Śrīmad Bhāgavatam |Canto 4 Chapter 5

Frustration of the Sacrifice of Dakṣa

VERSE 4.5.1

maitreya uvāca

bhavo bhavānyā nidhanaṁ prajāpater
asat-kṛtāyā avagamya nāradāt
sva-pārṣada-sainyaṁ ca tad-adhvararbhubhir
vidrāvitaṁ krodham apāram ādadhe

SYNONYMS

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said; bhavaḥ — Lord Śiva; bhavānyāḥ — of Satī; nidhanam — the death; prajāpateḥ — because of Prajāpati Dakṣa; asat-kṛtāyāḥ — having been insulted; avagamya — hearing about; nāradāt — from Nārada; sva-pārṣada-sainyam — the soldiers of his own associates; ca — and; tat-adhvara — (produced from) his (Dakṣa’s) sacrifice; ṛbhubhiḥ — by the Ṛbhus; vidrāvitam — were driven away; krodham — anger; apāram — unbounded; ādadhe — showed.

TRANSLATION

Maitreya said: When Lord Śiva heard from Nārada that Satī, his wife, was now dead because of Prajāpati Dakṣa’s insult to her and that his soldiers had been driven away by the Ṛbhu demigods, he became greatly angry.

VERSE 4.5.2

kruddhaḥ sudaṣṭauṣṭha-puṭaḥ sa dhūr-jaṭir
jaṭāṁ taḍid-vahni-saṭogra-rociṣam
utkṛtya rudraḥ sahasotthito hasan
gambhīra-nādo visasarja tāṁ bhuvi

SYNONYMS

kruddhaḥ — very angry; su-daṣṭa-oṣṭha-puṭaḥ — pressing his lips with his teeth; saḥ — he (Lord Śiva); dhūḥ-jaṭiḥ — having a cluster of hair on his head; jaṭām — one hair; taḍit — of electricity; vahni — of fire; saṭā — a flame; ugra — terrible; rociṣam — blazing; utkṛtya — snatching; rudraḥ — Lord Śiva; sahasā — at once; utthitaḥ — stood up; hasan — laughing; gambhīra — deep; nādaḥ — sound; visasarja — dashed; tām — that (hair); bhuvi — on the ground.

TRANSLATION

Thus Lord Śiva, being extremely angry, pressed his lips with his teeth and immediately snatched from his head a strand of hair which blazed like electricity or fire. He stood up at once, laughing like a madman, and dashed the hair to the ground.

VERSE 4.5.3

tato ’tikāyas tanuvā spṛśan divaṁ
sahasra-bāhur ghana-ruk tri-sūrya-dṛk
karāla-daṁṣṭro jvalad-agni-mūrdhajaḥ
kapāla-mālī vividhodyatāyudhaḥ

SYNONYMS

tataḥ — at this time; atikāyaḥ — a great personality (Vīrabhadra); tanuvā — with his body; spṛśan — touching; divam — the sky; sahasra — a thousand; bāhuḥ — arms; ghana-ruk — of black color; tri-sūrya-dṛk — as bright as three suns combined; karāla-daṁṣṭraḥ — having very fearful teeth; jvalat-agni — (like) burning fire; mūrdhajaḥ — having hair on his head; kapāla-mālī — garlanded with men’s heads; vividha — various kinds; udyata — upraised; āyudhaḥ — equipped with weapons.

TRANSLATION

A fearful black demon as high as the sky and as bright as three suns combined was thereby created, his teeth very fearful and the hairs on his head like burning fire. He had thousands of arms, equipped with various weapons, and he was garlanded with the heads of men.

VERSE 4.5.4

taṁ kiṁ karomīti gṛṇantam āha
baddhāñjaliṁ bhagavān bhūta-nāthaḥ
dakṣaṁ sa-yajñaṁ jahi mad-bhaṭānāṁ
tvam agraṇī rudra bhaṭāṁśako me

SYNONYMS

tam — to him (Vīrabhadra); kim — what; karomi — shall I do; iti — thus; gṛṇantam — asking; āha — ordered; baddha-añjalim — with folded hands; bhagavān — the possessor of all opulences (Lord Śiva); bhūta-nāthaḥ — the lord of the ghosts; dakṣam — Dakṣa; sa-yajñam — along with his sacrifice; jahi — kill; mat-bhaṭānām — of all my associates; tvam — you; agraṇīḥ — the chief; rudra — O Rudra; bhaṭa — O expert in battle; aṁśakaḥ — born of my body; me — my.

TRANSLATION

When that gigantic demon asked with folded hands, “What shall I do, my lord?” Lord Śiva, who is known as Bhūtanātha, directly ordered, “Because you are born from my body, you are the chief of all my associates. Therefore, kill Dakṣa and his soldiers at the sacrifice.”

VERSE 4.5.5

ājñapta evaṁ kupitena manyunā
sa deva-devaṁ paricakrame vibhum
mene tadātmānam asaṅga-raṁhasā
mahīyasāṁ tāta sahaḥ sahiṣṇum

SYNONYMS

ājñaptaḥ — being ordered; evam — in this manner; kupitena — angry; manyunā — by Lord Śiva (who is anger personified); saḥ — he (Vīrabhadra); deva-devam — he who is worshiped by the demigods; paricakrame — circumambulated; vibhum — Lord Śiva; mene — considered; tadā — at that time; ātmānam — himself; asaṅga-raṁhasā — with the power of Lord Śiva that cannot be opposed; mahīyasām — of the most powerful; tāta — my dear Vidura; sahaḥ — strength; sahiṣṇum — capable of coping with.

TRANSLATION

Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, that black person was the personified anger of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he was prepared to execute the orders of Lord Śiva. Thus, considering himself capable of coping with any power offered against him, he circumambulated Lord Śiva.

VERSE 4.5.6

anvīyamānaḥ sa tu rudra-pārṣadair
bhṛśaṁ nadadbhir vyanadat subhairavam
udyamya śūlaṁ jagad-antakāntakaṁ
samprādravad ghoṣaṇa-bhūṣaṇāṅghriḥ

SYNONYMS

anvīyamānaḥ — being followed; saḥ — he (Vīrabhadra); tu — but; rudra-pārṣadaiḥ — by the soldiers of Lord Śiva; bhṛśam — tumultuously; nadadbhiḥ — roaring; vyanadat — sounded; su-bhairavam — very fearful; udyamya — carrying; śūlam — a trident; jagat-antaka — death; antakam — killing; samprādravat — hurried towards (the sacrifice of Dakṣa); ghoṣaṇa — roaring; bhūṣaṇa-aṅghriḥ — with bangles on his legs.

TRANSLATION

Many other soldiers of Lord Śiva followed the fierce personality in a tumultuous uproar. He carried a great trident, fearful enough to kill even death, and on his legs he wore bangles which seemed to roar.

VERSE 4.5.7

athartvijo yajamānaḥ sadasyāḥ
kakubhy udīcyāṁ prasamīkṣya reṇum
tamaḥ kim etat kuta etad rajo ’bhūd
iti dvijā dvija-patnyaś ca dadhyuḥ

SYNONYMS

atha — at that time; ṛtvijaḥ — the priests; yajamānaḥ — the chief person performing the sacrifice (Dakṣa); sadasyāḥ — all the persons assembled in the sacrificial arena; kakubhi udīcyām — in the northern direction; prasamīkṣya — seeing; reṇum — the dust storm; tamaḥ — darkness; kim — what; etat — this; kutaḥ — from where; etat — this; rajaḥ — dust; abhūt — has come; iti — thus; dvijāḥ — the brāhmaṇas; dvija-patnyaḥ — the wives of the brāhmaṇas; ca — and; dadhyuḥ — began to speculate.

TRANSLATION

At that time, all the persons assembled in the sacrificial arena — the priests, the chief of the sacrificial performance, and the brāhmaṇas and their wives — wondered where the darkness was coming from. Later they could understand that it was a dust storm, and all of them were full of anxiety.

VERSE 4.5.8

vātā na vānti na hi santi dasyavaḥ
prācīna-barhir jīvati hogra-daṇḍaḥ
gāvo na kālyanta idaṁ kuto rajo
loko ’dhunā kiṁ pralayāya kalpate

SYNONYMS

vātāḥ — the winds; na vānti — are not blowing; na — not; hi — because; santi — are possible; dasyavaḥ — plunderers; prācīna-barhiḥ — old King Barhi; jīvati — is living; ha — still; ugra-daṇḍaḥ — who would sternly punish; gāvaḥ — the cows; na kālyante — are not being driven; idam — this; kutaḥ — from where; rajaḥ — dust; lokaḥ — the planet; adhunā — now; kim — is it; pralayāya — for dissolution; kalpate — to be considered ready.

TRANSLATION

Conjecturing on the origin of the storm, they said: There is no wind blowing, and no cows are passing, nor is it possible that this dust storm could be raised by plunderers, for there is still the strong King Barhi, who would punish them. Where is this dust storm blowing from? Is the dissolution of the planet now to occur?

VERSE 4.5.9

prasūti-miśrāḥ striya udvigna-cittā
ūcur vipāko vṛjinasyaiva tasya
yat paśyantīnāṁ duhitṝṇāṁ prajeśaḥ
sutāṁ satīm avadadhyāv anāgām

SYNONYMS

prasūti-miśrāḥ — headed by Prasūti; striyaḥ — the women; udvigna-cittāḥ — being very anxious; ūcuḥ — said; vipākaḥ — the resultant danger; vṛjinasya — of the sinful activity; eva — indeed; tasya — his (Dakṣa’s); yat — because; paśyantīnām — who were looking on; duhitṝṇām — of her sisters; prajeśaḥ — the lord of the created beings (Dakṣa); sutām — his daughter; satīm — Satī; avadadhyau — insulted; anāgām — completely innocent.

TRANSLATION

Prasūti, the wife of Dakṣa, along with the other women assembled, became very anxious and said: This danger has been created by Dakṣa because of the death of Satī, who, even though completely innocent, quit her body as her sisters looked on.

VERSE 4.5.10

yas tv anta-kāle vyupta-jaṭā-kalāpaḥ
sva-śūla-sūcy-arpita-dig-gajendraḥ
vitatya nṛtyaty uditāstra-dor-dhvajān
uccāṭṭa-hāsa-stanayitnu-bhinna-dik

SYNONYMS

yaḥ — who (Lord Śiva); tu — but; anta-kāle — at the time of dissolution; vyupta — having scattered; jaṭā-kalāpaḥ — his bunch of hair; sva-śūla — his own trident; sūci — on the points; arpita — pierced; dik-gajendraḥ — the rulers of the different directions; vitatya — scattering; nṛtyati — dances; udita — upraised; astra — weapons; doḥ — hands; dhvajān — flags; ucca — loud; aṭṭa-hāsa — laughing; stanayitnu — by the thundering sound; bhinna — divided; dik — the directions.

TRANSLATION

At the time of dissolution, Lord Śiva’s hair is scattered, and he pierces the rulers of the different directions with his trident. He laughs and dances proudly, scattering their hands like flags, as thunder scatters the clouds all over the world.

VERSE 4.5.11

amarṣayitvā tam asahya-tejasaṁ
manyu-plutaṁ durnirīkṣyaṁ bhru-kuṭyā
karāla-daṁṣṭrābhir udasta-bhāgaṇaṁ
syāt svasti kiṁ kopayato vidhātuḥ

SYNONYMS

amarṣayitvā — after causing to become angry; tam — him (Lord Śiva); asahya-tejasam — with an unbearable effulgence; manyu-plutam — filled with anger; durnirīkṣyam — not able to be looked at; bhru-kuṭyā — by the movement of his brows; karāla-daṁṣṭrābhiḥ — by his fearful teeth; udasta-bhāgaṇam — having scattered the luminaries; syāt — there should be; svasti — good fortune; kim — how; kopayataḥ — causing (Lord Śiva) to be angry; vidhātuḥ — of Brahmā.

TRANSLATION

The gigantic black man bared his fearful teeth. By the movements of his brows he scattered the luminaries all over the sky, and he covered them with his strong, piercing effulgence. Because of the misbehavior of Dakṣa, even Lord Brahmā, Dakṣa’s father, could not have been saved from the great exhibition of anger.

VERSE 4.5.12

bahv evam udvigna-dṛśocyamāne
janena dakṣasya muhur mahātmanaḥ
utpetur utpātatamāḥ sahasraśo
bhayāvahā divi bhūmau ca paryak

SYNONYMS

bahu — much; evam — in this manner; udvigna-dṛśā — with nervous glances; ucyamāne — while this was being said; janena — by the persons (assembled at the sacrifice); dakṣasya — of Dakṣa; muhuḥ — again and again; mahā-ātmanaḥ — stronghearted; utpetuḥ — appeared; utpāta-tamāḥ — very powerful symptoms; sahasraśaḥ — by the thousands; bhaya-āvahāḥ — producing fear; divi — in the sky; bhūmau — on the earth; ca — and; paryak — from all sides.

TRANSLATION

While all the people talked amongst themselves, Dakṣa saw dangerous omens from all sides, from the earth and from the sky.

VERSE 4.5.13

tāvat sa rudrānucarair mahā-makho
nānāyudhair vāmanakair udāyudhaiḥ
piṅgaiḥ piśaṅgair makarodarānanaiḥ
paryādravadbhir vidurānvarudhyata

SYNONYMS

tāvat — very quickly; saḥ — that; rudra-anucaraiḥ — by the followers of Lord Śiva; mahā-makhaḥ — the arena of the great sacrifice; nānā — various kinds; āyudhaiḥ — with weapons; vāmanakaiḥ — of short stature; udāyudhaiḥ — upraised; piṅgaiḥ — blackish; piśaṅgaiḥ — yellowish; makara-udara-ānanaiḥ — with bellies and faces like sharks’; paryādravadbhiḥ — running all around; vidura — O Vidura; anvarudhyata — was surrounded.

TRANSLATION

My dear Vidura, all the followers of Lord Śiva surrounded the arena of sacrifice. They were of short stature and were equipped with various kinds of weapons; their bodies appeared to be like those of sharks, blackish and yellowish. They ran all around the sacrificial arena and thus began to create disturbances.

VERSE 4.5.14

kecid babhañjuḥ prāg-vaṁśaṁ
patnī-śālāṁ tathāpare
sada āgnīdhra-śālāṁ ca
tad-vihāraṁ mahānasam

SYNONYMS

kecit — some; babhañjuḥ — pulled down; prāk-vaṁśam — the pillars of the sacrificial pandal; patnī-śālām — the female quarters; tathā — also; apare — others; sadaḥ — the sacrificial arena; āgnīdhra-śālām — the house of the priests; ca — and; tat-vihāram — the house of the chief of the sacrifice; mahā-anasam — the house of the kitchen department.

TRANSLATION

Some of the soldiers pulled down the pillars which were supporting the pandal of sacrifice, some of them entered the female quarters, some began destroying the sacrificial arena, and some entered the kitchen and the residential quarters.

VERSE 4.5.15

rurujur yajña-pātrāṇi
tathaike ’gnīn anāśayan
kuṇḍeṣv amūtrayan kecid
bibhidur vedi-mekhalāḥ

SYNONYMS

rurujuḥ — broke; yajña-pātrāṇi — the pots used in the sacrifice; tathā — so; eke — some; agnīn — the sacrificial fires; anāśayan — extinguished; kuṇḍeṣu — on the sacrificial arenas; amūtrayan — passed urine; kecit — some; bibhiduḥ — tore down; vedi-mekhalāḥ — the boundary lines of the sacrificial arena.

TRANSLATION

They broke all the pots made for use in the sacrifice, and some of them began to extinguish the sacrificial fire. Some tore down the boundary line of the sacrificial arena, and some passed urine on the arena.

VERSE 4.5.16

abādhanta munīn anye
eke patnīr atarjayan
apare jagṛhur devān
pratyāsannān palāyitān

SYNONYMS

abādhanta — blocked the way; munīn — the sages; anye — others; eke — some; patnīḥ — the women; atarjayan — threatened; apare — others; jagṛhuḥ — arrested; devān — the demigods; pratyāsannān — near at hand; palāyitān — who were fleeing.

TRANSLATION

Some blocked the way of the fleeing sages, some threatened the women assembled there, and some arrested the demigods who were fleeing the pandal.

VERSE 4.5.17

bhṛguṁ babandha maṇimān
vīrabhadraḥ prajāpatim
caṇḍeśaḥ pūṣaṇaṁ devaṁ
bhagaṁ nandīśvaro ’grahīt

SYNONYMS

bhṛgum — Bhṛgu Muni; babandha — arrested; maṇimān — Maṇimān; vīrabhadraḥ — Vīrabhadra; prajāpatim — Prajāpati Dakṣa; caṇḍeśaḥ — Caṇḍeśa; pūṣaṇam — Pūṣā; devam — the demigod; bhagam — Bhaga; nandīśvaraḥ — Nandīśvara; agrahīt — arrested.

TRANSLATION

Maṇimān, one of the followers of Lord Śiva, arrested Bhṛgu Muni, and Vīrabhadra, the black demon, arrested Prajāpati Dakṣa. Another follower, who was named Caṇḍeśa, arrested Pūṣā. Nandīśvara arrested the demigod Bhaga.

VERSE 4.5.18

sarva evartvijo dṛṣṭvā
sadasyāḥ sa-divaukasaḥ
tair ardyamānāḥ subhṛśaṁ
grāvabhir naikadhā ’dravan

SYNONYMS

sarve — all; eva — certainly; ṛtvijaḥ — the priests; dṛṣṭvā — after seeing; sadasyāḥ — all the members assembled in the sacrifice; sa-divaukasaḥ — along with the demigods; taiḥ — by those (stones); ardyamānāḥ — being disturbed; su-bhṛśam — very greatly; grāvabhiḥ — by stones; na ekadhā — in different directions; adravan — began to disperse.

TRANSLATION

There was a continuous shower of stones, and all the priests and other members assembled at the sacrifice were put into immense misery. For fear of their lives, they dispersed in different directions.

VERSE 4.5.19

juhvataḥ sruva-hastasya
śmaśrūṇi bhagavān bhavaḥ
bhṛgor luluñce sadasi
yo ’hasac chmaśru darśayan

SYNONYMS

juhvataḥ — offering sacrificial oblations; sruva-hastasya — with the sacrificial ladle in his hand; śmaśrūṇi — the mustache; bhagavān — the possessor of all opulences; bhavaḥ — Vīrabhadra; bhṛgoḥ — of Bhṛgu Muni; luluñce — tore out; sadasi — in the midst of the assembly; yaḥ — who (Bhṛgu Muni); ahasat — had smiled; śmaśru — his mustache; darśayan — showing.

TRANSLATION

Vīrabhadra tore off the mustache of Bhṛgu, who was offering the sacrificial oblations with his hands in the fire.

VERSE 4.5.20

bhagasya netre bhagavān
pātitasya ruṣā bhuvi
ujjahāra sada-stho ’kṣṇā
yaḥ śapantam asūsucat

SYNONYMS

bhagasya — of Bhaga; netre — both eyes; bhagavān — Vīrabhadra; pātitasya — having been thrust; ruṣā — with great anger; bhuvi — on the ground; ujjahāra — plucked out; sada-sthaḥ — while situated in the assembly of the Viśvasṛks; akṣṇā — by the movement of his eyebrows; yaḥ — who (Bhaga); śapantam — (Dakṣa) who was cursing (Lord Śiva); asūsucat — encouraged.

TRANSLATION

Vīrabhadra immediately caught Bhaga, who had been moving his eyebrows during Bhṛgu’s cursing of Lord Śiva, and out of great anger thrust him to the ground and forcibly put out his eyes.

VERSE 4.5.21

pūṣṇo hy apātayad dantān
kāliṅgasya yathā balaḥ
śapyamāne garimaṇi
yo ’hasad darśayan dataḥ

SYNONYMS

pūṣṇaḥ — of Pūṣā; hi — since; apātayat — extracted; dantān — the teeth; kāliṅgasya — of the King of Kaliṅga; yathā — as; balaḥ — Baladeva; śapyamāne — while being cursed; garimaṇi — Lord Śiva; yaḥ — who (Pūṣā); ahasat — smiled; darśayan — showing; dataḥ — his teeth.

TRANSLATION

Just as Baladeva knocked out the teeth of Dantavakra, the King of Kaliṅga, during the gambling match at the marriage ceremony of Aniruddha, Vīrabhadra knocked out the teeth of both Dakṣa, who had shown them while cursing Lord Śiva, and Pūṣā, who by smiling sympathetically had also shown his teeth.

VERSE 4.5.22

ākramyorasi dakṣasya
śita-dhāreṇa hetinā
chindann api tad uddhartuṁ
nāśaknot tryambakas tadā

SYNONYMS

ākramya — having sat; urasi — on the chest; dakṣasya — of Dakṣa; śita-dhāreṇa — having a sharp blade; hetinā — with a weapon; chindan — cutting; api — even though; tat — that (head); uddhartum — to separate; na aśaknot — was not able; tri-ambakaḥ — Vīrabhadra (who had three eyes); tadā — after this.

TRANSLATION

Then Vīrabhadra, the giantlike personality, sat on the chest of Dakṣa and tried to separate his head from his body with sharp weapons, but was unsuccessful.

VERSE 4.5.23

śastrair astrānvitair evam
anirbhinna-tvacaṁ haraḥ
vismayaṁ param āpanno
dadhyau paśupatiś ciram

SYNONYMS

śastraiḥ — with weapons; astra-anvitaiḥ — with hymns (mantras); evam — thus; anirbhinna — not being cut; tvacam — the skin; haraḥ — Vīrabhadra; vismayam — bewilderment; param — greatest; āpannaḥ — was struck with; dadhyau — thought; paśupatiḥ — Vīrabhadra; ciram — for a long time.

TRANSLATION

He tried to cut the head of Dakṣa with hymns as well as weapons, but still it was hard to cut even the surface of the skin of Dakṣa’s head. Thus Vīrabhadra was exceedingly bewildered.

VERSE 4.5.24

dṛṣṭvā saṁjñapanaṁ yogaṁ
paśūnāṁ sa patir makhe
yajamāna-paśoḥ kasya
kāyāt tenāharac chiraḥ

SYNONYMS

dṛṣṭvā — having seen; saṁjñapanam — for the killing of the animals in the sacrifice; yogam — the device; paśūnām — of the animals; saḥ — he (Vīrabhadra); patiḥ — the lord; makhe — in the sacrifice; yajamāna-paśoḥ — who was an animal in the form of the chief of the sacrifice; kasya — of Dakṣa; kāyāt — from the body; tena — by that (device); aharat — severed; śiraḥ — his head.

TRANSLATION

Then Vīrabhadra saw the wooden device in the sacrificial arena by which the animals were to have been killed. He took the opportunity of this facility to behead Dakṣa.

VERSE 4.5.25

sādhu-vādas tadā teṣāṁ
karma tat tasya paśyatām
bhūta-preta-piśācānāṁ
anyeṣāṁ tad-viparyayaḥ

SYNONYMS

sādhu-vādaḥ — joyful exclamation; tadā — at that time; teṣām — of those (followers of Lord Śiva); karma — action; tat — that; tasya — of him (Vīrabhadra); paśyatām — seeing; bhūta-preta-piśācānām — of the bhūtas (ghosts), pretas and piśācas; anyeṣām — of the others (in the party of Dakṣa); tat-viparyayaḥ — the opposite of that (an exclamation of grief).

TRANSLATION

Upon seeing the action of Vīrabhadra, the party of Lord Śiva was pleased and cried out joyfully, and all the bhūtas, ghosts and demons that had come made a tumultuous sound. On the other hand, the brāhmaṇas in charge of the sacrifice cried out in grief at the death of Dakṣa.

VERSE 4.5.26

juhāvaitac chiras tasmin
dakṣiṇāgnāv amarṣitaḥ
tad-deva-yajanaṁ dagdhvā
prātiṣṭhad guhyakālayam

SYNONYMS

juhāva — sacrificed as an oblation; etat — that; śiraḥ — head; tasmin — in that; dakṣiṇa-agnau — in the sacrificial fire on the southern side; amarṣitaḥ — Vīrabhadra, being greatly angry; tat — of Dakṣa; deva-yajanam — the arrangements for the sacrifice to the demigods; dagdhvā — having set fire; prātiṣṭhat — departed; guhyaka-ālayam — to the abode of the Guhyakas (Kailāsa).

TRANSLATION

Vīrabhadra then took the head and with great anger threw it into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, offering it as an oblation. In this way the followers of Lord Śiva devastated all the arrangements for sacrifice. After setting fire to the whole arena, they departed for their master’s abode, Kailāsa.