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Chapter Four
Sati Quits Her Body
TEXT 1
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
etavad uktva virarama sankarah
patny-anga-nasam hy ubhayatra cintayan
suhrd-didrksuh parisankita bhavan
niskramati nirvisati dvidhasa sa
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--Maitreya said; etavat--so much; uktva--after speaking; virarama--was silent; sankarah--Lord Siva; patni-anga-nasam--the destruction of the body of his wife; hi--since; ubhayatra--in both cases; cintayan--understanding; suhrt-didrksuh--being anxious to see her relatives; parisankita--being afraid; bhavat--of Siva; niskramati--moving out; nirvisati--moving in; dvidha--divided; asa--was; sa--she (Sati).
TRANSLATION
The sage Maitreya said: Lord Siva was silent after speaking to Sati, seeing her between decisions. Sati was very much anxious to see her relatives at her father's house, but at the same time she was afraid of Lord Siva's warning. Her mind unsettled, she moved in and out of the room as a swing moves this way and that.
PURPORT
Sati's mind was divided about whether to go to her father's house or obey the orders of Lord Siva. The struggle between the two decisions was so strong that she was pushed from one side of the room to another, and she began to move just like the pendulum of a clock.
TEXT 2
TEXT
suhrd-didrksa-pratighata-durmanah
snehad rudaty asru-kalativihvala
bhavam bhavany apratipurusam rusa
pradhaksyativaiksata jata-vepathuh
SYNONYMS
suhrt-didrksa--of the desire to see her relatives; pratighata--the prevention; durmanah--feeling sorry; snehat--from affection; rudati--crying; asru-kala--by drops of tears; ativihvala--very much afflicted; bhavam--Lord Siva; bhavani--Sati; aprati-purusam--without an equal or rival; rusa--with anger; pradhaksyati--to blast; iva--as if; aiksata--looked at; jata-vepathuh--shaking.
TRANSLATION
Sati felt very sorry at being forbidden to go see her relatives at her father's house, and due to affection for them, tears fell from her eyes. Shaking and very much afflicted, she looked at her uncommon husband, Lord Siva, as if she were going to blast him with her vision.
PURPORT
The word apratipurusam, used in this verse, means "one who has no equal." Lord Siva has no equal in the material world in regard to equality towards everyone. His wife, Sati, knew that her husband was equal towards everyone, so why in this case was he so unkind to his wife that he did not allow her to go to her father's house? This distressed her more than she could tolerate, and she looked at her husband as if she were ready to blast him with her vision. In other words, since Lord Siva is the atma (siva also means atma), it is indicated here that Sati was prepared to commit suicide. Another meaning of the word apratipurusa is "the personality who has no rival." Since Lord Siva could not be persuaded to give her permission, Sati took shelter of a woman's last weapon, weeping, which forces a husband to agree to the proposal of his wife.
TEXT 3
TEXT
tato vinihsvasya sati vihaya tam
sokena rosena ca duyata hrda
pitror agat straina-vimudha-dhir grhan
premnatmano yo 'rdham adat satam priyah
SYNONYMS
tatah--then; vinihsvasya--breathing very heavily; sati--Sati; vihaya--leaving; tam--him (Lord Siva); sokena--by bereavement; rosena--by anger; ca--and; duyata--afflicted; hrda--with the heart; pitroh--of her father; agat--she went; straina--by her womanly nature; vimudha--deluded; dhih--intelligence; grhan--to the house; premna--due to affection; atmanah--of his body; yah--who; ardham--half; adat--gave; satam--to the saintly; priyah--dear.
TRANSLATION
Thereafter Sati left her husband, Lord Siva, who had given her half his body due to affection. Breathing very heavily because of anger and bereavement, she went to the house of her father. This less intelligent act was due to her being a weak woman.
PURPORT
According to the Vedic conception of family life, the husband gives half his body to his wife, and the wife gives half of her body to her husband. In other words, a husband without a wife or a wife without a husband is incomplete. Vedic marital relationship existed between Lord Siva and Sati, but sometimes, due to weakness, a woman becomes very much attracted by the members of her father's house, and this happened to Sati. In this verse it is specifically mentioned that she wanted to leave such a great husband as Siva because of her womanly weakness. In other words, womanly weakness exists even in the relationship between husband and wife. Generally, separation between husband and wife is due to womanly behavior; divorce takes place due to womanly weakness. The best course for a woman is to abide by the orders of her husband. That makes family life very peaceful. Sometimes there may be misunderstandings between husband and wife, as found even in such an elevated family relationship as that of Sati and Lord Siva, but a wife should not leave her husband's protection because of such a misunderstanding. If she does so, it is understood to be due to her womanly weakness.
TEXT 4
TEXT
tam anvagacchan druta-vikramam satim
ekam tri-netranucarah sahasrasah
sa-parsada-yaksa maniman-madadayah
puro-vrsendras tarasa gata-vyathah
SYNONYMS
tam--her (Sati); anvagacchan--followed; druta-vikramam--leaving rapidly; satim--Sati; ekam--alone; tri-netra--of Lord Siva (who has three eyes); anucarah--the followers; sahasrasah--by thousands; sa-parsada-yaksah--accompanied by his personal associates and the Yaksas; manimat-mada-adayah--Maniman, Mada, etc.; purah-vrsa-indrah--having the Nandi bull in front; tarasa--swiftly; gata-vyathah--without fear.
TRANSLATION
When they saw Sati leaving alone very rapidly, thousands of Lord Siva's disciples, headed by Maniman and Mada, quickly followed her with his bull Nandi in front and accompanied by the Yaksas.
PURPORT
Sati was going very fast so that she might not be checked by her husband, but she was immediately followed by the many thousands of disciples of Lord Siva, headed by the Yaksas, Maniman and Mada. The word gata-vyathah, used in this connection, means "without fear." Sati did not care that she was going alone; therefore she was almost fearless. The word anucarah is also significant, for it indicates that Lord Siva's disciples were always ready to sacrifice anything for Lord Siva. All of them could understand the desire of Siva, who did not want Sati to go alone. Anucarah means "those who can immediately understand the purpose of their master."
TEXT 5
TEXT
tam sarika-kanduka-darpanambuja-
svetatapatra-vyajana-srag-adibhih
gitayanair dundubhi-sankha-venubhir
vrsendram aropya vitankita yayuh
SYNONYMS
tam--her (Sati); sarika--pet bird; kanduka--ball; darpana--mirror; ambuja--lotus flower; sveta-atapatra--white umbrella; vyajana--chowrie; srak--garland; adibhih--and others; gita-ayanaih--accompanied with music; dundubhi--drums; sankha--conchshells; venubhih--with flutes; vrsa-indram--on the bull; aropya--placing; vitankitah--decorated; yayuh--they went.
TRANSLATION
The disciples of Lord Siva arranged for Sati to be seated on the back of a bull and gave her the bird which was her pet. They bore a lotus flower, a mirror and all such paraphernalia for her enjoyment and covered her with a great canopy. Followed by a singing party with drums, conchshells and bugles, the entire procession was as pompous as a royal parade.
TEXT 6
TEXT
abrahma-ghosorjita-yajna-vaisasam
viprarsi-justam vibudhais ca sarvasah
mrd-darv-ayah-kancana-darbha-carmabhir
nisrsta-bhandam yajanam samavisat
SYNONYMS
a--from all sides; brahma-ghosa--with the sounds of the Vedic hymns; urjita--decorated; yajna--sacrifice; vaisasam--destruction of animals; viprarsi-justam--attended by the great sages; vibudhaih--with demigods; ca--and; sarvasah--on all sides; mrt--clay; daru--wood; ayah--iron; kancana--gold; darbha--kusa grass; carmabhih--skins; nisrsta--made of; bhandam--sacrificial animals and pots; yajanam--sacrifice; samavisat--entered.
TRANSLATION
She then reached her father's house, where the sacrifice was being performed, and entered the arena where everyone was chanting the Vedic hymns. The great sages, brahmanas and demigods were all assembled there, and there were many sacrificial animals, as well as pots made of clay, stone, gold, grass and skin, which were all requisite for the sacrifice.
PURPORT
When learned sages and brahmanas assemble to chant Vedic mantras, some of them also engage in arguing about the conclusion of the scriptures. Thus some of the sages and brahmanas were arguing, and some of them were chanting the Vedic mantras, so the entire atmosphere was surcharged with transcendental sound vibration. This transcendental sound vibration has been simplified in the transcendental vibration Hare Krsna, Hare Krsna, Krsna Krsna, Hare Hare. Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare. In this age, no one is expected to be highly educated in the Vedic ways of understanding because people are very slow, lazy and unfortunate. Therefore Lord Caitanya has recommended the sound vibration Hare Krsna, and in the Srimad-Bhagavatam (11.5.32) it is also recommended: yajnaih sankirtana-prayair yajanti hi sumedhasah. At the present moment it is impossible to gather sacrificial necessities because of the poverty of the population and their lack of knowledge in Vedic mantras. Therefore for this age it is recommended that people gather together and chant the Hare Krsna mantra to satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is accompanied by His associates. Indirectly this indicates Lord Caitanya, who is accompanied by His associates Nityananda, Advaita and others. That is the process of performing yajna in this age.
Another significant point in this verse is that there were animals for sacrifice. That these animals were meant for sacrifice does not mean that they were meant to be killed. The great sages and realized souls assembled were performing yajnas, and their realization was tested by animal sacrifice, just as, in modern science, tests are made on animals to determine the effectiveness of a particular medicine. The brahmanas entrusted with the performance of yajna were very realized souls, and to test their realization an old animal was offered in the fire and rejuvenated. That was the test of a Vedic mantra. The animals gathered were not meant to be killed and eaten. The real purpose of a sacrifice was not to replace a slaughterhouse but to test a Vedic mantra by giving an animal new life. Animals were used to test the power of Vedic mantras, not for meat.
TEXT 7
TEXT
tam agatam tatra na kascanadriyad
vimanitam yajna-krto bhayaj janah
rte svasrr vai jananim ca sadarah
premasru-kanthyah parisasvajur muda
SYNONYMS
tam--her (Sati); agatam--having arrived; tatra--there; na--not; kascana--anyone; adriyat--received; vimanitam--not receiving respect; yajna-krtah--of the performer of the sacrifice (Daksa); bhayat--from fear; janah--person; rte--except; svasrh--her own sisters; vai--indeed; jananim--mother; ca--and; sa-adarah--with respect; prema-asru-kanthyah--whose throats were filled with tears of affection; parisasvajuh--embraced; muda--with glad faces.
TRANSLATION
When Sati, with her followers, reached the arena, because all the people assembled were afraid of Daksa, none of them received her well. No one welcomed her but her mother and sisters, who, with tears in their eyes and with glad faces, welcomed her and talked with her very pleasingly.
PURPORT
The mother and sisters of Sati could not follow the others, who did not receive Sati very well. Due to natural affection, they immediately embraced her with tears in their eyes and with loving feelings. This shows that women as a class are very softhearted; their natural affection and love cannot be checked by artificial means. Although the men present were very learned brahmanas and demigods, they were afraid of their superior, Daksa, and because they knew that their welcoming Sati would displease him, although in their minds they wanted to receive her, they could not do so. Women are naturally softhearted, but men are sometimes very hardhearted.
TEXT 8
TEXT
saudarya-samprasna-samartha-vartaya
matra ca matr-svasrbhis ca sadaram
dattam saparyam varam asanam ca sa
nadatta pitrapratinandita sati
SYNONYMS
saudarya--of her sisters; samprasna--with the greetings; samartha--proper; vartaya--tidings; matra--by her mother; ca--and; matr-svasrbhih--by her aunts; ca--and; sa-adaram--along with respect; dattam--which was offered; saparyam--worship, adoration; varam--presents; asanam--a seat; ca--and; sa--she (Sati); na adatta--did not accept; pitra--by her father; apratinandita--not being welcomed; sati--Sati.
TRANSLATION
Although she was received by her sisters and mother, she did not reply to their words of reception, and although she was offered a seat and presents, she did not accept anything, for her father neither talked with her nor welcomed her by asking about her welfare.
PURPORT
Sati did not accept the greetings offered by her sisters and mother, for she was not at all satisfied by her father's silence. Sati was the youngest child of Daksa, and she knew that she was his pet. But now, because of her association with Lord Siva, Daksa forgot all his affection for his daughter, and this very much aggrieved her. The material bodily conception is so polluted that even upon slight provocation all our relationships of love and affection are nullified. Bodily relationships are so transient that even though one is affectionate towards someone in a bodily relationship, a slight provocation terminates this intimacy.
TEXT 9
TEXT
arudra-bhagam tam aveksya cadhvaram
pitra ca deve krta-helanam vibhau
anadrta yajna-sadasy adhisvari
cukopa lokan iva dhaksyati rusa
SYNONYMS
arudra-bhagam--having no oblations for Lord Siva; tam--that; aveksya--seeing; ca--and; adhvaram--place of sacrifice; pitra--by her father; ca--and; deve--to Lord Siva; krta-helanam--contempt having been shown; vibhau--to the lord; anadrta--not being received; yajna-sadasi--in the assembly of the sacrifice; adhisvari--Sati; cukopa--became greatly angry; lokan--the fourteen worlds; iva--as if; dhaksyati--burning; rusa--with anger.
TRANSLATION
Present in the arena of sacrifice, Sati saw that there were no oblations for her husband, Lord Siva. Next she realized that not only had her father failed to invite Lord Siva, but when he saw Lord Siva's exalted wife, Daksa did not receive her either. Thus she became greatly angry, so much so that she looked at her father as if she were going to burn him with her eyes.
PURPORT
By offering oblations in the fire while chanting the Vedic mantra svaha, one offers respect to all the demigods, great sages and Pitas, including Lord Brahma, Lord Siva and Lord Visnu. It is customary that Siva is one of those who are offered respects, but Sati, while personally present in the arena, saw that the brahmanas did not utter the mantra offering oblations to Lord Siva, namah sivaya svaha. She was not sorry for herself, for she was ready to come to her father's house without being invited, but she wanted to see whether or not her husband was being respected. To see her relatives, her sisters and mother, was not so important; even when she was received by her mother and sisters she did not care, for she was most concerned that her husband was being insulted in the sacrifice. When she marked the insult, she became greatly angry, and she looked at her father so angrily that Daksa appeared to burn in her vision.
TEXT 10
TEXT
jagarha samarsa-vipannaya gira
siva-dvisam dhuma-patha-srama-smayam
sva-tejasa bhuta-ganan samutthitan
nigrhya devi jagato 'bhisrnvatah
SYNONYMS
jagarha--began to condemn; sa--she; amarsa-vipannaya--indistinct through anger; gira--with words; siva-dvisam--the enemy of Lord Siva; dhuma-patha--in sacrifices; srama--by troubles; smayam--very proud; sva-tejasa--by her order; bhuta-ganan--the ghosts; samutthitan--ready (to injure Daksa); nigrhya--stopped; devi--Sati; jagatah--in the presence of all; abhisrnvatah--being heard.
TRANSLATION
The followers of Lord Siva, the ghosts, were ready to injure or kill Daksa, but Sati stopped them by her order. She was very angry and sorrowful, and in that mood she began to condemn the process of sacrificial fruitive activities and persons who are very proud of such unnecessary and troublesome sacrifices. She especially condemned her father, speaking against him in the presence of all.
PURPORT
The process of offering sacrifices is especially meant to satisfy Visnu, who is called Yajnesa because He is the enjoyer of the fruits of all sacrifice. Bhagavad-gita (5.29) also confirms this fact. The Lord says, bhoktaram yajna-tapasam. He is the actual beneficiary of all sacrifices. Not knowing this fact, less intelligent men offer sacrifices for some material benefit. To derive personal material benefits for sense gratification is the reason persons like Daksa and his followers perform sacrifices. Such sacrifices are condemned here as a labor of love without actual profit. This is confirmed in Srimad-Bhagavatam. One may prosecute the Vedic injunctions of offering sacrifices and other fruitive activities, but if by such activities one does not develop attraction for Visnu, they are useless labors. One who has developed love for Visnu must develop love and respect for Visnu's devotees. Lord Siva is considered the foremost personality amongst the Vaisnavas. Vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Thus when Sati saw that her father was performing great sacrifices but had no respect for the greatest devotee, Lord Siva, she was very angry. This is fitting; when Visnu or a Vaisnava is insulted, one should be angry. Lord Caitanya, who always preached nonviolence, meekness and humility, also became angry when Nityananda was offended by Jagai and Madhai, and He wanted to kill them. When Visnu or a Vaisnava is blasphemed or dishonored, one should be very angry. Narottama dasa Thakura said, krodha bhakta-dvesi jane. We have anger, and that anger can be a great quality when directed against a person who is envious of the Supreme Personality of Godhead or His devotee. One should not be tolerant when a person is offensive towards Visnu or a Vaisnava. The anger of Sati towards her father was not objectionable, for although he was her father, he was trying to insult the greatest Vaisnava. Thus Sati's anger against her father was quite applaudable.
TEXT 11
TEXT
devy uvaca
na yasya loke 'sty atisayanah priyas
tathapriyo deha-bhrtam priyatmanah
tasmin samastatmani mukta-vairake
rte bhavantam katamah pratipayet
SYNONYMS
devi uvaca--the blessed goddess said; na--not; yasya--of whom; loke--in the material world; asti--is; atisayanah--having no rival; priyah--dear; tatha--so; apriyah--enemy; deha-bhrtam--bearing material bodies; priya-atmanah--who is the most beloved; tasmin--towards Lord Siva; samasta-atmani--the universal being; mukta-vairake--who is free from all enmity; rte--except; bhavantam--for you; katamah--who; pratipayet--would be envious.
TRANSLATION
The blessed goddess said: Lord Siva is the most beloved of all living entities. He has no rival. No one is very dear to him, and no one is his enemy. No one but you could be envious of such a universal being, who is free from all enmity.
PURPORT
In Bhagavad-gita (9.29) the Lord says, samo'ham sarva-bhutesu: "I am equal to all living entities." Similarly, Lord Siva is a qualitative incarnation of the Supreme personality of Godhead, so he has almost the same qualities as the Supreme Lord. Therefore he is equal to everyone; no one is his enemy, and no one is his friend, but one who is envious by nature can become the enemy of Lord Siva. Therefore Sati accused her father, "No one but you could be envious of Lord Siva or be his enemy." Other sages and learned brahmanas were present, but they were not envious of Lord Siva, although they were all dependent on Daksa. Therefore no one but Daksa could be envious of Lord Siva. That was the accusation of Sati.
TEXT 12
TEXT
dosan paresam hi gunesu sadhavo
grhnanti kecin na bhavadrso dvija
gunams ca phalgun bahuli-karisnavo
mahattamas tesv avidad bhavan agham
SYNONYMS
dosan--faults; paresam--of others; hi--for; gunesu--in the qualities; sadhavah--sadhus; grhnanti--find; kecit--some; na--not; bhavadrsah--like you; dvija--O twice-born; gunan--qualities; ca--and; phalgun--small; bahuli-karisnavah--greatly magnifies; mahat-tamah--the greatest persons; tesu--among them; avidat--find; bhavan--you; agham--the fault.
TRANSLATION
Twice-born Daksa, a man like you can simply find fault in the qualities of others. Lord Siva, however, not only finds no faults with others' qualities, but if someone has a little good quality, he magnifies it greatly. Unfortunately, you have found fault with such a great soul.
PURPORT
King Daksa is addressed here by his daughter Sati as dvija, twice-born. Twice-born refers to the higher classes of men, namely the brahmanas, ksatriyas and vaisyas. ln other words, a dvija is not an ordinary man but one who has studied the Vedic literature from a spiritual master and can discriminate between good and bad. Therefore it is supposed that he understands logic and philosophy. Sati, Daksa's daughter, put before him sound arguments. There are some highly qualified persons who accept only the good qualities of others. Just as a bee is always interested in the honey in the flower and does not consider the thorns and colors, highly qualified persons, who are uncommon, accept only the good qualities of others, not considering their bad qualities, whereas the common man can judge what are good qualities and what are bad qualities.
Among the uncommonly good souls there are still gradations, and the best good soul is one who accepts an insignificant asset of a person and magnifies that good quality. Lord Siva is also called Asutosa, which refers to one who is satisfied very easily and who offers to any person the highest level of benediction. For example, once a devotee of Lord Siva wanted the benediction that whenever he touched someone on the head, that person's head would at once be separated from his trunk. Lord Siva agreed. Although the benediction asked was not very commendable because the devotee wanted to kill his enemy, Lord Siva considered the devotee's good quality in worshiping and satisfying him and granted the benediction. Thus Lord Siva accepted his bad qualities as magnificently good qualities. But Sati accused her father, "You are just the opposite. Although Lord Siva has so many good qualities and no bad qualities at all, you have accepted him as bad and found fault with him. Because of your accepting his good qualities to be bad, instead of your becoming the most exalted soul you have become the most fallen. A man becomes the greatest soul by accepting the goodness of others' qualities, but by unnecessarily considering others' good qualities to be bad, you have become the lowest of the fallen souls."
TEXT 13
TEXT
nascaryam etad yad asatsu sarvada
mahad-vininda kunapatma-vadisu
sersyam mahapurusa-pada-pamsubhir
nirasta-tejahsu tad eva sobhanam
SYNONYMS
na--not; ascaryam--wonderful; etat--this; yat--which; asatsu--evil; sarvada--always; mahat-vininda--the deriding of great souls; kunapa-atma-vadisu--among those who have accepted the dead body as the self; sa-irsyam--envy; maha-purusa--of great personalities; pada-pamsubhih--by the dust of the feet; nirasta-tejahsu--whose glory is diminished; tat--that; eva--certainly; sobhanam--very good.
TRANSLATION
It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient material body as the self to engage always in deriding great souls. Such envy on the part of materialistic persons is very good because that is the way they fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities.
PURPORT
Everything depends on the strength of the recipient. For example, due to the scorching sunshine many vegetables and flowers dry up, and many grow luxuriantly. Thus it is the recipient that causes growth and dwindling. Similarly, mahiyasam pada-rajo-'bhisekam: the dust of the lotus feet of great personalities offers all good to the recipient, but the same dust can also do harm. Those who are offenders at the lotus feet of a great personality dry up; their godly qualities diminish. A great soul may forgive offenses, but Krsna does not excuse offenses to the dust of that great soul's feet, just as one can tolerate the scorching sunshine on one's head but cannot tolerate the scorching sunshine on one's feet. An offender glides down more and more; therefore he naturally continues to commit offenses at the feet of the great soul. Offenses are generally committed by persons who falsely identify with the impermanent body. King Daksa was deeply engrossed in a misconception because he identified the body with the soul. He offended the lotus feet of Lord Siva because he thought that his body, being the father of the body of Sati, was superior to Lord Siva's. Generally, less intelligent men misidentify in that way, and they act in the bodily concept of life. Thus they are subject to commit more and more offenses at the lotus feet of great souls. One who has such a concept of life is considered to be in the class of animals like cows and asses.
TEXT 14
TEXT
yad dvy-aksaram nama gireritam nrnam
sakrt prasangad agham asu hanti tat
pavitra-kirtim tam alanghya-sasanam
bhavan aho dvesti sivam sivetarah
SYNONYMS
yat--which; dvi-aksaram--consisting of two letters; nama--named; gira iritam--merely being pronounced by the tongue; nrnam--persons; sakrt--once; prasangat--from the heart; agham--sinful activities; asu--immediately; hanti--destroys; tat--that; pavitra-kirtim--whose fame is pure; tam--him; alanghya-sasanam--whose order is never neglected; bhavan--you; aho--oh; dvesti--envy; sivam--Lord Siva; siva-itarah--who are inauspicious.
TRANSLATION
Sati continued: My dear father, you are committing the greatest offense by envying Lord Siva, whose very name, consisting of two syllables, si and va, purifies one of all sinful activities. His order is never neglected. Lord Siva is always pure, and no one but you envies him.
PURPORT
Since Lord Siva is the greatest soul among the living entities within this material world, his name, Siva, is very auspicious for persons who identify the body with the soul. If such persons take shelter of Lord Siva, gradually they will understand that they are not the material body but are spirit soul. Siva means mangala, or auspicious. Within the body the soul is auspicious. Aham brahmasmi: "I am Brahman." This realization is auspicious. As long as one does not realize his identity as the soul, whatever he does is inauspicious. Siva means "auspicious," and devotees of Lord Siva gradually come to the platform of spiritual identification, but that is not all. Auspicious life begins from the point of spiritual identification. But there are still more duties--one has to understand one's relationship with the Supreme Soul. If one is actually a devotee of Lord Siva, he comes to the platform of spiritual realization, but if he is not intelligent enough, then he stops at that point, only realizing that he is spirit soul (aham brahmasmi). If he is intelligent enough, however, he should continue to act in the way of Lord Siva, for Lord Siva is always absorbed in the thought of Vasudeva. As previously explained, sattvam visuddham vasudeva-sabditam: Lord Siva is always in meditation on the lotus feet of Vasudeva, Sri Krsna. Thus the auspicious position of Lord Siva is realized if one takes to the worship of Visnu, because Lord Siva says in the Siva purana that the topmost worship is worship of Lord Visnu. Lord Siva is worshiped because he is the greatest devotee of Lord Visnu. One should not, however, make the mistake of considering Lord Siva and Lord Visnu to be on the same level. That is also an atheistic idea. It is also enjoined in the Vaisnaviya Purana that Visnu, or Narayana, is the exalted Supreme Personality of Godhead, and no one should be compared to Him as equal, even Lord Siva or Lord Brahma, not to speak of other demigods.
TEXT 15
TEXT
yat-pada-padmam mahatam mano-'libhir
nisevitam brahma-rasasavarthibhih
lokasya yad varsati casiso 'rthinas
tasmai bhavan druhyati visva-bandhave
SYNONYMS
yat-pada-padmam--the lotus feet of whom; mahatam--of the higher personalities; manah-alibhih--by the bees of the mind; nisevitam--being engaged at; brahma-rasa--of transcendental bliss (brahmananda); asava-arthibhih--seeking the nectar; lokasya--of the common man; yat--which; varsati--he fulfills; ca--and; asisah--desires; arthinah--seeking; tasmai--towards him (Lord Siva); bhavan--you; druhyati--are envious; visva-bandhave--unto the friend of all living entities within the three worlds.
TRANSLATION
You are envious of Lord Siva, who is the friend of all living entities within the three worlds. For the common man he fulfills all desires, and because of their engagement in thinking of his lotus feet, he also blesses higher personalities who are seeking after brahmananda [transcendental bliss].
PURPORT
Ordinarily there are two classes of men. One class, who are grossly materialistic, want material prosperity, and their desires are fulfilled if they worship Lord Siva. Lord Siva, being very quickly satisfied, satisfies the material desires of the common man very quickly; therefore it is seen that ordinary men are very much apt to worship him. Next, those who are disgusted or frustrated with the materialistic way of life worship Lord Siva to attain salvation, which entails freedom from material identification. One who understands that he is not the material body but is spirit soul is liberated from ignorance. Lord Siva also offers that facility. People generally practice religion for economic development, to get some money, for by getting money they can satisfy their senses. But when they are frustrated they want spiritual brahmananda, or merging into the Supreme. These four principles of material life--religion, economic development, sense gratification and liberation--exist, and Lord Siva is the friend of both the ordinary man and the man who is elevated in spiritual knowledge. Thus it was not good for Daksa to create enmity towards him. Even Vaisnavas, who are above both the ordinary and the elevated men in this world, also worship Lord Siva as the greatest Vaisnava. Thus he is the friend of everyone--the common men, the elevated men and the devotees of the Lord--so no one should disrespect or create enmity towards Lord Siva.
TEXT 16
TEXT
kim va sivakhyam asivam na vidus tvad anye
brahmadayas tam avakirya jatah smasane
tan-malya-bhasma-nrkapaly avasat pisacair
ye murdhabhir dadhati tac-caranavasrstam
SYNONYMS
kim va--whether; siva-akhyam--named Siva; asivam--inauspicious; na viduh--do not know; tvat anye--other than you; brahma-adayah--Brahma and others; tam--him (Lord Siva); avakirya--scattered; jatah--having twisted hair; smasane--in the crematorium; tat-malya-bhasma-nr-kapali--who is garlanded with human skulls and smeared with ashes; avasat--associated; pisacaih--with demons; ye--who; murdhabhih--with the head; dadhati--place; tat-carana-avasrstam--fallen from his lotus feet.
TRANSLATION
Do you think that greater, more respectable personalities than you, such as Lord Brahma, do not know this inauspicious person who goes under the name Lord Siva? He associates with the demons in the crematorium, his locks of hair are scattered all over his body, he is garlanded with human skulls and smeared with ashes from the crematorium, but in spite of all these inauspicious qualities, great personalities like Brahma honor him by accepting the flowers offered to his lotus feet and placing them with great respect on their heads.
PURPORT
It is useless to condemn a great personality like Lord Siva, and this is being stated by his wife, Sati, to establish the supremacy of her husband. First she said, "You call Lord Siva inauspicious because he associates with demons in crematoriums, covers his body with the ashes of the dead, and garlands himself with the skulls of human beings. You have shown so many defects, but you do not know that his position is always transcendental. Although he appears inauspicious, why do personalities like Brahma respect the dust of his lotus feet and place on their heads with great respect those very garlands which are condemned by you?" Since Sati was a chaste woman and the wife of Lord Siva, it was her duty to establish the elevated position of Lord Siva, not only by sentiment but by facts. Lord Siva is not an ordinary living entity. This is the conclusion of Vedic scripture. He is neither on the level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor on the level of the ordinary living entities. Brahma is in almost all cases an ordinary living entity. Sometimes, when there is no ordinary living entity available, the post of Brahma is occupied by an expansion of Lord Visnu, but generally this post is occupied by a greatly pious living entity within this universe. Thus Lord Siva's position is constitutionally higher than that of Lord Brahma, although Lord Siva appeared as the son of Brahma. Here it is mentioned that even personalities like Brahma accept the so-called inauspicious flowers and the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Siva. Great sages like Marici, Atri, Bhrgu and the others among the nine great sages who are descendants of Brahma also respect Lord Siva in such a way because they all know that Lord Siva is not an ordinary living entity.
In many Puranas it is sometimes asserted that a demigod is elevated to such a high position that he is almost on an equal level with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the conclusion that Lord Visnu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed in every scripture. Lord Siva is described in the Brahma-samhita to be like curd or yogurt. Curd is not different from milk. Since milk is transformed into curd, in one sense curd is also milk. Similarly, Lord Siva is in one sense the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in another sense he is not, just as curd is milk although we have to distinguish between the two. These descriptions are in the Vedic literature. Whenever we find that a demigod occupies a position apparently more elevated than that of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is just to draw the devotee's attention to that particular demigod. It is also stated in the Bhagavad-gita (9.25) that if one wants to worship a particular demigod, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sitting in everyone's heart, gives one greater and greater attachment for that demigod so that one may be elevated to the demigod's abode. Yanti deva-vrata devan. By worshiping demigods one can elevate himself to the abodes of the demigods; similarly, by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead one can be elevated to the spiritual kingdom. This is stated in different places in Vedic literature. Here Lord Siva is praised by Sati, partially due to her personal respect for Lord Siva, since he is her husband, and partially due to his exalted position, which exceeds that of ordinary living entities, even Lord Brahma.
The position of Lord Siva is accepted by Lord Brahma, so Daksa, Sati's father, should also recognize him. That was the point of Sati's statement. She did not actually come to her father's house to participate in the function, although before coming she pleaded with her husband that she wanted to see her sisters and her mother. That was a plea only, for actually at heart she maintained the idea that she would convince her father, Daksa, that it was useless to continue being envious of Lord Siva. That was her main purpose. When she was unable to convince her father, she gave up the body he had given her, as will be seen in the following verses.
TEXT 17
TEXT
karnau pidhaya nirayad yad akalpa ise
dharmavitary asrnibhir nrbhir asyamane
chindyat prasahya rusatim asatim prabhus cej
jihvam asun api tato visrjet sa dharmah
SYNONYMS
karnau--both ears; pidhaya--blocking; nirayat--one should go away; yat--if; akalpah--unable; ise--the master; dharma-avitari--the controller of religion; asrnibhih--by irresponsible; nrbhih--persons; asyamane--being blasphemed; chindyat--he should cut; prasahya--by force; rusatim--vilifying; asatim--of the blasphemer; prabhuh--one is able; cet--if; jihvam--tongue; asun--(his own) life; api--certainly; tatah--then; visrjet--should give up; sah--that; dharmah--is the process.
TRANSLATION
Sati continued: If one hears an irresponsible person blaspheme the master and controller of religion, one should block his ears and go away if unable to punish him. But if one is able to kill, then one should by force cut out the blasphemer's tongue and kill the offender, and after that one should give up his own life.
PURPORT
The argument offered by Sati is that a person who vilifies a great personality is the lowest of all creatures. But, by the same argument, Daksa could also defend himself by saying that since he was a Prajapati, the master of many living creatures and one of the great officers of the great universal affairs, his position was so exalted that Sati should accept his good qualities instead of vilifying him. The answer to that argument is that Sati was not vilifying but defending. If possible she should have cut out Daksa's tongue because he blasphemed Lord Siva. In other words, since Lord Siva is the protector of religion, a person who vilifies him should be killed at once, and after killing such a person, one should give up one's life. That is the process, but because Daksa happened to be the father of Sati, she decided not to kill him but to give up her own life in order to compensate for the great sin she had committed by hearing blasphemy of Lord Siva. The instruction set forth here in Srimad-Bhagavatam is that one should not tolerate at any cost the activities of a person who vilifies or blasphemes an authority. If one is a brahmana he should not give up his body because by doing so he would be responsible for killing a brahmana; therefore a brahmana should leave the place or block his ears so that he will not hear the blasphemy. If one happens to be a ksatriya he has the power to punish any man; therefore a ksatriya should at once cut out the tongue of the vilifier and kill him. But as far as the vaisyas and sudras are concerned, they should immediately give up their bodies. Sati decided to give up her body because she thought herself to be among the sudras and vaisyas. As stated in Bhagavad-gita (9.32), striyo vaisyas tatha sudrah. Women, laborers and the mercantile class are on the same level. Thus since it is recommended that vaisyas and sudras should immediately give up their bodies upon hearing blasphemy of an exalted person like Lord Siva, she decided to give up her life.
TEXT 18
TEXT
atas tavotpannam idam kalevaram
na dharayisye siti-kantha-garhinah
jagdhasya mohad dhi visuddhim andhaso
jugupsitasyoddharanam pracaksate
SYNONYMS
atah--therefore; tava--from you; utpannam--received; idam--this; kalevaram--body; na dharayisye--I shall not bear; siti-kantha-garhinah--who have blasphemed Lord Siva; jagdhasya--which has been eaten; mohat--by mistake; hi--because; visuddhim--the purification; andhasah--of food; jugupsitasya--poisonous; uddharanam--vomiting; pracaksate--declare.
TRANSLATION
Therefore I shall no longer bear this unworthy body, which has been received from you, who have blasphemed Lord Siva. If someone has taken food which is poisonous, the best treatment is to vomit.
PURPORT
Since Sati was the representation of the external potency of the Lord, it was in her power to vanquish many universes, including many Daksas, but in order to save her husband from the charge that he employed his wife, Sati, to kill Daksa because he could not do so due to his inferior position, she decided to give up her body.
TEXT 19
TEXT
na veda-vadan anuvartate matih
sva eva loke ramato maha-muneh
yatha gatir deva-manusyayoh prthak
sva eva dharme na param ksipet sthitah
SYNONYMS
na--not; veda-vadan--rules and regulations of the Vedas; anuvartate--follow; matih--the mind; sve--in his own; eva--certainly; loke--in the self; ramatah--enjoying; maha-muneh--of elevated transcendentalists; yatha--as; gatih--the way; deva-manusyayoh--of the men and the demigods; prthak--separately; sve--in your own; eva--alone; dharme--occupational duty; na--not; param--another; ksipet--should criticize; sthitah--being situated.
TRANSLATION
It is better to execute one's own occupational duty than to criticize others'. Elevated transcendentalists may sometimes forgo the rules and regulations of the Vedas, since they do not need to follow them, just as the demigods travel in space whereas ordinary men travel on the surface of the earth.
PURPORT
The behavior of the most elevated transcendentalist and that of the most fallen conditioned soul appears to be the same. The elevated transcendentalist can surpass all the regulations of the Vedas, just as the demigods traveling in space surpass all the jungles and rocks on the surface of the globe, although a common man, who has no such ability to travel in space, has to face all those impediments. Although the most dear Lord Siva appears not to observe all the rules and regulations of the Vedas, he is not affected by such disobedience, but a common man who wants to imitate Lord Siva is mistaken. A common man must observe all the rules and regulations of the Vedas which a person who is in the transcendental position does not need to observe. Daksa found fault with Lord Siva for not observing all the strict rules and regulations of the Vedas, but Sati asserted that he had no need to observe such rules. It is said that for one who is powerful like the sun or the fire, there is no consideration of purity or impurity. The sunshine can sterilize an impure place, whereas if someone else were to pass such a place he would be affected. One should not try to imitate Lord Siva; rather, one should strictly follow one's prescribed occupational duties. One should never vilify a great personality like Lord Siva.
TEXT 20
TEXT
karma pravrttam ca nivrttam apy rtam
vede vivicyobhaya-lingam asritam
virodhi tad yaugapadaika-kartari
dvayam tatha brahmani karma narcchati
SYNONYMS
karma--activities; pravrttam--attached to material enjoyment; ca--and; nivrttam--materially detached; api--certainly; rtam--true; vede--in the Vedas; vivicya--distinguished; ubhaya-lingam--symptoms of both; asritam--directed; virodhi--contradictory; tat--that; yaugapada-eka-kartari--both activities in one person; dvayam--two; tatha--so; brahmani--in one who is transcendentally situated; karma--activities; na rcchati--are neglected.
TRANSLATION
In the Vedas there are directions for two kinds of activities--activities for those who are attached to material enjoyment and activities for those who are materially detached. In consideration of these two kinds of activities, there are two kinds of people, who have different symptoms. If one wants to see two kinds of activities in one person, that is contradictory. But both kinds of activities may be neglected by a person who is transcendentally situated.
PURPORT
The Vedic activities are so designed that the conditioned soul who has come to enjoy the material world may do so under direction so that at the end he becomes detached from such material enjoyment and is eligible to enter into the transcendental position. The four different social orders--brahmacarya, grhastha, vanaprastha and sannyasa--gradually train a person to come to the platform of transcendental life. The activities and dress of a grhastha, or householder, are different from those of a sannyasi, one in the renounced order of life. lt is impossible for one person to adopt both orders. A sannyasi cannot act like a householder, nor can a householder act like a sannyasi, but above these two kinds of persons, one who engages in material activities and one who has renounced material activities, there is the person who is transcendental to both. Lord Siva is in the transcendental position because, as stated before, he is always absorbed in the thought of Lord Vasudeva within himself. Therefore neither the activities of the grhastha nor those of the sannyasi in the renounced order can be applicable for him. He is in the paramahamsa stage, the highest perfectional stage of life. The transcendental position of Lord Siva is also explained in Bhagavad-gita (2.52-53). It is stated there that when one fully engages in the transcendental service of the Lord by performing activities without fruitive results, one is elevated to the transcendental position. At that time he has no obligation to follow the Vedic injunctions or the different rules and regulations of the Vedas. When one is above the directions of the Vedic ritualistic injunctions for attaining different allurements and is fully absorbed in transcendental thought, which means thought of the Supreme Personality of Godhead in devotional service, one is in the position called buddhi-yoga, or samadhi, ecstasy. For a person who has attained this stage, neither the Vedic activities for realizing material enjoyment nor those for renunciation are applicable.
TEXT 21
TEXT
ma vah padavyah pitar asmad-asthita
ya yajna-salasu na dhuma-vartmabhih
tad-anna-trptair asu-bhrdbhir idita
avyakta-linga avadhuta-sevitah
SYNONYMS
ma--are not; vah--yours; padavyah--opulences; pitah--O father; asmat-asthitah--possessed by us; yah--which (opulences); yajna-salasu--in the sacrificial fire; na--not; dhuma-vartmabhih--by the path of sacrifices; tat-anna-trptaih--satisfied by the foodstuff of the sacrifice; asu-bhrdbhih--satisfying bodily necessities; iditah--praised; avyakta-lingah--whose cause is unmanifested; avadhuta-sevitah--achieved by the self-realized souls.
TRANSLATION
My dear father, the opulence we possess is impossible for either you or your flatterers to imagine, for persons who engage in fruitive activities by performing great sacrifices are concerned with satisfying their bodily necessities by eating foodstuff offered as a sacrifice. We can exhibit our opulences simply by desiring to do so. This can be achieved only by great personalities who are renounced, self-realized souls.
PURPORT
Sati's father was under the impression that he was exalted in both prestige and opulence and that he had offered his daughter to a person who was not only poor but devoid of all culture. Her father might have been thinking that although she was a chaste woman, greatly adherent to her husband, her husband was in a deplorable condition. To counteract such thoughts, Sati said that the opulence possessed by her husband could not be understood by materialistic persons like Daksa and his followers, who were flatterers and were engaged in fruitive activities. Her husband's position was different. He possessed all opulences, but he did not like to exhibit them. Therefore such opulences are called avyakta, or unmanifested. But if required, simply by willing, Lord Siva can show his wonderful opulences, and such an event is predicted here, for it would soon occur. The opulence Lord Siva possesses is enjoyable in renunciation and love of God, not in material exhibition of sense gratificatory methods. Such opulences are possessed by personalities like the Kumaras, Narada and Lord Siva, not by others.
In this verse the performers of the Vedic rituals are condemned. They have been described here as dhuma-vartmabhih, those who maintain themselves on the remnants of sacrificial foodstuff. There are two kinds of foodstuff offered in sacrifice. One kind is food offered in fruitive ritualistic sacrifices, and the other, the best, is food offered to Visnu. Although in all cases Visnu is the chief Deity on the sacrificial altar, the performers of fruitive rituals aim to satisfy various demigods to achieve in return some material prosperity. Real sacrifice, however, is to satisfy Lord Visnu, and the remnants of such sacrifices are beneficial for advancement in devotional service. The process of elevation by performing sacrifices other than those aimed at Visnu is very slow, and therefore it has been condemned in this verse. Visvanatha Cakravarti has described the ritualistic performers to be like crows because crows delight in eating the remnants of food which has been thrown into the dustbin. All the brahmanas who were present for the sacrifice were also condemned by Sati.
Whether or not King Daksa and his flatterers could understand the position of Lord Siva, Sati wanted to impress upon her father that he should not think her husband to be without opulence. Sati, being the devoted wife of Lord Siva, offers all kinds of material opulences to the worshipers of Lord Siva. This fact is explained in the Srimad-Bhagavatam, in the Tenth Canto. Lord Siva's worshipers sometimes appear more opulent than the worshipers of Lord Visnu because Durga, or Sati, being the superintendent in charge of material affairs, can offer all material opulences to the worshipers of Lord Siva in order to glorify her husband, whereas the worshipers of Visnu are meant for spiritual elevation, and therefore their material opulence is sometimes found to decrease. These points are very nicely discussed in the Tenth Canto.
TEXT 22
TEXT
naitena dehena hare krtagaso
dehodbhavenalam alam kujanmana
vrida mamabhut kujana-prasangatas
taj janma dhig yo mahatam avadya-krt
SYNONYMS
na--not; etena--by this; dehena--by the body; hare--to Lord Siva; krta-agasah--having committed offenses; deha-udbhavena--produced from your body; alam alam--enough, enough; ku-janmana--with a contemptible birth; vrida--shame; mama--my; abhut--was; ku-jana-prasangatah--from a relationship with a bad person; tat janma--that birth; dhik--shameful; yah--who; mahatam--of the great personalities; avadya-krt--an offender.
TRANSLATION
You are an offender at the lotus feet of Lord Siva, and unfortunately I have a body produced from yours. I am very much ashamed of our bodily relationship, and I condemn myself because my body is contaminated by a relationship with a person who is an offender at the lotus feet of the greatest personality.
PURPORT
Lord Siva is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Visnu. It is stated, vaisnavanam yatha sambhuh. Sambhu, Lord Siva, is the greatest of all devotees of Lord Visnu. In the previous verses, Sati has described that Lord Siva is always in a transcendental position because he is situated in pure vasudeva. Vasudeva is that state from which Krsna, Vasudeva, is born, so Lord Siva is the greatest devotee of Lord Krsna, and Sati's behavior is exemplary because no one should tolerate blasphemy against Lord Visnu or His devotee. Sati is aggrieved not for her personal association with Lord Siva but because her body is related with that of Daksa, who is an offender at Lord Siva's lotus feet. She feels herself to be condemned because of the body given by her father, Daksa.
TEXT 23
TEXT
gotram tvadiyam bhagavan vrsadhvajo
daksayanity aha yada sudurmanah
vyapeta-narma-smitam asu tadaham
vyutsraksya etat kunapam tvad-angajam
SYNONYMS
gotram--family relationship; tvadiyam--your; bhagavan--the possessor of all opulences; vrsadhvajah--Lord Siva; daksayani--Daksayani (the daughter of Daksa); iti--thus; aha--calls; yada--when; sudurmanah--very morose; vyapeta--disappear; narma-smitam--my jolliness and smile; asu--immediately; tada--then; aham--I; vyutsraksye--I shall give up; etat--this (body); kunapam--dead body; tvat-anga-jam--produced from your body.
TRANSLATION
Because of our family relationship, when Lord Siva addresses me as Daksayani I at once become morose, and my jolliness and my smile at once disappear. I feel very much sorry that my body, which is just like a bag, has been produced by you. I shall therefore give it up.
PURPORT
The word daksayani means "the daughter of King Daksa." Sometimes, when there was relaxed conversation between husband and wife, Lord Siva used to call Sati "the daughter of King Daksa," and because this very word reminded her about her family relationship with King Daksa, she at once became ashamed because Daksa was an incarnation of all offenses. Daksa was the embodiment of envy, for he unnecessarily blasphemed a great personality, Lord Siva. Simply upon hearing the word daksayani, she felt afflicted because of reference to the context because her body was the symbol of all the offensiveness with which Daksa was endowed. Since her body was constantly a source of unhappiness, she decided to give it up.
TEXT 24
TEXT
maitreya uvaca
ity adhvare daksam anudya satru-han
ksitav udicim nisasada santa-vak
sprstva jalam pita-dukula-samvrta
nimilya drg yoga-patham samavisat
SYNONYMS
maitreyah uvaca--Maitreya said; iti--thus; adhvare--in the arena of sacrifice; daksam--to Daksa; anudya--speaking; satru-han--O annihilator of enemies; ksitau--on the ground; udicim--facing north; nisasada--sat down; santa-vak--in silence; sprstva--after touching; jalam--water; pita-dukula-samvrta--dressed in yellow garments; nimilya--closing; drk--the vision; yoga-patham--the mystic yoga process; samavisat--became absorbed.
TRANSLATION
Maitreya the sage told Vidura: O annihilator of enemies, while thus speaking to her father in the arena of sacrifice, Sati sat down on the ground and faced north. Dressed in saffron garments, she sanctified herself with water and closed her eyes to absorb herself in the process of mystic yoga.
PURPORT
It is said that when a man desires to quit his body he dresses in saffron garments. Therefore it appears that Sati changed her dress, indicating that she was going to quit the body given her by Daksa. Daksa was Sati's father, so instead of killing Daksa she decided that it would be better to destroy the part of his body which was hers. Thus she decided to give up the body of Daksa by the yogic process. Sati was the wife of Lord Siva, who is known as Yogesvara, the best among all yogis, because he knows all the mystic processes of yoga, so it appeared that Sati also knew them. Either she learned yoga from her husband or she was enlightened because she was the daughter of such a great king as Daksa. The perfection of yoga is that one can give up one's body or release oneself from the embodiment of material elements according to one's desire. Yogis who have attained perfection are not subject to death by natural laws; such perfect yogis can leave the body whenever they desire. Generally the yogi first of all becomes mature in controlling the air passing within the body, thus bringing the soul to the top of the brain. Then when the body bursts into flames, the yogi can go anywhere he likes. This yoga system recognizes the soul, and thus it is distinct from the so-called yoga process for controlling the cells of the body, which has been discovered in the modern age. The real yoga process accepts the transmigration of the soul from one planet to another or one body to another; and it appears from this incident that Sati wanted to transfer her soul to another body or sphere.
TEXT 25
TEXT
krtva samanav anilau jitasana
sodanam utthapya ca nabhi-cakratah
sanair hrdi sthapya dhiyorasi sthitam
kanthad bhruvor madhyam aninditanayat
SYNONYMS
krtva--after placing; samanau--in equilibrium; anilau--the prana and apana airs; jita-asana--having controlled the sitting posture; sa--Sati; udanam--the life air; utthapya--raising; ca--and; nabhi-cakratah--at the circle in the navel; sanaih--gradually; hrdi--in the heart; sthapya--placing; dhiya--with the intelligence; urasi--towards the pulmonary passage; sthitam--having been placed; kanthat--through the throat; bhruvoh--of the eyebrows; madhyam--to the middle; anindita--the blameless (Sati); anayat--raised.
TRANSLATION
First of all she sat in the required sitting posture, and then she carried the life air upwards and placed it in the position of equilibrium near the navel. Then she raised her life air, mixed with intelligence, to the heart and then gradually towards the pulmonary passage and from there to between her eyebrows.
PURPORT
The yogic process is to control the air passing within the body in different places called sat-cakra, the six circles of air circulation. The air is raised from the abdomen to the navel, from the navel to the heart, from the heart to the throat, from the throat to between the eyebrows and from between the eyebrows to the top of the cerebrum. That is the sum and substance of practicing yoga. Before practicing the real yoga system, one has to practice the sitting postures because this helps in the breathing exercises which control the airs going upwards and downwards. This is a great technique which one has to practice to attain the highest perfectional stage of yoga, but such practice is not meant for this age. No one in this age can attain the perfectional stage of such yoga, but people indulge in practicing sitting postures, which is more or less a gymnastic process. By such bodily gymnastics one may develop good circulation and may therefore keep one's body fit, but if one simply restricts oneself to that gymnastic process one cannot attain the highest perfectional stage. The yoga process, as described in the Kesava-sruti, prescribes how one can control his living force according to his desire and transmigrate from one body to another or from one place to another. In other words, yoga practice is not meant to keep the body fit. Any transcendental process of spiritual realization automatically helps one to keep the body fit, for it is the spirit soul that keeps the body always fresh. As soon as the spirit soul is out of the body, the material body immediately begins to decompose. Any spiritual process keeps the body fit without separate endeavor, but if one takes it that the ultimate aim of yoga is to maintain the body, then he is mistaken. The real perfection of yoga is elevation of the soul to a higher position or the liberation of the soul from material entanglement. Some yogis try to elevate the soul to higher planetary systems, where the standard of life is different from that of this planet and where the material comforts, life-span and other facilities for self-realization are greater, and some yogis endeavor to elevate the soul to the spiritual world, the spiritual Vaikuntha planets. The bhakti-yoga process directly elevates the soul to the spiritual planets, where life is eternally blissful and full of knowledge; therefore bhakti-yoga is considered to be the greatest of all yoga systems.
TEXT 26
TEXT
evam sva-deham mahatam mahiyasa
muhuh samaropitam ankam adarat
jihasati daksa-rusa manasvini
dadhara gatresv anilagni-dharanam
SYNONYMS
evam--thus; sva-deham--her own body; mahatam--of the great saints; mahiyasa--most worshipful; muhuh--again and again; samaropitam--seated; ankam--on the lap; adarat--respectfully; jihasati--wishing to give up; daksa-rusa--due to anger towards Daksa; manasvini--voluntarily; dadhara--placed; gatresu--on the limbs of the body; anila-agni-dharanam--meditation on the fire and air.
TRANSLATION
Thus, in order to give up her body, which had been so respectfully and affectionately seated on the lap of Lord Siva, who is worshiped by great sages and saints, Sati, due to anger towards her father, began to meditate on the fiery air within the body.
PURPORT
Lord Siva is described herein as the best of all great souls. Although Sati's body was born of Daksa, Lord Siva used to adore her by sitting her on his lap. This is considered a great token of respect. Thus Sati's body was not ordinary, but still she decided to give it up because it was the source of unhappiness because of its connection with Daksa. This severe example set by Sati is to be followed. One should be extremely careful about associating with persons who are not respectful to the higher authorities. lt is instructed, therefore, in the Vedic literature that one should always be free from the association of atheists and nondevotees and should try to associate with devotees, for by the association of a devotee one can be elevated to the platform of self-realization. This injunction is stressed in many places in Srimad-Bhagavatam; if one wants to be liberated from the clutches of material existence, then one has to associate with great souls, and if one wants to continue one's material existential life, then one may associate with persons who are materialistic. The materialistic way of life is based on sex life. Thus both becoming addicted to sex life and associating with persons who are addicted to sex life are condemned in the Vedic literature because such association will simply interfere with one's spiritual progress. However, association with great personalities, devotees who are great souls, will elevate one to the spiritual platform. Satidevi decided to quit the body she had obtained from Daksa's body, and she wanted to transfer herself to another body so that she might have completely uncontaminated association with Lord Siva. Of course, it is understood that in her next life she would take birth as the daughter of the Himalayas, Parvati, and then she would again accept Lord Siva as her husband. Sati and Lord Siva are eternally related; even after she changes her body, their relationship is never broken.
TEXT 27
TEXT
tatah sva-bhartus caranambujasavam
jagad-guros cintayati na caparam
dadarsa deho hata-kalmasah sati
sadyah prajajvala samadhijagnina
SYNONYMS
tatah--there; sva-bhartuh--of her husband; carana-ambuja-asavam--on the nectar of the lotus feet; jagat-guroh--of the supreme spiritual teacher of the universe; cintayati--meditating; na--not; ca--and; aparam--not other (than her husband); dadarsa--saw; dehah--her body; hata-kalmasah--taints of sin being destroyed; sati--Sati; sadyah--soon; prajajvala--burned; samadhi-ja-agnina--by fire produced by meditation.
TRANSLATION
Sati concentrated all her meditation on the holy lotus feet of her husband, Lord Siva, who is the supreme spiritual master of all the world. Thus she became completely cleansed of all taints of sin and quit her body in a blazing fire by meditation on the fiery elements.
PURPORT
Sati at once thought of the lotus feet of her husband, Lord Siva, who is one of the three great personalities of Godhead in charge of the management of the material world, and simply by meditating on his lotus feet she derived such great pleasure that she forgot everything in relationship with her body. This pleasure was certainly material because she gave up her body for another body that was also material, but by this example we can appreciate the devotee's pleasure in concentrating his mind and attention on the lotus feet of the Supreme Lord, Visnu, or Krsna. There is such transcendental bliss in simply meditating on the lotus feet of the Lord that one can forget everything but the Lord's transcendental form. This is the perfection of yogic samadhi, or ecstasy. In this verse it is stated that by such meditation she became free from all contamination. What was that contamination? The contamination was her concept of the body derived from Daksa, but she forgot that bodily relationship in trance. The purport is that when one becomes free from all bodily relationships within this material world and simply places himself in the position of an eternal servant of the Supreme Lord, it is to be understood that all the contamination of his material attachment has been burned by the blazing fires of transcendental ecstasy. It is not necessary for one to manifest a blazing fire externally, for if one forgets all his bodily relationships within this material world and becomes situated in his spiritual identity, it is said that one has been freed from all material contamination by the blazing fire of yogic samadhi, or ecstasy. That is the topmost perfection of yoga. If one keeps his bodily relationships within this material world and poses himself as a great yogi, he is not a bona fide yogi. In Srimad-Bhagavatam (2.4.15) it is stated, yat-kirtanam yat-smaranam. Simply by chanting the holy name of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, simply by remembering the lotus feet of Krsna, simply by offering prayers to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, one is immediately freed from material contamination, the material bodily concept, by the blazing fire of ecstasy. This effect takes place immediately, without a second's delay.
According to Sri Jiva Gosvami, that Sati quit her body means that she gave up within her heart her relationship with Daksa. Sri Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura also comments that since Sati is the superintendent deity of the external potency, when she quit her body she did not get a spiritual body but simply transferred from the body she had received from Daksa. Other commentators also say that she immediately transferred herself into the womb of Menaka, her future mother. She gave up the body she had received from Daksa and immediately transferred herself to another, better body, but this does not mean that she got a spiritual body.
TEXT 28
TEXT
tat pasyatam khe bhuvi cadbhutam mahad
ha heti vadah sumahan ajayata
hanta priya daivatamasya devi
jahav asun kena sati prakopita
SYNONYMS
tat--that; pasyatam--of those who had seen; khe--in the sky; bhuvi--on the earth; ca--and; adbhutam--wonderful; mahat--great; ha ha--oh, oh; iti--thus; vadah--roar; su-mahan--tumultuous; ajayata--occurred; hanta--alas; priya--the beloved; daiva-tamasya--of the most respectable demigod (Lord Siva); devi--Sati; jahau--quit; asun--her life; kena--by Daksa; sati--Sati; prakopita--angered.
TRANSLATION
When Sati annihilated her body in anger, there was a tumultuous roar all over the universe. Why had Sati, the wife of the most respectable demigod, Lord Siva, quit her body in such a manner?
PURPORT
There was a tumultuous roaring all over the universe in the societies of the demigods of different planets because Sati was the daughter of Daksa, the greatest of all kings, and the wife of Lord Siva, the greatest of all demigods. Why did she become so angry that she gave up her body? Since she was the daughter of a great personality and wife of a great personality, she had nothing to desire, but still she gave up her body in dissatisfaction. Certainly this was astonishing. One cannot attain complete satisfaction even if one is situated in the greatest material opulence. There was nothing Sati could not achieve either from her relationship with her father or from her relationship with the greatest of the demigods, but still, for some reason, she was dissatisfied. Therefore, Srimad-Bhagavatam (1.2.6) explains that one has to achieve real satisfaction (yayatma suprasidati), but atma--the body, mind and soul--all become completely satisfied only if one develops devotional service to the Absolute Truth. Sa vai pumsam paro dharmo yato bhaktir adhoksaje. Adhoksaja means the Absolute Truth. If one can develop his unflinching love for the transcendental Supreme Personality of Godhead, that can give complete satisfaction, otherwise there is no possibility of satisfaction in the material world or anywhere else.
TEXT 29
TEXT
aho anatmyam mahad asya pasyata
prajapater yasya caracaram prajah
jahav asun yad-vimatatmaja sati
manasvini manam abhiksnam arhati
SYNONYMS
aho--oh; anatmyam--neglect; mahat--great; asya--of Daksa; pasyata--just see; prajapateh--of the Prajapati; yasya--of whom; cara-acaram--all living entities; prajah--offspring; jahau--gave up; asun--her body; yat--by whom; vimata--disrespected; atma-ja--his own daughter; sati--Sati; manasvini--voluntarily; manam--respect; abhiksnam--repeatedly; arhati--deserved.
TRANSLATION
It was astonishing that Daksa, who was Prajapati, the maintainer of all living entities, was so disrespectful to his own daughter, Sati, who was not only chaste but was also a great soul, that she gave up her body because of his neglect.
PURPORT
The word anatmya is significant. Atmya means "the life of the soul," so this word indicates that although Daksa appeared to be living, actually he was a dead body, otherwise how could he neglect Sati, who was his own daughter? It was the duty of Daksa to look after the maintenance and comforts of all living entities because he was situated as Prajapati, the governor of all living entities. Therefore how is it that he neglected his own daughter, who was the most exalted and chaste woman, a great soul, and who therefore deserved the most respectful treatment from her father? The death of Sati because of her being neglected by Daksa, her father, was most astonishing to all the great demigods of the universe.
TEXT 30
TEXT
so 'yam durmarsa-hrdayo brahma-dhruk ca
loke 'pakirtim mahatim avapsyati
yad-angajam svam purusa-dvid udyatam
na pratyasedhan mrtaye 'paradhatah
SYNONYMS
sah--he; ayam--that; durmarsa-hrdayah--hardhearted; brahma-dhruk--unworthy to be a brahmana; ca--and; loke--in the world; apakirtim--ill fame; mahatim--extensive; avapsyati--will gain; yat-anga-jam--the daughter of whom; svam--own; purusa-dvit--the enemy of Lord Siva; udyatam--who was preparing; na pratyasedhat--did not prevent; mrtaye--for death; aparadhatah--because of his offenses.
TRANSLATION
Daksa, who is so hardhearted that he is unworthy to be a brahmana, will gain extensive ill fame because of his offenses to his daughter, because of not having prevented her death, and because of his great envy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
PURPORT
Daksa is described here as most hardhearted and therefore unqualified to be a brahmana. Brahma-dhruk is described by some commentators to mean brahma-bandhu, or friend of the brahmanas. A person who is born in a brahmana family but has no brahminical qualifications is called a brahma-bandhu. Brahmanas are generally very softhearted and forbearing because they have the power to control the senses and the mind. Daksa, however, was not forbearing. For the simple reason that his son-in-law, Lord Siva, did not stand up to show him the formality of respect, he became so angry and hardhearted that he tolerated even the death of his dearest daughter. Sati tried her best to mitigate the misunderstanding between the son-in-law and the father-in-law by coming to her father's house, even without an invitation, and at that time Daksa should have received her, forgetting all past misunderstandings. But he was so hardhearted that he was unworthy to be called an Aryan or brahmana. Thus his ill fame still continues. Daksa means "expert," and he was given this name because of his ability to beget many hundreds and thousands of children. Persons who are too sexually inclined and materialistic become so hardhearted because of a slight loss of prestige that they can tolerate even the death of their children.
TEXT 31
TEXT
vadaty evam jane satya
drstvasu-tyagam adbhutam
daksam tat-parsada hantum
udatisthann udayudhah
SYNONYMS
vadati--were talking; evam--thus; jane--while the people; satyah--of Sati; drstva--after seeing; asu-tyagam--the death; adbhutam--wonderful; daksam--Daksa; tat-parsadah--the attendants of Lord Siva; hantum--to kill; udatisthan--stood up; udayudhah--with uplifted weapons.
TRANSLATION
While people were talking among themselves about the wonderful voluntary death of Sati, the attendants who had come with her readied themselves to kill Daksa with their weapons.
PURPORT
The attendants who came with Sati were meant to protect her from calamities, but since they were unable to protect their master's wife, they decided to die for her, and before dying they wanted to kill Daksa. It is the duty of attendants to give protection to their master, and in case of failure it is their duty to die.
TEXT 32
TEXT
tesam apatatam vegam
nisamya bhagavan bhrguh
yajna-ghna-ghnena yajusa
daksinagnau juhava ha
SYNONYMS
tesam--of them; apatatam--who were approaching; vegam--the impulse; nisamya--after seeing; bhagavan--the possessor of all opulences; bhrguh--Bhrgu Muni; yajna-ghna-ghnena--for killing the destroyers of the yajna; yajusa--with hymns of the Yajur Veda; daksina-agnau--in the southern side of the sacrificial fire; juhava--offered oblations; ha--certainly.
TRANSLATION
They came forward forcibly, but Bhrgu Muni saw the danger and, offering oblations into the southern side of the sacrificial fire, immediately uttered mantric hymns from the Yajur Veda by which the destroyers of yajnic performances could be killed immediately.
PURPORT
Here is one example of powerful hymns in the Vedas which, when chanted, could perform wonderful acts. In the present age of Kali it is not possible to find expert mantra chanters; therefore all the sacrifices recommended in the Vedas are forbidden in this age. The only sacrifice recommended in this age is the chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra because in this age it is not possible to accumulate the needed funds for performing sacrifices, not to speak of finding expert brahmanas who can chant the mantras perfectly.
TEXT 33
TEXT
adhvaryuna huyamane
deva utpetur ojasa
rbhavo nama tapasa
somam praptah sahasrasah
SYNONYMS
adhvaryuna--by the priest, Bhrgu; huyamane--oblations being offered; devah--demigods; utpetuh--became manifested; ojasa--with great strength; rbhavah--the Rbhus; nama--named; tapasa--by penance; somam--Soma; praptah--having achieved; sahasrasah--by the thousands.
TRANSLATION
When Bhrgu Muni offered oblations in the fire, immediately many thousands of demigods named Rbhus became manifested. All of them were powerful, having achieved strength from Soma, the moon.
PURPORT
It is stated here that many thousands of demigods named Rbhus became manifested because of the oblations offered in the fire and the chanting of the hymns from the Yajur Veda. Brahmanas like Bhrgu Muni were so powerful that they could create such powerful demigods simply by chanting the Vedic mantras. Vedic mantras are still available, but the chanters are not. By chanting Vedic mantras or chanting the Gayatri or rg-mantra one can attain the results one desires. ln the present age of Kali it is recommended by Lord Caitanya that simply by chanting Hare Krsna one can attain all perfection.
TEXT 34
TEXT
tair alatayudhaih sarve
pramathah saha-guhyakah
hanyamana diso bhejur
usadbhir brahma-tejasa
SYNONYMS
taih--by them; alata-ayudhaih--with weapons of firebrands; sarve--all; pramathah--the ghosts; saha-guhyakah--along with the Guhyakas; hanyamanah--being attacked; disah--in different directions; bhejuh--fled; usadbhih--glowing; brahma-tejasa--by brahminical power.
TRANSLATION
When the Rbhu demigods attacked the ghosts and Guhyakas with half-burned fuel from the yajna fire, all these attendants of Sati fled in different directions and disappeared. This was possible simply because of brahma-tejas, brahminical power.
PURPORT
The word brahma-tejasa, used in this verse, is significant. ln those days, brahmanas were so powerful that simply by desiring and by chanting a Vedic mantra, they could accomplish very wonderful effects. But in the present age of degradation there are no such brahmanas. According to the pancaratrika system, in this age the entire population is supposed to consist of sudras because the brahminical culture has been lost. But if anyone displays the signs of understanding Krsna consciousness, he should be accepted, according to Vaisnava smrti regulations, as a prospective brahmana and should be given all facilities to achieve the highest perfection. The most magnanimous gift of Lord Caitanya's is that the highest perfection of life is available in this fallen age if one simply adopts the process of chanting Hare Krsna, which is able to bring about the fulfillment of all activities in self-realization.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports of the Fourth Canto, Fourth Chapter, of the Srimad-Bhagavatam, entitled "Sati Quits Her Body."