and from Vyäsa to many of his disciples.

Formerly there was no need to record the messages of the Vedas, because people in earlier ages were more intelligent and had sharper memories. They could follow the instructions simply by hearing once from the mouth of a bona fide spiritual master.

At present there are many commentaries on the revealed scriptures, but most of them are not in the line of disciplic succession coming from Çréla Vyäsadeva, who originally compiled the Vedic wisdom. The final, most perfect and sublime work by Çréla Vyäsadeva is Çrémad-Bhägavatam, which is the natural commentary on the Vedänta-sütra.

There is also the Bhagavad-gétä, which was spoken by the Lord Himself and recorded by Vyäsadeva. These are the most important revealed scriptures, and any commentary that contradicts the principles of the Bhagavad-gétä or Çrémad-Bhägavatam is unauthorized.

There is complete agreement among the Upaniñads, Vedänta-sütra, Vedas, Bhagavad-gétä and Çrémad-Bhägavatam, and no one should try to reach any conclusion about the Vedas without receiving instructions from members of Vyäsadeva’s disciplic succession, who believe in the Personality of Godhead Bhagavan Shree Krishna and His diverse energies.