Home | Biographies

Previous | A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others

Daksh Prajaapati-2
From Bhaagvat Puraan, 4/2

Daksh and Shiv
This story comes in Bhaagvat Puraan, 4/2. Once Brahmaa Jee performed a Yagya in which all Devtaa, including Vishnu and Mahesh, came. Daksh Jee also came there. He noticed that when he came, everybody got up and greeted him except Brahmaa Jee and his own son-in-law Shiv Jee. He became very angry at Shiv Jee that neither he got up, nor he greeted him. Since he was younger to him, he should have shown his respect to him. He abused him and went away from there. Since then he had some enmity with Shankar Jee.

Daksh's Yagya, Satee's Immolation, Daksh Dies, Daksh Lives
This incident comes in Tulasee's Maanas - once when Raam was in exile, and was roaming around in the forest in search of Seetaa, Shiv Jee also thought to have His Darshan. So he went to that side, where Raam was, along with Satee. Shiv Jee saw Raam from a distance and greeted him with respect. Satee asked him - "To whom you have greeted with so much devotion and respect?" Shiv Jee told Satee that He was Raam who was born as a prince in Raajaa Dasharath's house and now was wandering in search of Seetaa. he is the same Raam on whom he himself meditated upon.

Hearing this Satee Jee got confused that if He was Bhagavaan then why He was behaving like this. Shiv tried to explain her that Raam indeed was Bhagavaan, but since he appeared as a human being on the Earth, He was behaving like this - like a human being, but she did not agree upon this and she expressed her wish to test Him that whether He was the same Raam. Shiv Jee tried to explain her that she should not do so, but she insisted on testing Him. Shiv Jee thought that Kaal is not favorable to him and Satee that is why Satee was talking like this, so he gave her permission to test Him. He himself sat under the shade of a tree while Satee went to test Shree Raam.

Satee Jee took the form of Seetaa and went on the same path on which Shree Raam was going. When Shree Raam saw her going like this, He asked - "How come that you are roaming around alone in this dense forest, O Beloved of Shiv? Where is Vrishketu?" Hearing this Satee Jee felt very embarrassed and she started walking fast. Later she saw Raam, Seetaa and Lakshman going in front of her. She got scared and came back to Shiv Jee.

Shiv Jee asked her "Have you tested Him? How did you test Him, let me also know." Satee Jee said - " did not test Him, I also just greeted Him as you did and came back." Shiv Jee doubted her statement so he knew everything through his Yog power and vowed that since she had taken the form of Seetaa Jee, now he cannot have her as his wife. An Aakaashvaanee (Divine voice) said - "Only you can take such vow, no other one. Be blessed." Satee Jee tried to ask him as what kind of vow he has taken but Shiv Jee ignored her question, but she understood that since she had lied to him, he has taken some serious vow. Shiv Jee got very sad and after reaching at Kailaash Parvat he sat in Samaadhi. Satee Jee also got very sad knowing that Shiv Jee had left her.

In the meantime Brahmaa Jee appointed Daksh Jee as Prajaapati so Daksh Jee got very proud of that. He arranged a great Yagya. He invited everybody in that Yagya except Shiv Jee. So everybody was going in his Vimaan to attend Daksh Jee's Yagya. Satee Jee also saw this. On asking where they all were going to, they said that her father Daksh Jee had organized a Yagya and they all were going there. She was already sad, but she got happy to hear this, and she thought that this was a good opportunity to see her mother and sisters so let her ask Shiv Jee if she could go there to see them.

Shiv Jee was also up from his Samaadhi. Satee Jee asked, "My father is doing a Yagya. Everybody is going to attend my father's Yagya, if you permit me then I can also go to see that Yagya and at the same time I will see my mother and sisters also." Shiv Jee said, "They have not invited us, so it is not appropriate for you to go there. Your father is already angry with me." Satee Jee said, "There is no harm in going to parents', friends' or well wishers' houses even if they have not invited, so I want to go." Shiv Jee said, "But our relationship is not that sweet with them, that is why it is not appropriate to go there uninvited." When Satee Jee insisted, he said - "If you insist then go." And he sent her along with his some Gan.

When Satee Jee arrived in her father's house, she was not welcomed there. Only her mother met her affectionately. When she went to Yagya Shaalaa, she did not see the Yagya share for Shiv Jee. She got extremely angry and she immolated herself with Yog. It created fire which caused other people worried. When Shiv Jee's Gan saw this, they destroyed Daksh's Yagya. When Shiv Jee heard this news from Naarad Jee, he was also very angry. He produced a Krityaa named Veerbhadra from his flock of hair and sent him to destroy Daksh's Yagya. There he also destroyed the Yagya and broke Daksh's head.

Later when this was decided that the Yagya should be completed, then a goat's head was fixed on Daksh's body and made him alive. Since then he has a goat's head. After that he became friendly with Shiv Jee. (This story comes in Shiv Puraan also)

According to one myth when Daksh did a Yagya and he did not invite his daughter Satee and her husband Shiv, Satee was filled with rage and self immolated herself in the sacrificial fire. In turn Shiv arrived there and seeing his wife's body already burnt, he also filled with rage. He tore Satee's body from the flames, hung it on his shoulder and started dancing his cosmic dance. All the gods present there witnessed the destruction, then they requested to Vishnu to intervene. He did, He took His Chakra, dislodged Satee's body from Shiv's shoulder and cut it into 51 pieces which were flung far. The place each one fell became a place of pilgrimage - a Peeth Sthaan. Kaalee's little toe fell at Kaalee Ghaat. The place, Kaalee Kshetra or Kaaleekat (the present Kolkataa), gave the city its name.
[India Handbook, p 659]

Home | Biographies

Previous | A-J | K-M | N-S | T-Z | Others