\'SATI\' - THE GODDESS PARVATHI

Manu\'s third daughter, Prasuti married Dhaksha, the prajapati she gave birth to sixteen daughters. They were all married to Lord Dharma except one of them whose name was Sati. Sati was great devotee of Lord Shiva. She worshipped him at all times with intense devotion; Ultimately, Shiva and Sati were married.

One day, Dhaksha decided to perform a huge \"Mahayagna\" (ritual through sacred fire). All the Gods, Rishis, Sages, Kings and celebrities were invited to it. On the day of \"Mahayagna\", every one was seated in the hall which had been prepared for the rituals. The sacrificial spot (Homa kunda) had been dug. The materials for the sacrifice were kept ready in golden pots and platters. The Bhramin priests had all gathered. The mantras and incantations filled the air. At this moment the conches were sounded. Dhaksha entered the sacrificial hall. The entire assembly rose in
respect. Dhaksha\'s head went up and his chest expanded in pride, as he saw the honour that all gods and sages were showing him. And then his eyes caught the sight of two persons who had not stood up. They were his father Brahma, and his divine son-in-law Shiva. Dhaksha prostrated before Brahma and asked his blessings. He then looked at Shiva who continued to sit quietly. This Dhaksha could not bear. He was terribly angry. He lost his temper and abused Shiva in front of all the guests. He said, \"You are a shameless person! I know you are jealous of my wealth and position. I have never seen any one more ungrateful than you. I have given you in marriage my gifted and accomplished daughter, and yet you have dared to show me disrespect\".

He said to the Devas, \"Look at him. He knows no difference between purity and impurity, respect and disrespect. He roams around in the cremation grounds, his body covered with ashes. He should be called \'Ashiva\' the inauspicious, and not Shiva, the auspicious. Then he poured a little water into his palm and sipped it up. The entire assembly, looked shocked and horrified as he pronounced the curse, \"Hence
forth you will never get the share of my sacrifice, This should teach you a lesson\".

All through this Shiva remained calm and composed, never uttering a single word in anger or protest. But one of his followers called Nandiswara could not bear this insult to his beloved Shiva. Quickly, he too sipped a little water in turn cursed Dhaksha saying\" Shiva hates no one. It is Dhaksha, who sees differences around him. He considers his body to be all in all. He will forever remain chained to the path of sacrifice and ritual. Being fond of the body, he will be extremely attached to women and he will soon acquire a face like that of a goat. The assembled Brahmins who support him will for ever be caught up in the cycle of birth and death. They will crave wealth and worldly enjoyments. They will make a profession of their learning and tapas\".

Bhrigu, the leader of the Bhramins uttered a counter curse on Nandhi and the followers of Shiva. \"They shall adorn their bodies with ashes and bones and with their hair loose, they shall frequent the cremation grounds. Those who forget that Narayana is at the root of all things in the world shall attain only the tamasic Shiva – the Lord of Boothas and Pisasu (bad, evil and deadly spirits)\".

Then there was a confusion all around. People had never heard such terrible curses before. Quietly, Shiva got up and left the hall. His followers too walked behind him. From that time onwards there was constant enmity between the followers of Shiva and those of Dhaksha\". Sometime later, Bhrama made Dhaksha the head of the Prajapatis. Daksha\'s pride knew no bounds. He decided to perform a Maha yagna on a lavish scale. This was called as the Brihaspati yagna. To this sacrifice all the inhabitants of the three worlds were invited except Shiva and his divine consort sati.

Now and then Sati heard of the elaborate preparations that were going on in her father\'s house, she also wanted to go and see it. Shiva pointed out to her that they had not been invited. She looked at him pleadingly and said, \"Surely a daughter needs no invitation to visit her father\'s house. In the intenseICC Code Download
preparation of the Mahayagna he must have forgotten to invite us. Besides, I so much want to see my mother and sisters again\". At last Shiva allowed her to go.

Dressing herself up in her finest clothes, and accompanied by her own personal attend ants, Sati set out for Dhaksha\'s house. It was queer procession. Sati rode on Shiva\'s Bull. Her maids went with her singing, laughing and joking. Their anklets were making soft tinkling music. Shiva\'s attendants too, went along. They were the odd- looking boothas and pisasus, their bodies covered with ashes and ornamented with skulls and bones. Thus this music- making, trumpet blaring procession approached Dhaksha\'s palace. But no one came forward to receive \'Sati\' except her mother and sisters. They came out and embraced her. Her father even refused to look at her. Being afraid of Dhaksha, the other guests would not even talk to her. Sati felt uneasy at their strange behaviour. Then she looked around and saw that no yagna offering had been kept in the name of Shiva. Her eyes sparkled and her lower lip trembled. She turned furiously on Dhaksha and said, \"Shame on you! You have shown disrespect to Shiva in whose eyes, all are equal. You have ignored him on whom all the yogis and devas meditate as the supreme Bhraman. I am indeed of this body which has come from you. You care not for the soul in your attachment for the body\". She then dressed herself up in yellow silk, sipped some water (achamana) and sat in a meditating posture, facing north. Then she closed her eyes and concentrated the air and fire elements in her body, fixed her mind on the feet of Shiva. As the horrified guests looked on, her body suddenly caught fire and was soon reduced to ashes. There was now a great confusion in the hall of sacrifice. People ran here, there and every where. Even Dhaksha was sorry for what his supidity had led to.

\'Naradha\' ran to tell Shiva about the things happened. Shiva rose in a terrible fury and bit his lip in anger. He tore up a block of matted hair (Jata) from his head and dashed it on the ground. From it, sprang up the tall and terrible \'Veerabadra\', reaching the heavens in height, dark as a thick black cloud, his three eyes flaming like the burning sun, his teeth terrible to look at, his hair as bright- red as the glowing fire. He had a thousand hands, and in each hand he carried mighty weapons of destruction. Around his neck was a garland of human skulls. Standing in front of Shiva, as if waiting to strike, he said \"What are your commands, o lord? Shiva said \"Go and lead my whole army. Put an end to Dhaksha and his Rituals\".

Like a dust- storm, \'Veerabadra\' and the warriors of Shiva descended upon the yagna. The priests and guests huddled to gather in fear. Was it a hurricane? Or a band of robbers? What could be the cause of this approaching volume of dust? Before they even think straight, the attendants of Shiva had started on their rounds of pollution and destruction.

They broke the yagna implements and scattered them all over. They pulled down buildings, put out the sacrificial fires, ran after the Rishis. Frightened by the followers of Shiva, some were tied down, some had their beards uprooted, some had their eye balls pulled out and some had their teeth smashed in. Above all, using one of the implements of sacrifice Veerabadra cut off the head of Dhaksha. After completely destroying the place of the yagna, Veerabadra and Shiva\'s army returned to mount Kailash.

The terrified devas now went to Lords Brahma and Vishnu, who knew what were going to happen at Dhaksha\'s yagna and they kept themselves away from it. Lord Brahma scolded the Devas for the way they had insulted Lord Shiva. He said, \"Did you not know that by a mere act of his will. Lord Shiva can destroy the entire universe? The least you can do now is to go and beg for his forgiveness\".

Then at the request of Devas, Lord Brahma accompanied them to mount Kailash. There, under a large banyan tree sat Lord Shiva absorbed in \'Yoga Samadhi\' His face glowed with the calmness and beauty of meditation. Lord Brahma then requested Lord Shiva to pardon Daksha and his followers, to return them back to life, and to allow them to complete the yagna. He said \"you are the supreme Brahman. Let not your anger destroys these ignorant Devas. They have learnt their lesson now. Hence forth all the remnants of the virgin brazilian hair yagna offerings shall be yours. Accept them and let the sacrifice be completed\".

Lord Shiva stirred slightly and looked up with a smile. \"I have nothing against Dhaksha. Why, he is as much an offender as an ignorant child. But I have indeed taught a lesson to those who are led astray by \'Maya\'. Let them know that, I care not for sacrifices on the material level that I attach no importance to the body whatsoever. The limbs of the Devas shall be restored to them. Daksha\'s head was burnt up by the yagna implement. So let him have the head of a \"Goat\"

The Devas were satisfied. They thanked Lord Shiva and invited him to participate in the sacrifice. Lords Brahma and Shiva went to the sacrifice together. Daksha (who had regained life and now had goat\'s head) welcomed Lord Shiva with reverence. His mind was then wise and purified. The sacrifice was performed. Dhaksha sat in deep meditation. When, suddenly on the wings of \'Garuda\' Sri Vishnu appeared. Beautiful prayers of love and reverence burst forth from the lips of all. Lord Vishnu moved over to where Lords Brahma and Shiva were standing. As they stood there, Lord Brahma\'s face reflected the pride and happiness of paternal love; Lord Vishnu shone with the Satwa guna of his being, and Lord Shiva glowed with the divine bliss of meditation.

Then Sri Vishnu said \"only the ignorants see the difference between Lord Shiva and me. The wise know that Lords Brahma, Shiva and I are one. The one assumes the three different aspects for the \'creation\', \'preservation\' and \'destruction\' of the universe. He who worships even one, he worships all the three infact. Every thing in the whole universe is nothing but manifestation of this one great Truth. No thing exists apart from it\".

The Devas and Rishis present were overwhelmed. They prostrated to the triune and were blessed by the Lord\'s grace. Such then is the story of \'Sati\'. She was born again as Parvathi, the daughter of Himavan. After years of rigorous penance she got married to Shiva.

Posted by Siddhar Selvam

Posted Date 15.12.2014