The story of Daksha Prajapati

Daksha Prajapati was one of the sons of Lord Brahma. Lord Brahma had given the responsibility to all the Prajapatis to grow the population of the world through marriage. Lord Shiva had married Sati, the daughter of Daksha. Once all the Prajapatis were performing an oblation (यज्ञ) for the betterment of the universe. All the Rishis and the Devas attended the ceremony. Lord Shivji was also there. Being one of the Prajapatis, Daksha came to the oblation. Daksha was a very powerful man. He had achieved many miraculous powers through penance. When Daksha entered the hall all the Rishis and the Devas stood up in the honour of Daksha and wished him. But Lord Shiva didn't stand up nor did he wish Daksha despite being his son-in-law. This didn't go down well with Daksha. He felt offended. So he openly condemned and defamed Lord Shivji. He cursed him that henceforth Lord Shivji won't be considered eligible for offerings in oblations. Shivji didn't utter a word in protest and left the place.

Nandishwar, the principal servant and devotee of Lord Shiva was also there. Hearing the curse of Daksha on Shivji, Nandi also cursed back that one-day Daksha would be goat faced and he won't be eligible for the knowledge of liberation. Nandi further cursed that the followers of Daksha would indulge in unethical enjoyment and live to earn money only without adhering to just principles. On hearing the curse of Nandishwar, Rishi Bhrigu one of the admirers of Daksha cursed back that the devotees and followers of Lord Shiva would be very uncivilised, unruly, disreputable, ugly and dirty.

Many years passed since this incident. In the meantime, Daksha proved to be an able administrator. So, Lord Brahma appointed him as chief of the Prajapatis. This appointment made him more egoist and ruthless. After becoming the chief he performed an oblation called 'Bajpeya Yajna' where he didn't offer the share (यज्ञभाग) of Lord Shivji to insult him.

Then he arranged an elaborate Yajna called 'Brihaspatisaw Yajna'. He invited all the Devas, Brahmarshi, Devarshi, Pitar, Yakshya, Gandharvas etc to the ceremony except Lord Shiva. All the invitees were celestial bodies. They started coming in couples clad with beautiful clothes and ornaments to attend the Yajna in aircraft. Sati saw this. She came to know that the yajna was being performed by Daksha.

On seeing the invitees going to attend the Yajna of her father she insisted on going there too. So she told Shivji that her sisters and aunts and other close relatives would have come to attend the ceremony and this was a pleasant moment to be there at her father's place where she would be gifted with beautiful clothes and jewellery. She fervently requested Shivji to accompany her to Dakshya's place. But Lord Shiva explained to her that the bond between him and her father was not cordial and they were not invited to the 'yajna'. Without invitation, it would be unethical to go there. Besides her father had become too much egotist and every possibility was there to be insulted by him if he and Sati would go to her father's place uninvited.

But Sati was obstinate to attend the ceremony. She tried her best to convince Shivji by taking many types of pleas. But Shivji refused as he already knew the consequences. On being forbidden by Shivji, she became upset with him. She sat there for some time looking indignantly at her husband. But seeing Shivji unmoved she proceeded on her own to her father's place without waiting for Shivji. Shivji didn't object to her decision. He instructed his servants to follow her to Dakshya's place.

As foretold by Shivji Dakshya was not welcoming to Sati even though she used to be her favourite daughter. Her mother, sisters and aunts greeted her with fear in their eyes. They hid their happiness as they were worried about Daksha reaction. Daksha intentionally ignored her presence. Sati found that her father had not given the share of the Yajna (यज्ञभाग) to Shivji as the saviour of the universe. Daksha had made all the arrangements to display his disrespectful behaviour towards Lord Shiva. Her father's disrespectful behaviour towards her husband disturbed Sati. She loathed herself to be the daughter of Daksha.

She decided to sacrifice her body as it carried the blood of her father. She sat there stilled, covered her head with a yellow scarf and left her body near Yoga Shakti. When the servants of Shivji saw her dead they attacked Daksha. Maharishi Bhrigu, being the principal priest of the ceremony used his penance power make an army of 'Ruvu'(ऋभु) appear from the 'yajna-kund'(यज्ञकुंड). The 'Ruvus' are furious fighters who forced the servants of Shivji back.

Meanwhile, Lord Shiva also came to know about the death of his wife Sati from Devarshi Narad. Narad described the retaliation by Rishi Bhrigu through 'Ruvus'. The death of Sati infuriated him. He stood up and plucked a matted hair from his head and threw it on the ground. A huge figure emerged from it. He was so tall that his head was almost touching the sky. He had a mountain-like body and one thousand arms that carried different weapons. He was extremely dark. His three eyes looked like the sun and his hair was blazing like fire. He was wearing a garland of human skulls around his neck. He was 'Veerbhadra', the partial incarnation of Lord Shiva ready to follow his orders.

Lord Shiva appointed him the chief of his 'Rudra force'. Having received the order from his master Veerbhadra marched towards the Daksha's place followed by 'Rudragan' (Rudra force). The furious marching made the sky covered with dust. The priests and others present in Daksha's 'yajna shala' (यज्ञशाला) saw this. In no time they found themselves surrounded by Veerbhadra and his force. The servants of Shivji destroyed the yajnashala. Rishi Bhrigu was severely punished by them. The Rudra force uprooted the beard and mustache of Bhrigu, 44 eyes of Bhag devata and teeths of Pusha devata.They attacked everyone present there and injured them severely. Veerbhadra severed the head of Daksha and threw it into the fire of 'havankund'. Seeing Daksha killed the invitees fled the 'yajnashala'. Veerbhadra left the spot after fully destroying the Yajna and went to Kailash parbat, the abode of Lord Shiva.

As per the ritual rules a Yajna can't be left incomplete. So all the Prajapatis and the priests went to Lord Brahma and Lord Vishnu. Both Bramha and Vishnu knew about the catastrophe before the commencement of the Yajna. Lord Vishnu advised the Prajapatis, priests and the Devas to surrender before Lord Shiva and please him to avoid further destruction because nobody had the power to stop Lord Shiva. Daksha was responsible for the death of his beloved wife Sati and his anger knew no limits. On the advice of Lord Vishnu the Devas along with the Prajapatis and priests under the leadership of Lord Bramha moved towards Kailash to beg forgiveness for the misdeeds of Daksha before Lord Shiva.

When they arrived Kailash Lord Shiva was giving discourse on Sanatan Brahmha to the Rishis and his followers. Lord Brahma greeted Lord Shiva with folded hands to which hei responded with respect. Lord Brahma prayed to Lord Shiva for a long time. Hearing Lord Brahma's ernest prayer Lord Shiva asked his wish. Lord Brahmha requested him to revive Daksha, let Pusha get his teeths back, Bhrigu his beard and mustache, Bhag devata his eyes and let the injured invitees regain their limbs. On the request of Lord Brahma, Lord Shiva accompanied them to the Yajna Shala where the headless body of Daksha was lying. The mere wish of Lord Shiva enabled the injured invitees to get back their normal figure. But the head of Dakshya was already destroyed by Veerbhadra. So Lord Shiva fixed the head of the goat which was there to be sacrificed in the Yajna. He also enabled Dakshya to speak like a human with his goat head.

After getting his life back Daksha repented his actions which led to the death of his favourite daughter Sati. He begged forgiveness before Lord Shiva for insulting him and becoming the reason of the death of Sati. Lord Shiva pardoned him unconditionally. Thereafter the Yajna restarted. Dakshya offered special share of the yajna to Lord Shiva. Lord Vishnu also appeared there on the prayer of Daksha and all the invitees to grace the occasion. The yajna was succesful. The all-knowing Lord Shiva knew the course of destiny. Sati took birth again as the daughter of Himalaya and Mainadevi to marry him.

Skand Puran

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