Chapter 4: Satî Quits her Body

(1) S'rî Maitreya said: 'After saying this much about the [possible] end of his wife's physical existence, Lord S'iva fell silent. Since she from S'iva understood that she had the choice between being anxious to see her relatives and being afraid to meet her relatives, she was in doubt whether she should go or not. (2) Denied in her desire to see her relatives she felt very sorry and shed tears in her affliction. Trembling she angrily looked at her Bhava, the unequaled one, as if she wanted to burn him. (3) Breathing heavily she walked away from him, the saintly one so dear to her to whom she had given half of her body. Being upset because of her grief and anger and with her intelligence clouded by her female nature, she out of love for her father's embodiment then headed for his house. (4) Rapidly leaving all alone Satî was quickly followed by the thousands of associates and Yaksha's of the three eyed one [Lord S'iva] who were headed by Manimân and Mada. Not afraid [to leave S'iva alone] they had put the bull Nandî in front. (5) Having placed her on the decorated bull, her pet bird, ball, mirror, lotus flower, white umbrella, mosquito net, garlands and other stuff were taken along, accompanied by the music of drums, conch shells and flutes. (6) She [thus] entered the sacrificial arena where with the help of sacrificial animals, pots, clay, wood, iron, gold and grass and skins to sit upon, the sacrifice, brightened by the sounds of Vedic hymns, was held that on all sides was attended by the great sages and authorities. (7) But arriving there she out of fear for the performer of the sacrifice [Daksha] was not respected by anyone with a welcome, save of course for her own sisters and mother who embraced her with reverence, gladdened faces and throats choked by tears of affection. (8) But Satî, not being welcomed by her father, did not respond to the reverence shown with the greetings of her sisters, mother and aunts who with due respect properly informed her and offered her gifts and a seat. (9) Realizing that her father with no oblations for S'iva out of contempt for the godhead had not invited the mighty one for the assembly of the sacrifice, Satî got very angry and looked incensed as if she wanted to burn the fourteen worlds with her eyes. (10) The goddess [next] for everyone present to hear began to condemn with words filled with anger the opponents of S'iva who were so proud of their troublesome sacrifices, meanwhile ordering his Bhûtas who stood prepared to attack, to hold back. (11) The blessed one said: 'He [S'iva] has no one in this world as his rival, no one is his enemy nor is anyone embodied dear to him. Who in the world but you would be envious with him, the most beloved being in the universe free from all enmity? (12) Unlike you, oh twice born one, he doesn't find fault in the qualities of the seekers of truth, he rather greatly magnifies any little good he finds in others. And now you are with him, the greatest of all persons, finding fault! (13) It is not so surprising, this deriding of glorious persons by those who take the transient body for the true self. It is an ugly evil to be envious with great personalities, an evil that perfectly serves the purpose of bringing themselves down by the dust of the holy feet. (14) Persons who only once from their heart pronounce the two syllables of his name, see their sinful activities immediately defeated; that S'iva, whose order is never neglected and who is of an impeccable renown, you now strangely envy. (15) Engaged at his lotus feet the higher personalities exercise their bee-like minds aspiring the nectar of transcendental bliss and for the common man he is the one sought who fulfills all desires. That you of all people now have to be against him, the friend of all living entities in all the three worlds! (16) Do you really think that others than you, like Brahmâ and his brahmins, are not familiar with the inauspicious call of him who is associated with the demons and who with his scattered, matted hair is garlanded with skulls and is smeared with the ashes of the crematorium? They still take on their heads the flowers that fell from the feet of him who is called S'iva or auspicious! (17) When one is confronted with people who irresponsibly blaspheme the controller of the religion, one should block one's ears and walk away, if nothing else can be done. But if one can do something, one should by force cut out the tongue of the vilifying blasphemer and next give up one's own life. That's the way to deal with such matters! (18) Therefore I shall no longer bear this body I received from you who blasphemed God. To purify oneself from mistakenly having eaten poisonous food it is best to vomit, so one says. (19) Elevated transcendentalists who enjoy their lives do not always follow the rules and regulations of the Vedas, de ways of the gods differ from those of man. Therefore a man  should not criticize another man [like S'va] by the standard of his own unique sense of duty [see also B.G. 18: 47]. (20) In truth the Vedas distinguish between activities performed in attachment and activities performed in detachment [pravritti and nivritti dharma], and thus one has on the basis of these two characteristics of dharma two choices. To be of both at the same time is contradictory and  thus it can be so that none of these activities are to the satisfaction of the one of transcendence. (21) Oh father, the ways we follow are not your ways, they are not recommended by those who satisfied by the food of the sacrifice follow the ritual path and thus get their fill. They are of those complete forsakers who follow the non-manifest form of sacrificing. (22) With your offenses against S'iva and denial of this body that was produced from your body, I say enough is enough! I am ashamed to have taken this contemptible birth. Oh what a shame it is to be related by birth to a bad person, to someone who is an offender of great personalities. (23) Because of the family tie I have with you it makes me very sad when my great Lord S'iva calls me 'daughter of Daksha'. All my joy and smiles vanish immediately when he does so. Therefore I will give up this bag of bones that was produced from your body.'

(24) Maitreya said: 'Oh annihilator of the enemy, speaking thus to Daksha in the arena of sacrifice, she sat down in silence on the ground with her face to the north. After touching water she, dressed in saffron garments, then closed her eyes to find absorption in the process of yoga. (25) Balancing the inward and outward going breath she, the blameless one, in the control of her yogic posture with intelligence directed her life air upward. She raised it gradually up from the navel cakra to the heart, from the heart to the windpipe and from the throat to the place between her eyebrows. (26) In her desire to give it up because of her anger towards Daksha, she who time and again full of respect sat on the lap of the most worshipful one of all saints, thus by the exercise of her own will focussed on the air and fire within her body. (27) When she right there within her mind saw nothing but the nectarean lotus feet of her husband, the supreme spiritual teacher of the universe and was freed from all impurities, soon the body of Satî was ablaze because of the fire that originated from her absorption.

(28) From the side of those who witnessed it a loudly in the sky and on the earth reverberating, wondrous tumult originated: 'Ohhh..., alas Satî the beloved goddess of the most respectable demigod, has given up her life in her anger about Daksha. (29) Oh, just see the great soullessness of him, the Prajâpati from whom all the generations sprang. Because of his disrespect she voluntarily gave up her body, she, his own daughter Satî worthy of our repeated respect. (30) He so hard-hearted and not worthy the brahminical status, will gain extensive ill fame in the world because he in his offenses as an enemy of Lord S'iva couldn't keep his own daughter from preparing herself for death!' (31) While the people were thus talking among themselves after having witnessed the wondrous death of Satî, the attendants of S'iva stood up with their weapons lifted in order to kill Daksha. (32) But as soon as he saw them approaching Bhrigu quickly offered oblations in the southern fire and recited hymns from the Yajur Veda to ward off the destroyers of a sacrifice. (33) From the oblations being offered by Bhrigu, by the thousands the demigods manifested named the Ribhus who by dint of the moon [Soma] and by penance had achieved great strength. (34) And all the ghosts and Guhyakas [guardians of S'iva] being attacked by them with pieces of firewood from the fire, thus, [haunted] by the glow of sheer brahminical power, fled in all directions.