Chapter 3: Talks Between Lord Śiva and Satī

 

4.3.1

maitreya uvāca

sadā vidviṣator evaḿ

kālo vai dhriyamāṇayoḥ

jāmātuḥ śvaśurasyāpi

sumahān aticakrame

 

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said; sadā — constantly; vidviṣatoḥ — the tension; evam — in this manner; kālaḥ — time; vai — certainly; dhriyamāṇayoḥ — continued to bear; jāmātuḥ — of the son-in-law; śvaśurasya — of the father-in-law; api — even; su-mahān — a very great; aticakrame — passed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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

 

4.3.2

yadābhiṣikto dakṣas tu

brahmaṇā parameṣṭhinā

prajāpatīnāḿ sarveṣām

ādhipatye smayo 'bhavat

 

yadā — when; abhiṣiktaḥ — appointed; dakṣaḥ — Dakṣa; tu — but; brahmaṇā — by Brahmā; parameṣṭhinā — the supreme teacher; prajāpatīnām — of the Prajāpatis; sarveṣām — of all; ādhipatye — as the chief; smayaḥ — puffed up; abhavat — he became.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When Lord Brahmā appointed Dakṣa the chief of all the Prajāpatis, the progenitors of population, Dakṣa became very much puffed up.

 

4.3.3

iṣṭvā sa vājapeyena

brahmiṣṭhān abhibhūya ca

bṛhaspati-savaḿ nāma

samārebhe kratūttamam

 

iṣṭvā — after performing; saḥ — he (Dakṣa); vājapeyena — with a vājapeya sacrifice; brahmiṣṭhān — Śiva and his followers; abhibhūya — neglecting; ca — and; bṛhaspati-savam — the bṛhaspati-sava; nāma — called; samārebhe — began; kratu-uttamam — the best of sacrifices.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Dakṣa began a sacrifice named vājapeya, and he became excessively confident of his support by Lord Brahmā, He then performed another great sacrifice, named bṛhaspati-sava.

 

4.3.4

tasmin brahmarṣayaḥ sarve

devarṣi-pitṛ-devatāḥ

āsan kṛta-svastyayanās

tat-patnyaś ca sa-bhartṛkāḥ

 

tasmin — in that (sacrifice); brahma-ṛṣayaḥ — the brahmarṣis; sarve — all; devarṣi — the devarṣis; pitṛ — ancestors; devatāḥ — demigods; āsan — were; kṛta-svasti-ayanāḥ — were very nicely decorated with ornaments; tat-patnyaḥ — their wives; ca — and; sa-bhartṛkāḥ — along with their husbands.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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

 

4.3.5-7

tad upaśrutya nabhasi

khe-carāṇāḿ prajalpatām

satī dākṣāyaṇī devī

pitṛ-yajña-mahotsavam

 

vrajantīḥ sarvato digbhya

upadeva-vara-striyaḥ

vimāna-yānāḥ sa-preṣṭhā

niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ suvāsasaḥ

 

dṛṣṭvā sva-nilayābhyāśe

lolākṣīr mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ

patiḿ bhūta-patiḿ devam

autsukyād abhyabhāṣata

 

tat — then; upaśrutya — hearing; nabhasi — in the sky; khe-carāṇām — of those who were flying in the air (the Gandharvas); prajalpatām — the conversation; satī — Sati; dākṣāyaṇī — the daughter of Dakṣa; devī — the wife of Śiva; pitṛ-yajña-mahā-utsavam — the great festival of sacrifice performed by her father;

 

vrajantīḥ — were going; sarvataḥ — from all; digbhyaḥ — directions; upadeva-vara-striyaḥ — the beautiful wives of the demigods; vimāna-yānāḥ — flying in their airplanes; sa-preṣṭhāḥ — along with their husbands; niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ — having nice necklaces with lockets; su-vāsasaḥ — dressed in fine clothing;

 

dṛṣṭvā — seeing; sva-nilaya-abhyāśe — near her residence; lola-akṣīḥ — having beautiful glittering eyes; mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ — nice earrings; patim — her husband; bhūta-patim — the master of the bhūtas; devam — the demigod; autsukyāt — from great anxiety; abhyabhāṣata — she spoke.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The chaste lady Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, 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 bhūtas, in great anxiety, and spoke as follows.

 

4.3.8

saty uvāca

prajāpates te śvaśurasya sāmprataḿ

niryāpito yajña-mahotsavaḥ kila

vayaḿ ca tatrābhisarāma vāma te

yady arthitāmī vibudhā vrajanti hi

 

satī uvāca — Sati said; prajāpateḥ — of Dakṣa; te — your; śvaśurasya — of your father-in-law; sāmpratam — nowadays; niryāpitaḥ — has been started; yajña-mahā-utsavaḥ — a great sacrifice; kila — certainly; vayam — we; ca — and; tatra — there; abhisarāma — may go; vāma — O my dear Lord Śiva; te — your; yadi — if; arthitā — desire; amī — these; vibudhāḥ — demigods; vrajanti — are going; hi — because.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Satī said: My dear Lord Śiva, 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.

 

4.3.9

tasmin bhaginyo mama bhartṛbhiḥ svakair

dhruvaḿ gamiṣyanti suhṛd-didṛkṣavaḥ

ahaḿ ca tasmin bhavatābhikāmaye

sahopanītaḿ paribarham arhitum

 

tasmin — in that sacrifice; bhaginyaḥ — sisters; mama — my; bhartṛbhiḥ — with their husbands; svakaiḥ — their own; dhruvam — surely; gamiṣyanti — will go; suhṛt-didṛkṣavaḥ — desiring to meet the relatives; aham — I; ca — and; tasmin — in that assembly; bhavatā — with you (Lord Śiva); abhikāmaye — I desire; saha — with; upanītam — given; paribarham — ornaments of decoration; arhitum — to accept.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.10

tatra svasṝr me nanu bhartṛ-sammitā

mātṛ-ṣvasṝḥ klinna-dhiyaḿ ca mātaram

drakṣye cirotkaṇṭha-manā maharṣibhir

unnīyamānaḿ ca mṛḍādhvara-dhvajam

 

tatra — there; svasṝḥ — own sisters; me — my; nanu — surely; bhartṛ-sammitāḥ — along with their husbands; mātṛ-svasṝḥ — the sisters of my mother; klinna-dhiyam — affectionate; ca — and; mātaram — mother; drakṣye — I shall see; cira-utkaṇṭha-manāḥ — being very anxious for a long time; mahā-ṛṣibhiḥ — by great sages; unnīyamānam — being raised; ca — and; mṛḍa — O Śiva; adhvara — sacrifice; dhvajam — flags.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.11

tvayy etad āścaryam ajātma-māyayā

vinirmitaḿ bhāti guṇa-trayātmakam

tathāpy ahaḿ yoṣid atattva-vic ca te

dīnā didṛkṣe bhava me bhava-kṣitim

 

tvayi — in you; etat — this; āścaryam — wonderful; aja — O Lord Śiva; ātma-māyayā — by the external energy of the Supreme Lord; vinirmitam — created; bhāti — appears; guṇa-traya-ātmakam — being an interaction of the three modes of material nature; tathā api — even so; aham — I; yoṣit — woman; atattva-vit — not conversant with the truth; ca — and; te — your; dīnā — poor; didṛkṣe — I wish to see; bhava — O Lord Śiva; me — my; bhava-kṣitim — place of birth.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.12

paśya prayāntīr abhavānya-yoṣito

'py alańkṛtāḥ kānta-sakhā varūthaśaḥ

yāsāḿ vrajadbhiḥ śiti-kaṇṭha maṇḍitaḿ

nabho vimānaiḥ kala-haḿsa-pāṇḍubhiḥ

 

paśya — just see; prayāntīḥ — going; abhava — O never-born; anya-yoṣitaḥ — other women; api — certainly; alańkṛtāḥ — ornamented; kānta-sakhāḥ — with their husbands and friends; varūthaśaḥ — in large numbers; yāsām — of them; vrajadbhiḥ — flying; śiti-kaṇṭha — O blue-throated one; maṇḍitam — decorated; nabhaḥ — the sky; vimānaiḥ — with airplanes; kala-haḿsa — swans; pāṇḍubhiḥ — white.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.13

kathaḿ sutāyāḥ pitṛ-geha-kautukaḿ

niśamya dehaḥ sura-varya neńgate

anāhutā apy abhiyanti sauhṛdaḿ

bhartur guror deha-kṛtaś ca ketanam

 

katham — how; sutāyāḥ — of a daughter; pitṛ-geha-kautukam — the festival in the house of her father; niśamya — hearing; dehaḥ — the body; sura-varya — O best of the demigods; na — not; ińgate — disturbed; anāhutāḥ — without being called; api — even; abhiyanti — goes; sauhṛdam — a friend; bhartuḥ — of the husband; guroḥ — of the spiritual master; deha-kṛtaḥ — of the father; ca — and; ketanam — the house.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.14

tan me prasīdedam amartya vāñchitaḿ

kartuḿ bhavān kāruṇiko batārhati

tvayātmano 'rdhe 'ham adabhra-cakṣuṣā

nirūpitā mānugṛhāṇa yācitaḥ

 

tat — therefore; me — unto me; prasīda — please be kind; idam — this; amartya — O immortal lord; vāñchitam — desire; kartum — to do; bhavān — Your Honor; kāruṇikaḥ — kind; bata — O lord; arhati — is able; tvayā — by you; ātmanaḥ — of your own body; ardhe — in the half; aham — I; adabhra-cakṣuṣā — having all knowledge; nirūpitā — am situated; mā — to me; anugṛhāṇa — please show kindness; yācitaḥ — requested.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O immortal Śiva, 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.

 

4.3.15

ṛṣir uvāca

evaḿ giritraḥ priyayābhibhāṣitaḥ

pratyabhyadhatta prahasan suhṛt-priyaḥ

saḿsmārito marma-bhidaḥ kuvāg-iṣūn

yān āha ko viśva-sṛjāḿ samakṣataḥ

 

ṛṣiḥ uvāca — the great sage Maitreya said; evam — thus; giritraḥ — Lord Śiva; priyayā — by his dear wife; abhibhāṣitaḥ — being spoken to; pratyabhyadhatta — replied; prahasan — while smiling; suhṛt-priyaḥ — dear to the relatives; saḿsmāritaḥ — remembering; marma-bhidaḥ — heart piercing; kuvāk-iṣūn — malicious words; yān — which (words); āha — said; kaḥ — who (Dakṣa); viśva-sṛjām — of the creators of the universal manifestation; samakṣataḥ — in the presence.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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

 

4.3.16

śrī-bhagavān uvāca

tvayoditaḿ śobhanam eva śobhane

anāhutā apy abhiyanti bandhuṣu

te yady anutpādita-doṣa-dṛṣṭayo

balīyasānātmya-madena manyunā

 

śrī-bhagavān uvāca — the great lord replied; tvayā — by you; uditam — said; śobhanam — is true; eva — certainly; śobhane — my dear beautiful wife; anāhutāḥ — without being invited; api — even; abhiyanti — go; bandhuṣu — among friends; te — those (friends); yadi — if; anutpādita-doṣa-dṛṣṭayaḥ — not finding fault; balīyasā — more important; anātmya-madena — by pride caused by identification with the body; manyunā — by anger.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.17

vidyā-tapo-vitta-vapur-vayaḥ-kulaiḥ

satāḿ guṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhir asattametaraiḥ

smṛtau hatāyāḿ bhṛta-māna-durdṛśaḥ

stabdhā na paśyanti hi dhāma bhūyasām

 

vidyā — education; tapaḥ — austerity; vitta — wealth; vapuḥ — beauty of body, etc.; vayaḥ — youth; kulaiḥ — with heritage; satām — of the pious; guṇaiḥ — by such qualities; ṣaḍbhiḥ — six; asattama-itaraiḥ — having the opposite result to those who are not great souls; smṛtau — good sense; hatāyām — being lost; bhṛta-māna-durdṛśaḥ — blind due to pride; stabdhāḥ — being proud; na — not; paśyanti — see; hi — for; dhāma — the glories; bhūyasām — of the great souls.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.18

naitādṛśānāḿ sva-jana-vyapekṣayā

gṛhān pratīyād anavasthitātmanām

ye 'bhyāgatān vakra-dhiyābhicakṣate

āropita-bhrūbhir amarṣaṇākṣibhiḥ

 

na — not; etādṛśānām — like this; sva-jana — kinsmen; vyapekṣayā — depending on that; gṛhān — in the house of; pratīyāt — one should go; anavasthita — disturbed; ātmanām — mind; ye — those; abhyāgatān — guests; vakra-dhiyā — with a cold reception; abhicakṣate — looking at; āropita-bhrūbhiḥ — with raised eyebrows; amarṣaṇa — angry; akṣibhiḥ — with the eyes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.19

tathāribhir na vyathate śilīmukhaiḥ

śete 'rditāńgo hṛdayena dūyatā

svānāḿ yathā vakra-dhiyāḿ duruktibhir

divā-niśaḿ tapyati marma-tāḍitaḥ

 

tathā — so; aribhiḥ — enemy; na — not; vyathate — is hurt; śilīmukhaiḥ — by the arrows; śete — rests; ardita — aggrieved; ańgaḥ — a part; hṛdayena — by the heart; dūyatā — grieving; svānām — of relatives; yathā — as; vakra-dhiyām — deceitful; duruktibhiḥ — by harsh words; divā-niśam — day and night; tapyati — suffers; marma-tāḍitaḥ — one whose feelings are hurt.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Lord Śiva 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.

 

4.3.20

vyaktaḿ tvam utkṛṣṭa-gateḥ prajāpateḥ

priyātmajānām asi subhru me matā

tathāpi mānaḿ na pituḥ prapatsyase

mad-āśrayāt kaḥ paritapyate yataḥ

 

vyaktam — it is clear; tvam — you; utkṛṣṭa-gateḥ — having the best behavior; prajāpateḥ — of Prajāpati Dakṣa; priyā — the pet; ātmajānām — of the daughters; asi — you are; subhru — O you with the beautiful eyebrows; me — my; matā — considered; tathā api — yet; mānam — honor; na — not; pituḥ — from your father; prapatsyase — you will meet with; mat-āśrayāt — from connection with me; kaḥ — Dakṣa; paritapyate — is feeling pain; yataḥ — from whom.

 

TRANSLATION

 

My dear white-complexioned wife, it is clear that of the many daughters of Dakṣa 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.

 

4.3.21

pāpacyamānena hṛdāturendriyaḥ

samṛddhibhiḥ pūruṣa-buddhi-sākṣiṇām

akalpa eṣām adhiroḍhum añjasā

paraḿ padaḿ dveṣṭi yathāsurā harim

 

pāpacyamānena — burning; hṛdā — with a heart; ātura-indriyaḥ — who is distressed; samṛddhibhiḥ — by the pious reputation, etc.; pūruṣa-buddhi-sākṣiṇām — of those who are always absorbed in thought of the Supreme Lord; akalpaḥ — being unable; eṣām — of those persons; adhiroḍhum — to rise; añjasā — quickly; param — merely; padam — to the standard; dveṣṭi — envy; yathā — as much as; asurāḥ — the demons; harim — the Supreme Personality of Godhead.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.22

pratyudgama-praśrayaṇābhivādanaḿ

vidhīyate sādhu mithaḥ sumadhyame

prājñaiḥ parasmai puruṣāya cetasā

guhā-śayāyaiva na deha-mānine

 

pratyudgama — standing up from one's seat; praśrayaṇa — welcoming; abhivādanam — obeisances; vidhīyate — are intended; sādhu — proper; mithaḥ — mutually; su-madhyame — my dear young wife; prājñaiḥ — by the wise; parasmai — unto the Supreme; puruṣāya — unto the Supersoul; cetasā — with the intelligence; guhā-śayāya — sitting within the body; eva — certainly; na — not; deha-mānine — to the person identifying with the body.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.23

sattvaḿ viśuddhaḿ vasudeva-śabditaḿ

yad īyate tatra pumān apāvṛtaḥ

sattve ca tasmin bhagavān vāsudevo

hy adhokṣajo me namasā vidhīyate

 

sattvam — consciousness; viśuddham — pure; vasudeva — Vasudeva; śabditam — known as; yat — because; īyate — is revealed; tatra — there; pumān — the Supreme Person; apāvṛtaḥ — without any covering; sattve — in consciousness; ca — and; tasmin — in that; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; vāsudevaḥ — Vāsudeva; hi — because; adhokṣajaḥ — transcendental; me — by me; namasā — with obeisances; vidhīyate — worshiped.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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

 

4.3.24

tat te nirīkṣyo na pitāpi deha-kṛd

dakṣo mama dviṭ tad-anuvratāś ca ye

yo viśvasṛg-yajña-gataḿ varoru mām

anāgasaḿ durvacasākarot tiraḥ

 

tat — therefore; te — your; nirīkṣyaḥ — to be seen; na — not; pitā — your father; api — although; deha-kṛt — the giver of your body; dakṣaḥ — Dakṣa; mama — my; dviṭ — envious; tat-anuvratāḥ — his (Dakṣa's) followers; ca — also; ye — who; yaḥ — who (Dakṣa); viśva-sṛk — of the Viśvasṛks; yajña-gatam — being present at the sacrifice; vara-ūru — O Sati; mām — me; anāgasam — being innocent; durvacasā — with cruel words; akarot tiraḥ — has insulted.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.

 

4.3.25

yadi vrajiṣyasy atihāya mad-vaco

bhadraḿ bhavatyā na tato bhaviṣyati

sambhāvitasya sva-janāt parābhavo

yadā sa sadyo maraṇāya kalpate

 

yadi — if; vrajiṣyasi — you will go; atihāya — neglecting; mat-vacaḥ — my words; bhadram — good; bhavatyāḥ — your; na — not; tataḥ — then; bhaviṣyati — will become; sambhāvitasya — most respectable; svajanāt — by your own relative; parābhavaḥ — are insulted; yadā — when; saḥ — that insult; sadyaḥ — immediately; maraṇāya — to death; kalpate — is equal.

 

TRANSLATION

 

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.