Om Sati Shivani Vishvamukhi Tripurmalini Namo Namah
ॐ सती शिवणी विश्वमुखी त्रिपुरमालिनी नमो नमः
Rajarishi Daksha and queen Prasuti were revered throughout the three worlds. They were a devout couple who were sincere in their prayers and worship. Top of Form
Daksha was the mind-born son of Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma advised him to worship Goddess Shakti. Guided by the wisdom of his divine father he and Prasuti immediately began rigorous penance to propitiate the goddess.
After several years of prayer and penance on one particularly bright and clear moonlit night Daksha and Prasuti felt a gentle fragrant breeze caress their cheeks. Then surprisingly there was a flash of lighting from the cloudless sky. Startled the king and queen looked around and suddenly there before their astonished eyes was the most beautiful and blessed vision of Goddess Shakti. Resplendent in her divine glory, her ethereal beauty and boundless power mesmerized Daksha and Prasuti. Her garments seemed woven from starlight, the brilliant jewels that bedecked the goddess cast a celestial radiance around her exquisite face. In her presence, there was an overwhelming sense of tranquillity and benevolence. Yet there was no mistaking the undeniable power that emanated from Her. Goddess Shakti stood before them, a beacon of love and a formidable force of nature.
Overpowered by her magnificent presence Daksha and Prasuti fell to their knees and prostrated before the Goddess. Spellbound by the vision they were completely dumbstruck. Maa Shakti seeing their predicament smiled gently at them and in an encouraging voice said, “I am pleased with your devotion for me. I wish to reward you with a boon of your choice. Tell me your desire and I will grant it to you.”
Overwhelmed with emotion Daksha remained prostrate at Her feet. It took him a while to regain his composure. He stood up, folded his hands in prayer and in a soft and halting voice filled with reverence said, “Devi, we are so grateful to be blessed with your presence. Our devotion to you is in each breath we take. You are always in our thoughts and our hearts overflow with love for you. Our deepest desire is to cradle you in our arms and witness your existence here on earth with us. I beg that you grant us the boon of gracing our lives as our dearly loved and most cherished daughter.”Top of Form
Maa Shakti looked at Daksha and Prasuti and in a kind and loving voice said, “So be it. I will grant you your wish.”
Having spoken she disappeared instantly. It was almost as if the vision had been a dream or had never occurred. The night sky was dark once more and the moon less luminescent. The stars too began to disappear one by one behind the clouds.
However, Goddess Shakti did keep her promise. The couple were blessed with an exquisitely beautiful baby girl. They named the baby Sati. Though Daksha and Prasuti had other daughters too Sati was their pride and joy. She held a very special place in their hearts.
From an early age Sati adored Lord Shiva. With each passing year Sati’s devotion to Shiva continued to increase. When it was time for her to marry suitors from all over arrived to ask for her hand in marriage. The men were of royal descent, handsome, strong and wise, yet Sati stubbornly rejected all the proposals her parents put to her.
Finally her father Daksha came to her and said, “We have presented to you the finest men in the whole universe yet you keep rejecting them. I cannot understand who you will feel would make a good match for you. Is there anyone you wish to marry?”
Sati was quick to reply, “Yes. I wish to marry Shiva.”
Daksha was astounded by Sati’s reply. He adamantly opposed this union. Angered at even the thought of Shiva marrying his beloved daughter, Daksha fumed, “Shiva is nothing but a filthy ascetic. He keeps the company of ghouls and other scary creatures. He is unfit to marry any respectable girl. I will not allow you to marry him.”
Sati remained adamant about her decision to marry Lord Shiva. She boldly retorted, “Lord Shiva is the only one I will marry. I will not marry anyone else.”
Besides her father opposing the union, there was also another problem – Shiva was completely unaware of Sati’s love for him. As Sati wondered how she could convey her love for him to the Lord the wandering sage Narada visited the royal palace. Understanding Sati’s predicament and wanting to help the young girl who was so deeply in love with Lord Shiva Narada advised, “If you wish to marry Lord Shiva you will need to do a lot of penance. Only through sincere penance will you be able to convey your love to Lord Shiva.”
Without wasting a moment Sati left the palace and all its comforts and luxuries. She went to the forest to live a life of prayer and penance. Her efforts were rewarded when Lord Shiva heard her prayers. He appeared before her. He was so handsome and powerful that Sati could not take her eyes off the Lord. Her very essence reflected her all-consuming love for the Lord. Sati had no need to even express her desire to marry Him. No words were necessary. Sati’s devotion had ignited a spark in Lord Shiva’s heart too. He fell deeply in love with Sati. The Lord pledged his eternal promise and vowed to marry the lovely princess who had forsaken her home, family and all that was familiar to her to live alone in a forest so that she could declare her undying love for Him.
An elated Sati returned to the palace. Her parents were delighted to see her. They welcomed her home with immense joy. Though happy to have his daughter back Daksha was disappointed when he heard of his favourite daughter’s decision to marry a man he despised.
As he had promised Lord Shiva came to the palace to ask Daksha for his daughter’s hand in marriage. Very reluctantly Daksha granted Shiva permission to marry his beloved daughter. After their marriage a blissful Sati left the palace to live with her husband Lord Shiva.
A while later Lord Brahma held a yagna (fire sacrifice) to which he invited all the Gods, rishis and kings of the three worlds. When Daksha entered the venue everyone stood up to show their respect for him. Everyone stood up except the three supreme Lords – Lord Vishnu, Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva. Daksha who in any case disliked Shiva was angered by the fact that his son-in-law did not stand up and show proper respect for his father-in-law.
Daksha’s pride was hurt and he was livid at what he imagined was an insult to him. In a loud voice Daksha roared, “I curse Shiva and his dreadful followers. Shiva will not be entitled to any share of the yagna.”
Shiva’s followers were appalled at Daksha’s outburst. They wanted to punish him but Lord Shiva stopped them saying, “His curse cannot affect me. So please do not be angry.”
Then Brahma too explained to Daksha, “Daksha you of all people should know that no yagna can be completed without Shiva’s presence. Why then do you behave in this manner?”
Daksha however was beyond all reason. He stormed out of the yagna raging in anger. He was livid and decided he would definitely repay Shiva for this insult. He was determined to teach Shiva a lesson.
Not long after Daksha organized a yagna. He sent invitations to all the gods, rishis and the kings of the three worlds. However, he made sure not to invite Shiva and Sati.
The invitees started arriving at the yagna. Daksha had organized a grand event with extravagant arrangements. He personally welcomed each guest and made sure that they were given the importance relevant to their status. Not content with excluding his daughter and Lord Shiva from the yagna Daksha wanted to go a step further and make a mockery of his son-in-law. He had a life size statue of Shiva strategically placed at the entrance. Daksha exacted his revenge by using the stone image of Lord Shiva to represent a gatekeeper to the yagna.
Everyone entering the arena noticed the statue. They all realized that this was a pointed sign of disrespect for Lord Shiva. Yet no one dared to mention it either for fear of annoying Daksha or because they did not want to disparage their host with criticism. Daksha of course was in high spirits and beaming for having humiliated Shiva.
Sati got to hear that her father was arranging a magnificent yagna and she wanted to attend it too. She was totally unaware of her father’s shenanigans. As she missed her family she thought this would be a wonderful opportunity to meet all of them. Going to Lord Shiva she said, “My father is holding a grand yagna and I wish to attend it.”
Lord Shiva knew the reason for not being invited and tried to persuade Sati not to go. He said. “It will not be proper for you to go to a place uninvited.”
Sati countered, “I will be going to my parent’s home. A daughter needs no invitation to visit her parents.”
Shiva then tried to explain to her, “Sati, our exclusion from the yagna was intentional. Your father does not like me and hence has not invited us. It would be better if you did not go.”
Sati became all them more determined to prove her husband wrong and said, “It is not so. My father will never hold a grudge against my husband. I will attend the yagna and talk to my father and he will realize your eminence.”
As she was so resolute in her decision to attend the yagna Lord Shiva had no choice but to relent.
Sati truly believed she could change her father’s opinion of her husband. She smiled at Shiva and happily set off for the palace. Seeing her leave Lord Shiva’s eyes filled with tears for he knew what awaited her.
As she approached the yagna grounds Sati was horrified to see a statue of Lord Shiva at the entrance gate. Ignoring the slight she walked up to her father but he turned away from her. Yet Sati wanting to show respect to her father, once again approached him. This time Daksha turned abruptly towards her. He very curtly said, “People should know better than to come to an occasion uninvited.” He then walked off in a huff.
Sati was now very angry and she demanded, “Why, father, was Lord Shiva not invited to this yagna?”
Daksha shouted, “He was not invited because he does not deserve to be invited!”
Sati responded, “But no yagna can be completed without Lord Shiva’s presence.”
Daksha not one to give in said, “The presence of Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma are more than sufficient to complete the sacrifice. There is absolutely no need for Shiva to be present.”
Not done with his tirade Daksha then began to heap insult upon insult on Lord Shiva. Sati was heartbroken. She could not bear to hear the abuse being hurled at her beloved husband. She now realized why Lord Shiva had not wanted to her come. She wished she had taken his advice and avoided the yagna altogether. Her eyes welled with tears. Then looking around and noticing that no one had had the courage to speak up and counter Daksha her sadness turned to rage. In a loud voice she berated everyone present at the yagna including Lord Vishnu and Lord Brahma. “Shame on all of you for remaining silent spectators as my father hurled insults at my husband. Not one of you had the courage to refute him.”
She turned to her father and looking directly at him with eyes full of fury she continued, “By insulting my husband in this vile manner you have sowed the seeds for your complete annihilation. Lord Shiva is the greatest of all the Gods in the three worlds and for disrespecting him you will be destroyed. While you were petty enough not to invite him Lord Shiva did not mind at all that you had excluded him from the yagna. Lord Shiva is above all insults. ”
Seeing Sati so angry everyone present were fearful of what would occur next.
Sati was upset with herself for having insisted on coming to the yagna and ignoring Shiva’s better advice. How could she go back to Him and tell Him of her father’s despicable behaviour? How could she speak of the insults that were hurled at Him and of the attendees who sat quietly without even raising a word of objection? She decided that she could not face Lord Shiva. Yet she knew she could not live without Him either. She was so disgusted with her father’s behaviour that she wanted to disassociate completely from her parents. She thought to herself, “My love for Lord Shiva is immutable. It can never be destroyed. My love for Him is so intense that I can no longer bear to be associated with anything that represents my parents, who hate Him. Unfortunately, my body which I have inherited from them will be a constant reminder of my parents. Hence I no longer need this body.”
Then before an astonished group of gods, rishis and kings Sati walked purposefully towards the sacrificial fire and jumped in.
The blaze of fire rose high above the heads of all those present.
Nandi and Lord Shiva Ganas who had accompanied Sati were unable to control their rage any longer. They had remained peaceful throughout because Lord Shiva had instructed them not to disturb the yagna. But now nothing could hold them back. They destroyed the entire yagna arena.
It took some time for the Gods to comprehend the chaos around them. Once the Gods had recovered from the shock of this sudden turn of events they got together to drive out the Ganas. As the Gods outnumbered the Ganas they succeeded in driving out the ganas. The Ganas were still seething with rage. They rushed directly to Shiva’s abode in Mt. Kailash and recounted to him in detail the horrific incident that had occurred.
The moment He heard the news of Sati’s tragic demise a shroud of desolation fell upon Him. There was stillness in the air and the mountains too seemed to be steeped in gloom. Shiva’s eyes that reflected cosmic wisdom now shut. He was enveloped in deep sadness. The epitome of stoicism Lord Shiva bore His pain with a grace that was both majestic and heartrending. He said not a word as he silently bore his agony.
Then, as swiftly as a tempest born from a calm sea, the tides of sorrow surged into an inferno of unbridled rage. In an instant his sorrow had metamorphosed into unmitigated rage. Even the heavens seemed to recoil from the intensity of his fury. The Gana's, his loyal attendants, felt the seismic shift in their lord's demeanor and in fearful deference, retreated, their hearts pounding with trepidation. Then before their eyes Lord Shiva summed his destructive form of Virabhadra. The universe trembled in terror as Virabhadra headed directly towards Daksha’s yagna.
At the yagna everyone was still in a state of shock. The air was thick with an eerie silence until a pack of jackals started a mournful howling that seemed to herald impending disaster. A huge, dark black cloud headed ominously towards the yagna. The cloud was so large and black that it engulfed the sun completely. All around was pitch darkness.
Before anyone could quite comprehend the situation Virabhadra and his Rudra army attacked them from all sides. In moments they had destroyed everything in sight. Lord Vishnu trying to ward off Virabhadra sent out His Sudarshana Chakra. Virabhadra tossed aside the Charkra as though it was a child’s broken toy. He purposefully headed towards Daksha. He grabbed Daksha’s haughty head in his giant hand and ripped it off his body. He then threw Daksha’s head into the same sacrificial fire into which Sati had plunged to her death.
Seeing her husband’s headless torso tossed on the ground Prasuti wept copiously as she embraced her husband’s dead body. The wise and compassionate Brahma seeing Prasutis sorrow implored her, “Seek the forgiveness of Lord Shiva, for He alone has the power to restore life from death's embrace.”
Heeding Brahma’s advice Prasuti prayed to Lord Shiva fervently. Lord Shiva is known to have a heart that melts with kindness for his devotees. He heard the grieving wife’s piteous plea. He recalled his Virabhadra form. He had decided to restore Daksha to life. However, as Daksha’s head was destroyed in the fire Shiva took the head of a goat and placed it on the torso of Daksha. He then brought Daksha back to life.
On regaining life Daksha realising the terrible errors of his ways fell at Lord Shiva’a feet and begged, “Lord please forgive me. I allowed my arrogance to get the better of me. I spoke words that I truly regret now. I made many mistakes and must now face the loss of my dearest child. Please find it in your heart to forgive me.”
Lord Shiva is all forgiving. He not only forgave Daksha but also allowed him to complete the yagna with Lord Vishnu as the chief priest.
Sati’s death had left Shiva grief stricken. He cradled her charred form and wandered through the Universe - a heart-breaking tableau of love and loss. With each step he took, the very fabric of the universe seemed to resonate with his sorrow. The earth was weighed down with pain, every tree and leaf drooped in sadness. The heavens were clouded in gloom. A pall of dark sorrow seemed to weep for Lord Shiva’s heart breaking loss.
Moved by the collective sorrow that veiled the world, Lord Vishnu, in his infinite compassion, summoned forth his divine Sudarshan Chakra. He sent it on the sacred duty of gently but purposefully severing the body of Sati. Remaining invisible the Sudarshan Chakra cut Sati’s body into 51 parts. It is said that each place where a part of Sati’s body fell on earth is imbued with the energy the goddess herself had. Shakti Peeths were established at these hallowed grounds.
Separated from his beloved wife’s body Shiva finally returned to Mt. Kailash and entered into deep meditation.
As Sati had always known the love that she shared with Lord Shiva could and never would be destroyed - an eternal love not bound by time. Sati came back to Lord Shiva in the form of Goddess Parvathi reaffirming to the world that true love will always remain immortal, undying and endless.
LIFE LESSON
1. From Sati we learn that love is the purest of all emotions and we must try and spread love among all those we know.
2. From Daksha and Prasuti we learn that sincere prayer and devotion brings us blessings.
3. We must never hate or demean anyone as Daksha did Lord Shiva.
4. From Daksha we learn that arrogance can only end up in destruction.
5. Like Lord Shiva we must love deeply, forgive easily and remain compassionate to even those who dislike us.
Comments