Talks Between Lord Śiva and Satī

In the Third Chapter, Satī, desiring to see the sacrifice performed by her father Dakṣa, is forbidden by Śiva, who cites words concerning proper conduct.

Dhriyamāṇayoḥ means continued. They did not beg pardon from each other. Dhṛ means “to continue to exist.”

The wealth of Dakṣa, enemy of Śiva, was a cause of his offense in ruling, and became a further cause of offense. That is made clear by saying that he became proud.

Out of pride, surpassing the followers of Śiva, he performed the bṛhaspati-sava. Śruti says vājapeyeneṣṭvā bṛhaspatisavena yajeta: after performing the vājapeya, sacrifice one should perform the bṛhaspati-sava.

Kṛtasvatyayanāḥ means “who were worshipped.” They were worshipped and then again worshipped along with their wives.

dṛṣṭvā sva-nilayābhyāśe

lolākṣīr mṛṣṭa-kuṇòalāḥ

patiṁ bhūta-patiṁ devam

autsukyād abhyabhāṣata

Hearing from the mouth of the gossiping Khecaras in the sky about the great sacrifice being held by her father, and seeing near her house the wives of the upadevas, with darting eyes, fine cloth, attractive earrings and niṣkas on their throats, mounted on their airplanes, going there from all directions along with their husbands, she spoke with longing to her husband, lord of the ghosts.

Hearing from the mouth of the gossiping Khecaras about the great sacrifice being held by her father, and seeing the wives of the upadevas going, she spoke to her husband.

Niryāpitaḥ means undertaken. If the famous devatās are going, then we also should go there. O noble lord (vāma)! This is my request (arthitā).

What is the purpose of you or I going? Just as they are worshipped with their husbands, let me be worshipped with my husband. This is my desire. I desire to accept along with you the gifts such as cloth and ornaments given by my parents.

Do you desire to go there for the gifts? I desire to see my mother, whose heart is filled with affection for me. I desire to see the best among all sacrifices being conducted (unnīyamānam), which is like a flag. Or “I desire to see the flag raised by the sages.”

It is astonishing that there would be such illusion for relatives in you, like that of common people. O Śiva! Such bewilderment would be astonishing to see in you, since you are self-satisfied! But it is a natural quality. Because the whole universe is made of the three guṇas by the Lord’s māyā, one becomes bewildered. Moreover, in this universe, I am a woman. And moreover, I am ignorant of the truth: I do not know the truth about you. Therefore, being so unfortunate, I desire to see my birth place, O Śiva (bhava)!

I am not the only one in this condition. Abhava means “you do not experience the suffering of separation from loved ones.” Other women, not relatives, along with the husbands (kaṇta-sakhāḥ), are going together (varuthaśaḥ). The sky is decorated with their airplanes. O blue-throated! You drank poison to give mercy to others. Therefore, please permit this!

Since I am his daughter, how can I remain peaceful? How can the body of the daughter not be stirred to see the festival at her father’s house? “But you have not been invited. How can we go?” Though uninvited, people got the house of a friend, husband, father-in-law (guru), and father (deha-kṛtaḥ).

If you do not want to go, still, because of my request, please accept. You are a deva (amartya), and can do what is not normally done. Though you are full of knowledge, and are self-satisfied (adabhra-cakṣuṣā), you have accepted me as half of your body. Śiva is famous as having half his body in the form of a woman. Since you have done that, be merciful to me (mā).

He made his wife remember the arrows of sharp words which pierce the heart. “How can the sharp words of Dakṣa pierce the heart of Śiva, who is self-satisfied?” Since Śiva is the supreme lord, he is certainly self-satisfied. But because he is also related to tamoguṇa, sometimes lamentation, illusion, attachment and hatred manifest in him, with his supreme powers not visible. Though Kṛṣṇa is always self-satisfied, because of having prema, he also shows lamentation, illusion, attachment and hatred in relation to Yaśodā, Baladeva and the gopīs, because of invisibility of his supreme powers. In Śiva, those moods arise from tamoguṇa, and are filled with an experience of a shadow of grief. In Kṛṣṇa, those moods arise from prema, and are filled with an experience of the highest bliss. Since prema is the ultimate essence of the cit-śakti, these moods cannot be restricted by the Lord’s being self-satisfied. However, destruction of demons is the effect of sattva-guṇa alone. Because of the mutual friction of the guṇas, sattva-guṇa destroys tamas and rajas, just as light destroys darkness. In this way, Kṛṣṇa destroys demons. Since he is śuddha-sattva, though the effects of material sattva are also present in him (in the sense that they are handled by him), they do not affect him. This has been explained in the First Canto (SB 1.2.23), and will be explained again at the beginning of the Seventh Canto (SB 7.9.37).

The friends should not see faults because of anger or strong pride caused by identity with the body (anātmya-madena).

“How is it possible for my father, who has wisdom, to see faults like a fool? Education and other assets are only causes of problems for the demons.” When power of discrimination is destroyed by the six qualities, those persons blinded by pride which is nourished by knowledge, austerity, wealth, body, age and birth, thinking “I am learned, I have austerity, etc.” do not see the glory of great souls (bhūyasām). How does discrimination become destroyed by those qualities? The good qualities of the devotees become faults for the demons. Though milk is sweet, when it enters the snake’s mouth, it becomes poison. The qualities manifest according to the person.

Even a father of this nature should be rejected. One should not go, considering that they are relatives. If one goes, one should go thinking of them as enemies. “But even the low minded have affection for their children and husbands.” Even this is not certain for those with disturbed minds. They will see you with angry eyes and raised brows.

Such friends are worse than enemies. Limbs pained by the arrows fired by an enemy do not hurt so much, since one can still sleep. Injured by harsh words of relatives, one suffers pain day and night with a distressed heart (hṛdayena dūyatā).

“You do not have to worry that I go there.” Śiva answers. It is clear (vyaktam). You are the favorite among all the daughters of Dakṣa, by having qualities opposite of his (utkṛṣta-gateḥ). However, you will not get respect from your father. Because of your relationship with me (mad-āśṛayāt) he is tormented.

“Śiva! You must have mentally been somewhat hostile to Dakṣa.” Denying this, Śiva swears, “Dakṣa is envious and continually hates me. Manufacturing offense to me, he has displayed hatred at this time.” Dakṣa, with suffering senses, with heart burning because of powers of yoga (samṛddhibhiḥ) possessed by persons like myself, displays hatred to me, just as demons hate the Lord. He is unable to ascend to that high position (param padam) that I have. But I do not have any hatred for your father Dakṣa. Making this oath, Śiva explains. Persons like me have the Lord as the witness of our intelligence, to judge whether our decisions are good or bad. O Satī, if you do not believe this, contact the Lord directly by samādhi for a moment, and ask him about my good and bad qualities.

“I believe that you do not hate Dakṣa. However, you should rise from your seat and act humbly in front of your father-in-law.” The mutual exchange of greetings that are performed by ignorant people should be performed by intelligent people with their minds directed to the Supreme Lord. One should think “The Supreme Lord exists in my father-in-law and my husband. Therefore I offer respects to him.” One should not think of the bodies. The unintelligent people greet each other with bodily consciousness only, since they never remember the Supreme Lord. That is not proper. Because I was absorbed in the lotus feet of the Lord when Dakṣa arrived, even if I did not glance at Dakṣa, by my respect for the Lord, Dakṣa was respected. But Dakṣa is ignorant and became angry without cause.

“How could you be in samādhi at that time?” That cannot be asked, since samādhi on the Lord is not dependent on me. I am dependent on the Lord. I cannot make a rule for when he will appear. The spiritual antaḥ-karaṇa (viśuddham sattvam) is called vasudeva. Or another meaning is “the spiritual state (sattvam) composed of the actions of cit-śakti (viśuddham) is the producer of the Lord’s appearance (vasudeva). Why? It is because in that spiritual mind or the state composed of the cit-śakti, the Lord without covering (apāvṛtaḥ), called Vāsudeva, appears. The meaning of the word Vāsudeva is “he who makes his appearance in the state of vasudeva.” He appears in the pure antaḥ-karaṇa. Thus vasudeva refers to my pure antaḥ-karaṇa. Moreover, the Supreme Lord dwells (vasati) there. Therefore the antaḥ-karāṇa is called vasu. Because it is completely spiritual it is called deva. That is the derivation of the word vasudeva. In the antaḥ-karaṇa (sattve) the Lord appears, but he is beyond the material senses (adhokṣajaḥ), and is served or is particularly meditated upon (vidhīyate) by respects (namasā), which indicates other services as well. Instead of namasā sometimes manasā is seen. That means “the Lord is served by the mind.” At that time, I was serving the Lord. Because of uninterrupted service to the Lord, I did not have external awareness. Tell me if that is a fault on my part.

You will obey me if you are an obedient wife. Not only is he your father, but he also nourished you (deha-kṛt). Another meaning of deha-kṛt is one who cuts the body. Thus Dakṣa’s future death is indicated. Tiro ‘karot means “he scolded.”

He explains the bad result if she disobeys. Apahāya means transgressing. When the humiliation of a respectable person takes place, that humiliation will produce the offender’s death.

Thus ends the commentary on the Third Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.