SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 4

(1) Maitreya said: 'Lord S'iva thus pacified by Lord Brahmâ was fully satisfied, o mighty one; listen to what he, then smiling, said. (2) Mahâdeva said: 'O Lord of the created, I do not take offense to those whom I regard as children, I used the rod there for them who were deluded by the external of God. (3) Let there be a head of a goat for the Prajâpati whose head was burned to ashes and let Bhaga see his own share of the sacrifice with the eyes of Mitra. (4) Pûshâ who led the sacrifice will have to eat chickpea dough or food chewed for him, but the godly ones who did grant me a share of the sacrifice will fully recover. (5) The two arms of the As'vins [the twin protectors of medicine] and the hands of Pûshâ are there for them who have to miss those limbs and Bhrigu and the other priests may have the beard of the goat.'

(6) Maitreya said: 'All who at that moment heard what the best of the benedictors had said were in their hearts and souls satisfied, o dear one, and thus showed they, like we do, their appreciation. (7) Thereafter was Lord S'iva invited by the godly ones and the sages again headed by Bhrigu, to attend to the sacrifice for the divinity and together with the Liberal One (S'iva) and the one of the Veda [Brahmâ] they went there. (8) Then they did it all, as Lord Bhava told them to, with the body of the living [Daksha] and the head of the animal of sacrifice. (9) Proceeding thus was with that head King Daksha, under the supervision of Rudra, reawakened from his apparent state of unconsciousness, upon which he the compassionate one saw standing before him.

(10) At that time became the polluted heart of the Prajâpati from seeing him, the Lord who rides the bull, as clean as a lake [just filled by the rains] in autumn. (11) Although decided to pray to Bhava, could it, with eyes full of tears, not be so because of the great surge of feeling upon remembering the deceased daughter. (12) With great effort as well pacifying his, of his love and affection bewildered, mind, prayed the Prajâpati who had come to his senses to him in praise with straightforward feelings. (13) Daksha said: 'What a great favor you did me in punishing me for the wrong I did; although you defeat, you never deny not even an unqualified brahmin. Nor from you, nor from Vishnu, my Lord, there is neglect and thus there is certainty for the one engaged in sacrifice. (14) O great one, as the one who was created first from the mouth of Brahmâ in order to disseminate the teachings of selfrealization, the vows and the austerity, you protect all the brahmins, with a stick in your hand, like someone protecting his herd.(15) You who by me, not aware of your reality, was insulted in the assembly by the arrows of unkind words, do not really take heed of that; seeing me sliding down to hell by defaming the most respectable, you saved me out of compassion and about that what you did out of your own mercy, your Lordship, I wish you to be pleased.

(16) Maitreya said: 'Thus receiving forgiveness he, by Lord S'iva and Lord Brahmâ permitted the sacrifice, again began with it together with the priests, the ones of learning and the others. (17) To perform the sacrifice meant for Vishnu, did the brahmins settle for three kinds of offerings and offered they the oblation called purodâs'a in order to purify from having been in touch with Vîrabhadra and his men. (18) O Vidura, the moment the leader of the yajña thus managed to sacrifice with the help of clarified butter and hymns from the Yajur Veda and in meditation was sanctified, appeared Lord Hari, the Supreme Personality. (19) At that time did all of them see the effulgence diminished of the ten directions because of the brightness of the effulgence of Him Himself, who was brought by Garuda [or Stotra] on his enormous wings. (20) With a dark complexion, garments like gold, a helmet dazzling like the sun, curling hair bluish like black bees, a face decorated with earrings, a conchshell, a lotus flower, a disc and arrows, a bow, a club, a sword and shield and many golden ornaments, did He, with all He had in His hands, look like a blossoming tree.

(21) Garlanded with forestflowers He had the woman [Lakshmî] on His chest and only a small part of His lofty smiling glance was enough to please the whole world; at His side there were white fans waving and above Him one saw a royal canopy as white as the moon. (22) After they saw Him arriving, all the demigods and the others led by Brahmâ, Indra and the three-eyed S'iva, immediately paid their respects by standing up from their seats. (23) Outshone by the luster of His glaring effulgence, they all fell silent and filled with awe they touched their heads bowing to pray for Adhokshaja, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. (24) Though His glory is beyond the comprehension of even the powerful ones of the soul in their different capacities, they could now by His grace offer their prayers seeing His transcendental form. (25) Daksha, who, taking shelter, was accepted with his rightful oblations of sacrifice unto the master of all sacrifices, the supreme preceptor of all progenitors of mankind who is attended by Nanda and Sunanda [the most important servants of Nârâyana in Vaikunthha], then with great pleasure, a subdued mind and with folded hands offered Him his prayers. (26) Daksha said: 'Your Lordship now present, from the purity of Your own abode in full having returned here in perfect transcendence above all mental speculation, are the one without a second, the fearless controller of all matter, who, with her [Mâyâ] having entered the impure, is for sure the overseer and self-sufficient One.'

(27) The priests said: 'All of us, not knowing about the truth of Your Lordship who is free from the influence of the material world, and being of an intelligence of too great an attachment to fruitive activities from S'iva's curse, o Lord, know now of the name [Yajña] of this symbolic arrangement of religious sacrifice that goes in three departments for the matter of which we are in worship of the demigods.'

(28) The members of the assembly said: 'On the path of repeated birth and death we have no place to take shelter; we are greatly troubled in this formidable fort of being timebound, that is infested by ugly snakes and in which the mirage of the material happiness of a home and a body forms a heavy burden. When we have to live by the dual ditch of distress and so-called happiness, the fear for wild animals, the forestfire of lamentation over the interest of ignorance and are afflicted with all sorts of desire, do we, with You who gives shelter, have the protection of the lotus feet.'

(29) Rudra said: 'O supreme benefactor, if I, desiring fulfillment in the material world, have my mind fixed on Your precious lotus feet that for sure are cherished and worshiped by the liberated sages, do I, with a compassion like that of Yours, not attach any value to it when ignorant people complain about a lack of regulation.'

(30) Bhrigu said: 'From Lord Brahmâ down to all other embodied beings are those, who, under the influence of the insurmountable material energy, are bereft of the knowledge of their original self, submerged in the darkness of illusion and not situated in the one soul; they cannot understand Your situation as the absolute of the reality. O Lord, You, as the friend of the surrendered soul, be kind to us.'

(31) Brahmâ said: 'Trying to see Your person, this eternal form of You cannot be known through the different virtues of respect for acquiring knowledge, for the perceivable of the instruments of knowledge and their material basis is all distinct in regard of You.

(32) Indra said: 'Surely is this transcendental form, o Infallible One, there for the welfare of the universe and is it a cause of pleasure to the mind and eye as You, in the possession of the eight weapons held up by Your arms, punish those who are envious of Your devotees.'

(33) The wives of the attendants of the sacrifice said: 'This worshiping in sacrifice arranged by Brahmâ was devastated by Lord S'iva; may today the beauty of Your lotuslike vision, o Lord of sacrifice, sanctify what from the anger with Daksha became the stillness, alike that of the dead bodies of the sacrificial animals.'

(34) The sages said: 'How wonderful o Supreme Lord, are Your activities to the labor of which for certain You are in the execution of Your potencies never attached; nor is Your Lordship so with the mercy of Your obedient servant, the Goddess of Fortune Lakshmî, one is in worship for.'

(35) The perfected ones prayed: 'Immersed in the river of the mind of the pure nectar of Your pastimes do we as an elephant thirsty from the heat of a forest fire no longer remember that misery of being afflicted and do we as we are merged in the Absolute of it never wish to leave.

(36) The wife of Daksha said: 'Be pleased my Lord with my respects for Your auspicious appearance, o abode of the Goddess; with Lakshmî as Your wife, You protect us. Our arena knows no beauty without Your arms, o controller, just like a headless person with a body only.'

(37) The local rulers said: 'In doubt of whether we have seen You with our material senses, You are, revealing Your eternal form, certainly seen as the inner witness from whom the entire world of illusion finds its certainty of existence, o possessor of all, as You with the elements appear as the sixth to the five of the senses.'

(38) The great ones of yoga said: 'Those who, from seeing no one as dear as they see You, see themselves as existing in You and not as being apart from You, the Supersoul of all beings, o master, are very dear to You; so much more You without fail favor those souls, o Lord, who with that are with devotion in worship, o loving parent. (39) Unto Him in His personal form, who produced from His material energy in the living entities the destiny of their different inclinations, variegated by the many material qualities to the creation, maintenance and annihilation in the material world and who by His internal potency caused that interaction of the modes to stop, we offer our obeisances.'

(40) The Vedas in person said: 'Our respects unto You who are the shelter of the quality of goodness and the source of the austerity and penance in all religions transcendental to the modes of nature; I nor anyone else does really know You or Your situation.

(41) Agni, the fire-god said: 'By Your effulgence I am luminous as the greatest fire and may I accept in sacrifice the five kinds of offerings mixed with butter; I offer my obeisances to Yajña, the protector of the sacrifices, worshiped by means of the five kinds of hymns of the Veda.'

(42) The godly said: 'Formerly at the devastation of the era [kalpa] did the liberated souls in their hearts meditate in philosophical speculation and conserving them, withdrawing them in Your abdomen, You in effect were certainly the Original Personality lying on the snakebed Ananta S'esha in the water taking rest; and now we see with our both eyes You moving on the path for the protection of us Your servants.'

(43) The denizens of heaven said: 'Marîci and the great sages under the direction of Brahmâ and Indra and the divinity led by S'iva, are to be seen as parts and parcels of Your body, o God; may we unto the Supreme Almighty for whom this whole creation is just a plaything, o Lord, always be in respect and offer You our obeisances.'

(44) The Vidyâdharas [lovers of knowledge] said: 'After, by Your external potency having obtained the human body and having misidentified himself being in the body thinking in terms of I and mine, does the ignorant person taking the body to be himself, follow even the wrong roads in distraction of material possessions, seeking his happiness in sense objects; but relishing the nectar from Your topics can he, even having drifted far away from that, be delivered.'

(45) The brahmins said: 'You are the sacrifice, the offering of the clarified butter, the fire in person; You are the mantras, the fuel, the kus'a grass [to sit on] and the pots; You are the members of the assembly, the priests, the leader of the yajña and his wife, the demigods and the sacred ceremony to the fire, the offering to the forefathers, the soma-plant, the clarified butter itself and the sacrificial animal [see also: B.G. 4.24]. (46) In the past it was You who from within the waters, like an elephant does pick up a lotus, uplifted the world on Your tusks as the great boar incarnation [see canto 3.13]; playfully was the vibrating picked up by great sages like Sanaka as an offering of prayers in the form of a sacrifice, o knowledge of the Vedas in person. (47) You as that same person, we ask to be pleased with us who are awaiting Your audience, having fallen down from performing the sacrifice. By the singing of Your holy names do persons, o Lord of Sacrifice, attain the destruction of obstacles; unto You our respectful obeisances.'

(48) Maitreya said: 'O blessed one, with Hrishîkes'a [Vishnu as the Lord of the senses], the protector of sacrifices, thus being glorified, did Daksha, purified, arrange to resume the sacrifice devastated by Vîrabhadra. (49) O sinless one, Lord Vishnu, the Supersoul of all beings and enjoyer of all sacrifices, having His share, was satisfied and then addressed Daksha. (50) Lord Vishnu said: 'I, Brahmâ and Lord S'iva as well, do not differ in being the supreme cause and Supersoul, the witness and the self-sufficient one of the material manifestation. (51) I myself having entered my own external energy composed of the modes of nature, o twice born one, create, maintain and annihilate the cosmic manifestation and, according the activity, have a name to the cause for which I manifest. (52) He, the Supreme Brahman that is without a second, is as one Supersoul with both Brahmâ and S'iva, but the living ones who are not conversant with this, think of them as being separate. (53) The way a person sometimes makes no difference between the head, hands and other parts of his own body, so does My devotee make no difference between living beings. (54) He who of the three having one nature, verily, of the Supersoul in all beings, does not see the separateness, o brahmin, realizes the peace.'

(55) Maitreya said: 'The foremost of all progenitors, thus being addressed by the Supreme Lord Hari, then, after worshiping what was His with the necessary ceremony, separately worshiped the demigods. (56) Since he with a concentrated mind had worshiped Lord S'iva to his own share and by the act of performance together with the priests had completed it as well for the godly ones and the others assembled, then took the concluding [avabhritha] bath. (57) By as well granting the Supreme One His share, was thus for sure the perfection of the religious duty attained and did those three of divine service, this way having given the intelligence, leave for their abodes. (58) Satî, the daughter of Daksha, after formerly having given up her body, was born from the wife of Menâ [or Menakâ] who lives in the Himalayas, so I've heard. (59) As His beloved was Ambikâ [Durgâ or Satî], being attracted to no other, sure to accept him [S'iva] again as her husband, as the one goal, the original masculine of the person that lies dormant in the external feminine energy. (60) This story about S'ambhu [Lord S'iva as the one of all beings] who devastated the sacrifice of Daksha, I heard from a great devotee and disciple of Brihaspati: Uddhava. (61) The person who, after hearing this pure pastime about the way of the Supreme, always with faith and devotion tries to recount it, will find fame, longevity and the destruction of his sins, being cleared of all material contamination, o descendant of Kuru.

Maitreya said: 'Lord S'iva thus pacified by Lord Brahmâ was fully satisfied, o mighty one; listen to what he, then smiling, said.

The sage Maitreya said: O mighty-armed Vidura, Lord S'iva, being thus pacified by the words of Lord Brahma, spoke as follows in answer to Lord Brahma's request. (Vedabase)

Text 2

Mahâdeva said: 'O Lord of the created, I do not take offense to those whom I regard as children, I used the rod there for them who were deluded by the external of God.

Lord S'iva said: My dear father, Brahma, 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. (Vedabase)

Text 3

Let there be a head of a goat for the Prajâpati whose head was burned to ashes and let Bhaga see his own share of the sacrifice with the eyes of Mitra.

Lord S'iva continued: Since the head of Daksha 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. (Vedabase)

Text 4

Pûshâ who led the sacrifice will have to eat chickpea dough or food chewed for him, but the godly ones who did grant me a share of the sacrifice will fully recover.

The demigod Pûshâ 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. (Vedabase)

Text 5

The two arms of the As'vins [the twin protectors of medicine] and the hands of Pûshâ are there for them who have to miss those limbs and Bhrigu and the other priests may have the beard of the goat.'

Those who have had their arms cut off will have to work with the arms of As'vini-kumâra, and those whose hands were cut off will have to do their work with the hands of Pûshâ. The priests will also have to act in that manner. As for Bhrigu, he will have the beard from the goat's head. (Vedabase)

Text 6

Maitreya said: 'All who at that moment heard what the best of the benedictors had said were in their hearts and souls satisfied, o dear one, and thus showed they, like we do, their appreciation.

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 S'iva, who is the best among the benedictors. (Vedabase)

Text 7

Thereafter was Lord S'iva invited by the godly ones and the sages again headed by Bhrigu, to attend to the sacrifice for the divinity and together with the Liberal One. (S'iva) and and the one of the Veda [Brahmâ] they went there.

Thereafter, Bhrigu, the chief of the great sages, invited Lord S'iva to come to the sacrificial arena. Thus the demigods, accompanied by the sages, Lord S'iva, and Lord Brahma, all went to the place where the great sacrifice was being performed. (Vedabase)

Text 8

Then they did it all, as Lord Bhava told them to, with the body of the living [Daksha] and the head of the animal of sacrifice.

After everything was executed exactly as directed by Lord S'iva, Daksha's body was joined to the head of the animal meant to be killed in the sacrifice. (Vedabase)

Text 9

Proceeding thus was with that head King Daksha, under the supervision of Rudra, reawakened from his apparent state of unconsciousness, upon which he the compassionate one saw standing before him.

When the animal's head was fixed on the body of King Daksha, Daksha was immediately brought to consciousness, and as he awakened from sleep, the King saw Lord S'iva standing before him. (Vedabase)

Text 10

At that time became the polluted heart of the Prajâpati from seeing him, the Lord who rides the bull, as clean as a lake [just filled by the rains] in autumn.

At that time, when Daksha saw Lord S'iva, who rides upon a bull, his heart, which was polluted by envy of Lord S'iva, was immediately cleansed, just as the water in a lake is cleansed by autumn rains. (Vedabase)

Text 11

Although decided to pray to Bhava, could it, with eyes full of tears, not be so because of the great surge of feeling upon remembering the deceased daughter.

King Daksha wanted to offer prayers to Lord S'iva, but as he remembered the ill-fated death of his daughter Satî, his eyes filled with tears, and in bereavement his voice choked up, and he could not say anything. (Vedabase)

Text 12

With great effort as well pacifying his, of his love and affection bewildered, mind, prayed the Prajâpati who had come to his senses to him in praise with straightforward feelings.

At this time, King Daksha, 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 S'iva. (Vedabase)

Text 13

Daksha said: 'What a great favor you did me in punishing me for the wrong I did; although you defeat, you never deny not even an unqualified brahmin. Nor from you, nor from Vishnu, my Lord, there is neglect and thus there is certainty for the one engaged in sacrifice.

King Daksha said: My dear Lord S'iva, 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 Vishnu never neglect even useless, unqualified brahmânas. Why, then, should you neglect me, who am engaged in performing sacrifices. (Vedabase)?

Text 14

O great one, as the one who was created first from the mouth of Brahmâ in order to disseminate the teachings of selfrealization, the vows and the austerity, you protect all the brahmins, with a stick in your hand, like someone protecting his herd.

My dear great and powerful Lord S'iva, you were created first from the mouth of Lord Brahmâ in order to protect the brahmânas in pursuing education, austerities, vows and self-realization. As protector of the brahmânas, 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. (Vedabase)

Text 15

You who by me, not aware of your reality, was insulted in the assembly by the arrows of unkind words, do not really take heed of that; seeing me sliding down to hell by defaming the most respectable, you saved me out of compassion and about that what you did out of your own mercy, your Lordship, I wish you to be pleased.

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. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Maitreya said: 'Thus receiving forgiveness he, by Lord S'iva and Lord Brahmâ permitted the sacrifice, again began with it together with the priests, the ones of learning and the others.

The great sage Maitreya said: Thus being pardoned by Lord S'iva, King Daksha, with the permission of Lord Brahma, again began the performance of the yajña, along with the great learned sages, the priests and others. (Vedabase)