Sati Leaves Her Body
Meanwhile, Daksha’s daughter, Sati, as she was playing with her girlfriends, happened to see Chanda, along with Rohini, as they were on their way to attend Daksha’s sacrifice. She told her friend, Vijaya,
“Go and ask Chandra where he is going.”
Vijaya approached Chandra and made this inquiry and then reported back to Dakshayani. When she heard that Chandra was going to attend her father’s sacrifice, Sati wondered, “Why didn’t my father invite me and my husband? Has my mother forgotten me? I shall ask Shankara the reason for this.”
She saw Lord Shiva in the midst of an assembly of his associates. Some were hideous and terrifying to be hold. Some were headless trunks, others had no chest, and some had no eyes. All were dressed in elephant hides, had matted hair, and were adorned with rudraksha beads. They were all devoid of attachment, they were conquerors of their senses, and they were antagonistic toward the objects of sensual pleasure.
Bewildered in mind, Dakshayani suddenly presented herself before Lord Shiva. Pleased to see her, Mahadeva placed her upon his lap and asked, “O lady of slender waist, what is the purpose of your coming here?”
Sati replied, “O lord, how is it that we are not going to the sacrifice of my father? Tell me everything clearly. It is the duty of friends to regularly associate with one another. By doing so, they enjoy great pleasure and increase their mutual love. Therefore, we should go to my father’s sacrifice, even if we have not been invited.”
Lord Shiva said, “O gentle lady, you must not go to your father’s sacrifice. Those who go to others’ houses without being invited are often insulted in a way that is worse than death. It is for this reason that I advise you not to go.’’
Becoming somewhat angry, Sati replied, “You are truly the lord of sacrifice. How is it that my wicked-minded father has not invited you? I wish to understand clearly the attitude of my father and so grant me permission to go to his sacrifice today.”
Finally, Lord Shiva gave his assent, telling Sati to ride on Nandi in the company of many of his other associates. In fact, at Lord Shiva’s bidding, sixty thousand of his ganas (followers) accompanied Sati. After Sati’s departure, Lord Shiva exclaimed to himself, “After being insulted by her father, Sati will never go to his house again!”
Upon Sati’s arrival, the demigods and others were very happy to see her. Sati went and offered her obeisances to her parents and then asked her father, “Why was Shambhu not invited by you? He is the lord of sacrifice and its successful completion depends upon him alone. Are the other invited guests, headed by Vishnu and Brahma, ignorant of his true position?”
Addressing Lord Brahma, Sati said, “Formerly, you had five heads, When you spoke rudely to Maheshvara, he made you fourheaded. Have you forgotten this?”
While listening to his daughter speak, Daksha became angry. He said, “Your talk has no relevance to the present occasion. Why did you come here? Of course, you are free to stay or leave—that is up to you. The fact is, however, that your husband, Shiva, is an inauspicious fellow. Being the lord of ghosts and spirits, he is excluded from Vedic rituals. That is why I did not invite him.”
“It was my mistake to give you in marriage to that dullwitted sinner and so it would be better if you would abandon your body.”
Upon witnessing how her father was full of contempt for Lord Shiva, Sati became furious. She thought, “How can I go back to my husband? Both the one who criticizes Lord Shiva and the one who hears it must enter hell and remain there for as long as the sun and moon shine. It would be better for me to enter fire and give up my life!”
Sati made up her mind in this way and then entered fire, thus relinquishing her body. At this, the associates of Lord Shiva became terribly aggrieved. After jumping onto the sacrificial platform, they cut the limbs from their own bodies, thus giving up their lives.
