Essence Of Maha Bhagavatha Purana

Sati Devi and Lord Siva

And the youngest and the sixteenth daughter of Daksha Prajapathi, ‘Sati Devi’, was married to Lord Siva. This was the most significant Event of the Yuga, which occurred as an unforgettable and extremely distressing episode that caused  the most furious reaction of Lord Siva and made way to the destruction of the highly self-opinionated and haughty Daksha Prajapati and his ‘Yagna’.The most painful tragedy was of Sati Devi’s invoking own Yoga power causing her demise.Since the time of the wedding of Sati Devi, Daksha felt insulted by the lack of artificial civil manners of Lord Siva and his dislike got snowballed as the latter was indifferent all along. But the Lord was highly fond of Sati Devi, quite ignoring Daksha’s envy for him as the latter had in inferiority complex.

Daksha organised a huge function(‘Yagna’) and did not deliberately invite the Siva couple, although in the Yagna, Lord Agni would have been invoked normally to takepart in the offerings to various demi-Gods and Gods, including Lord Siva. The entire Guest list of Gods downward the Sages and others were invited otherwise. Sati Devi felt extremely humiliated but got desirous of attending the Function especially to meet the family members. Lord Siva advised her not to go uninvited, but she insisted. While she attended the Fesivities, the father gave a cold reception to her  and those who accompanied her like Nandi and a retinue of ‘Pramadha- ganas’, Lord Siva’s personal entourage. In an Open House where all the invitees were being entertained, Sati Devi made a powerful address to her father and his party including Bhrigu Maharshi who too disliked Lord Siva. She said: “Even if there was no invitation, she made it to her own father’s function as a gesture of goodwill, despite her dear husband (who is none else than the Lord of Destruction Himself) counselled against attending a function uninvited. Lord Siva had no ill will against Daksha, but the latter was highly envious of the Lord. Also, He liked her so immensely that He always called her as Dakshayani to please and respect her.But unfortunately, I have no right to exist  as the daughter of Daksha who brought me to the World.” By so saying, she seated herself in a Mystic Yoga Posture, raised her ‘Prana Vayu’ (Life Air) from the  position of equilibrium near the navel upwards to heart and the Central point of eyebrows, known as (‘Bhrookuti’) and while imagining her head on Lord Siva’s lap, released the Spiritual Air lit up with the Sacred Fire to merge with ‘Paramatma’. The Entire Universe reverberated with the Sound of ‘Om Namah Sivaya’. Even while the Spiritual Message of Sati’s demise was known, Narada conveyed the news to Lord Siva formally. The Lord became highly incensed and pulled out a strand of hair banged down on earth, and out emerged a Powerful ‘Bhoothnath, named ‘Veera Bhadra’who was ordered to instantly destroy the site of the invalid and illegal Sacrifice Place ( ‘Yagna shala’), eliminate those responsible for the purpose and wipe out all traces of the shameful Event. Veera Bhadra and his followers removed Daksha’s head and burnt it in the Fire Place of the Sacrifice, tore off the moustache and of Bhrigu the Head Priest, caught ‘Bhaga’ by his eyebrows which were raised while reacting to a remark against Lord Siva, broke the teeth of Dantavakra who laughed at a wit against Siva, and similarly punished all those who heckled at the Function. The rest of the gathering ran helter-skelter for their own lives or limbs. Therafter Siva picked up the physical remains of Dakshayani on His shoulders, wandered and danced with fury the entire Universe, sending shock waves by way of earth tremors  and oeanic tsunamis. Vishnu realised that the body of Sati had to be cut into 51 pieces by His discus representing as many letters of Alphabet in Sanskrit) and tossed them all over(now known as 51  ‘ Shakti Peethas’or  Sacred Temples). Brahma and Vishnu foresaw the tragedy and avoided attending the Yagna. They requested for mercy to Daksha and as a result provided life back to the latter by replacing his burnt head with that of the Sacrificial Goat. Also, Bhrigu’s moustache and beard  were replaced with those of the Sacrificial Goat’s as also the gourged eyes of Bhaga were restored. The physical losses of other culprits were also suitably adjusted, thanks to Lord Siva’s grace and kindness. In course of time, Sati Devi was reborn as Parvathi and was wedded to Lord Siva.

[ Details of Shakti Peethas: The Embodiment name, the Organ and the Place respectively as follows:-   Indrakshi/Nagapoosani-Ankles-Jaffna( Sri Lanka); Mahishmardini-Eye -Sukkur/Karachi, Pakistan); Sunanda-Nose-Barisal,(Bangla Desh); Mahamaya-Throat-Amarnath/Kashmir; Siddhida/Ambika- Tongue-Jwalamukhi/Kangra/Pathankot ; Tripurmalini-Left breast-Devi Talab/Jalandhar ; Ambaji-Heart-Ambaji/Anand/Gujarat; Mahashira-Both Knees-Gusyeswari Temple/ Kathmandu / Nepal; Dakshayani-Right Hand-Manasarovar ( Tibet); Vimala-Navel- Jagannath Temple / Puri / Orissa (Kamakshi Temple/Kanchi); Gandaki Chandi-Temple-Muktinath Temple / Nepal; Bahula-Left Arm-Bahula /Katwa /Burdwan/West Bengal; Mangal Chandika-right wrist-Ujaani / Guskara/Burdwan; Tripura Sundari-Right Leg-Tripura; Bhavani-Right arm-Bharav Temple/ Sitakunda Station/ Chattakong District / Bangladesh;Bhramari-Left Leg-Trisota /Salbai Village/Jalpaiguri /West Bengal; Kamakya-Genital Organ-Kamakya Temple /Guwahati (Assam); Jugadya-Great Toe (Right)-Khirgram / Burdwan District West Bengal; Kalika-Right toes-Kalighat / Kolkata; Lalitha-Hand Finger-Prayag/Allahabad; Jayanti-Left Thigh-Falizur Kalibadi / Falzur Paragana / Bangladesh; Vimla- Crown-Kirkeetkona / Murshidabad /West Bengal; Visalakshi-Ear Ring-Manikarnika Ghat / Varanasi; Sarvani- Back-Kumari Temple /Kanyakumari, Tamilnadu; Savitri- Ankle bone- Sthaneswar / Haryana; Gayatri-Two bracelets- Ajmer;Mahalakshmi-neck-Jainpur/ Sylhet Town /Bangladesh; Devagarbha-Bone- Kankalitala/ West Bengal; Kali- left buttock-Amarkantak / Madhya Pradesh; Narmada-right buttock-Shondesh, Madhya Pradesh;Shivani- right breast-Ramgiri/Chitrakuta /Urrar Pradesh;Uma-Hair ringlets-Bhuteswar Temple/ Vrindavan /Uttar Pradesh; Narayani-Upper Jaw Teeth-Suchindram /Kanyakumari,Tamilnadu; Varahi-Lower Jaw Teeth-Panchasagar Place, Haridwar; Arpana-Left Anklet-Karatoyatat,Sherpur/Bangla Desh; Sri Sundari-Right Anklet-SriParvat Hills, Srisailam, Andhra Pradesh; Kapalini/ Bhimarupa-Left Ankle-Vibhash, Tumluk, West Bengal; Chadrabhaga-Stomach-Prabhas/Veraval near Somnath Temple,Gujarat;Avanti-Upper lips-Ujjain /Madhya Pradesh;Bhramari-Chins-Godavari Jansthan, Nasik/Maharashtra; Rakini or Visveswari-Cheeks-Kotilinga Temple, Rajamundry, Andhra Pradesh;Ambica-Left Feet Fingers-Birat/Bharatpur/ Rajasthan;Kumari-Right shoulder-Ratnavali / Hooghly Dt. West Bengal; Uma-left shoulder-Mithila on India Nepal Border; Kalika Devi-Tubular bones of the feet-Nalhati, Birbhum District; Jayadurga-both ears-Karnat ( place unknown); Mahishamardini-portion between the eye brows-Bakreshwar near Siuiri Town/Dubrajpur ; Jashoreswari-Palms of hands and feet-Ishwaripur, Bangladesh; Phullara-lips- Attahas Village, near Katwa Railway Station, West Bengal-Nandini-Necklace-Nandikeswari temple,Sainthia town,West bengal and Kottari-Brhamarandhra on the head-Hingula near Karachi, Pakistan. In all these Shakti Peethas, Goddess is accompanied by Lord Bhairava also, a manifestation of Lord Siva.The details given above are as per Mahapitha Purana.]

Sage Maitreya further narrated the details of the Geneology of Swayambhu Manu to Vidura, and described as to how the envy and haughtiness of Daksha Prajapati was demolished and how Sati Devi ended her life. Manu’s two sons from Satarupa, were  Uttanapada and Priyavrata, both of whom served as the Kings of their own Kingdoms independetly. Uttanapada had two wives-Suniti and Surichi- and the King was distinctly fond of Surichi. Once Rurichi’s son Uttama kept his head on his father’s lap when Surichi was present too and the King lifted the boy and made him sit on his lap very fondly.