26 verses
Maitreya said: Hearing from Nārada about that Satī had died because of the insults to her by Dakṣa, and that soldiers had been driven away the Ṛbhus who arose from the sacrifice, Śiva became angry.
Śiva, with locks of matted hair, biting his lips, snatched a hair which blazed terribly like fire or lightning, and, becoming ferocious, he stood up. Laughing and roaring loudly, he forcibly threw the hair on the ground.
Saṭā means blazing. Rudraḥ ṁeans he became ferocious.
From that hair, a huge, black figure which touched the sky with its body, having a thousand arms, projecting teeth, eyes bright as three suns, hair like blazing fire, appeared, wearing a garland of skulls and holding various weapons.
Tataḥ mean from that hair. He touched the sky with his body. His eyes were like three suns.
Vīrabhadra, with folded hands, asked, What shall I do? Śiva, lord of the ghosts, said, Kill Dakṣa along with his sacrifice. O Rudra, skilled in battle! You are my chief portion.
O Rudra, skilled in battle! Since you are my portion, the power of Brahman, you cannot be defeated! Do not worry!
O Vidura! Thus ordered by angry Śiva, Vīrabhadra circumambulated the powerful lord of the devatās. He considered himself capable of combating the strength of the strongest with his speed which could not be matched.
Ordered by Śiva who was angry, he circumambulated Śiva. He had speed which could not be matched (asaḍga-raṁhasā). Or he had the speed of Śiva who is without material association, since he is self-satisfied. He thought himself capable of tolerating the strength (sahaḥ) of the strongest (mahīyasām).
Accompanied by the followers of Śiva, who made a tumultuous sound, making a thundering sound with his foot ornaments, and raising a trident which was the death for death itself, he hurried to the sacrifice.
The trident was like death (antakam) for death itself (jagad-antaka). On his two feet he had ornaments which made a thunderous noise (ghoṣaṇa).
Seeing the darkness in the northern direction, the priests, sponsors and assembled guests understood it was dust. The brāhmaṇas and their wives then thought, Where has this dust come from?
When it became dark, they thought that it was impossible. Then they understood it was dust. But where has this dust come from?
The winds are not blowing. It is not thieves because King Prācīnabarhi, who administers severe punishment, is living. No one is herding cows. Where is the dust coming from? Is the world ready for final destruction?
They considered various possibilities. It is evident that Prācīnabarhi was the King at that time.
The wives of Dakṣa headed by Prasūti, with anxious hearts, said, This is the result of Dakṣas sin. While her sisters watched, he insulted Satī, his daughter, who was innocent.
The women of whom Prasūti was the chief spoke. This is the result (vipākam) of the offense of her father. Not only did Dakṣa offend her, but did so in the presence of her sisters, and she was innocent as well.
With scattered locks, piercing the directions with his trident, waving his flag-like arms holding upraised weapons, and breaking the directions by the roar of his loud laughter, Śiva dances at the time of universal destruction.
The powers of Dakṣa cannot defeat Śiva. This is explained in two verses. Sivas locks of hair are scattered (vyupta-jaṭā-kalāpaḥ). In his arms are raised weapons. He throws his arms about like waving flags and dances. He pierces the directions by the roar of his loud laughter.
After angering Śiva , terrifying in appearance, who has intolerable strength, great anger, and who scatters the planets by the his frown and protruding teeth, how can a person, even Brahmā, have good fortune?
Having angered (amarṣayitvā) Śiva who scatters the luminaries like fire and the sun, how can a person have good fortune, even if Brahmā, the father of Dakṣa, angers Śiva? What to speak of others! By Dakṣas cruelty, we have fallen into the greatest danger.
While people were continuously speaking in this way, thousands of great disturbances, frightening even to sober-minded Dakṣa, appeared in the sky, on earth, and all around.
O mothers! You are speaking the truth. In this way, all the assembled persons spoke. The omens were frightening even for Dakṣa who was powerful (mahātmanaḥ). Or mahātmanaḥ can sarcastically mean the opposite-- evil-minded.
O Vidura! Vīrabhadra, along with Śivas associates, who were short, reddish and yellowish, with faces and bellies like makaras, holding various weapons, running everywhere, quickly surrounded the sacrificial arena.
Vāmanakaiḥ means with short stature. Anvarudhyata means they surrounded.
Some of the associates broke the beams, while others destroyed the womens quarters, the assembly hall, the kindling house, the sponsors quarters and the kitchen.
Prāg-vāṁṣam refers to the wooden beams running east to west resting upon the pillars, in construction of the sacrificial house. West of the sacrificial area was the womens quarters. East of the sacrificial area was the assembly shed (sadas). East of that was the shed for the vehicles to carry soma. North of that was the place for kindling the fire (āgnīdhra-śālām). Vihāram is the house for the sponsor. Mahānasam is the kitchen.
Others broke the sacrificial vessels. Others extinguished the fire. Others urinated in the pits and others tore up the earthwork around the fire pits.
Rurujuḥ means they destroyed.
Others harassed the sages, while others shouted at the women. Others caught the devaṭās who had fled nearby.
They scolded the women with coarse language or by saving, Stay here, and we will make you widows.
Maṇimān tied up Bhṛgu Muni, and Vīrabhadra tied up Dakṣa. Caṇòeśa tied up Pūṣā. Nandīśvara tied up Bhaga.
After seeing this, all the priests, guests, and devatās, afflicted greatly by the stones thrown at them, could not flee in a group.
Being afflicted by stones, they could not flee in a group.
Vīrabhadra tore off the moustache of Bhṛgu, who was offering oblations with a ladle in his hand, but who had smiled, showing his moustache (after Dakṣa insulted Śiva).
Vīrabhadra pulled out the eyes of Bhaga, who had fallen on the ground, and who had encouraged Dakṣa by the movement of his eyebrows in the assembly.
Śapantam refers to Dakṣa who criticized Śiva. Bhaga encouraged Òakṣa by glancing with the corner of his eye.
Vīrabhadra made Pūṣās teeth fall out, just as Balarāma made the King of Kaliḍgas teeth fall out. Pūṣā had smiled, showing his teeth, when Śiva was being rebuked by Dakṣa.
Just Balarāma, at the time of Aniruddhas marriage, during a game of dice, made the teeth of the King of Kaliḍga fall out, so Vīrabhadra made Pūṣās teeth fall out. Garimaṇi refers to Śiva. Dataḥ stands for dantān (teeth). Another version has puṣnoḥ in the dual form. Sometimes Indra and Pūṣā are grouped together as in the phrase aindrāpauṣṇaṁ carum: the rice offering of Indra and Pūṣā. (Black Yayur Veda, Taittirīya-bṛahmaṇa 1.7.2.4.5) Thus Vīrabhadra made the teeth of both Indra and Pūṣā fall out.
Vīrabhadra, sitting on the chest of Dakṣa, though trying to cut off his head with a sharp sword, could not separate it from the body.
Hetinā means using a sword. Tat refers to his head. Tryambakaḥ is Vīrabhadra.
Seeing that Dakṣas skin could not be cut by swords or throwing weapons, Vīrabhadra became perplexed and thought for a long time.
Śastraiḥ refers to swords and other hand weapons. Astra refers to weapons which are thrown like arrows and tridents. The word seeing should be supplied. Seeing that his skin could not be cut, he thought for a long time.
Seeing a device for killing animals in the sacrificial arena, who had using that device, Vīrabhadra then cut off the head of Dakṣa, who had become a sacrificial animal.
Sañjñapanaṁ yogam means a device for killing sacrificial animals by squeezing. Using that, he severed his head.
Seeing Vīrabhadras action, the ghosts and demons expressed their satisfaction, while others expressed grief.
Others, brāhmaṇas, said the opposite: it was an improper action.
Angry Vīrabhadra offered the head in the southern fire. Setting the sacrificial arena on fire, he then departed for Kailāsa.
Guhyakālayam means Kailāsa.
Thus ends the commentary on the Fifth Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhāgavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous ācāryas.
In the Fifth Chapter, Śiva, hearing about the death of his wife, cuts off the head of Dakṣa and kills him by transforming his hair into Vīrabhadra. Śiva heard the Satī had died because of the insults of Dakṣa (prajāpateḥ).The Ṛbhus had appeared at the sacrifice (tad-adhvararbhubhih).