kiḿ vā śivākhyam aśivaḿ na vidus tvadanye
brahmādayas tam avakīrya jaṭāḥ śmaśāne
tan-mālya-bhasma-nṛkapālyavasat piśācair
ye mūrdhabhir dadhati tac-caraṇāvasṛṣṭam
SYNONYMS:
kim vā — whether; śiva-ākhyam — named Śiva; aśivam — inauspicious; na viduḥ — do not know; tvat anye — other than you; brahma-ādayaḥ — Brahmā and others; tam — him (Lord Śiva);
avakīrya — scattered; jaṭāḥ — having twisted hair; śmaśāne — in the
crematorium; tat-mālya-bhasma-nṛ-kapālī — who is garlanded with human
skulls and smeared with ashes; avasat — associated; piśācaiḥ — with
demons; ye — who; mūrdhabhiḥ — with the head; dadhati — place;
tat-caraṇa-avasṛṣṭam — fallen from his lotus feet.
avakīrya — scattered; jaṭāḥ — having twisted hair; śmaśāne — in the
crematorium; tat-mālya-bhasma-nṛ-kapālī — who is garlanded with human
skulls and smeared with ashes; avasat — associated; piśācaiḥ — with
demons; ye — who; mūrdhabhiḥ — with the head; dadhati — place;
tat-caraṇa-avasṛṣṭam — fallen from his lotus feet.
TRANSLATION:
Do you think that greater, more respectable personalities than you, such as Lord Brahmā, do not know this inauspicious person who goes under the name Lord Śiva? He
associates with the demons in the crematorium, his locks of hair are
scattered all over his body, he is garlanded with human skulls and
smeared with ashes from the crematorium, but in spite of all these
inauspicious qualities, great personalities like Brahmā honor him by
accepting the flowers offered to his lotus feet and placing them with
great respect on their heads.
associates with the demons in the crematorium, his locks of hair are
scattered all over his body, he is garlanded with human skulls and
smeared with ashes from the crematorium, but in spite of all these
inauspicious qualities, great personalities like Brahmā honor him by
accepting the flowers offered to his lotus feet and placing them with
great respect on their heads.
PURPORT:
It is useless to condemn a great personality like Lord Śiva, and this is being stated by his wife, Satī, to establish the supremacy of her husband. First she said, "You call Lord Śiva inauspicious because
he associates with demons in crematoriums, covers his body with the
ashes of the dead, and garlands himself with the skulls of human beings.
You have shown so many defects, but you do not know that his position
is always transcendental. Although he appears inauspicious, why do
personalities like Brahmā respect the dust of his lotus feet and place
on their heads with great respect those very garlands which are
condemned by you?" Since Satī was a chaste woman and the wife of Lord
Śiva, it was her duty to establish the elevated position of Lord Śiva,
not only by sentiment but by facts. Lord Śiva is not an ordinary living
entity. This is the conclusion of Vedic scripture. He is neither on the
level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor on the level of the
ordinary living entities. Brahmā is in almost all cases an ordinary
living entity. Sometimes, when there is no ordinary living entity
available, the post of Brahmā is occupied by an expansion of Lord
Viṣṇu, but generally this post is occupied by a greatly pious living
entity within this universe. Thus Lord Śiva's position is
constitutionally higher than that of Lord Brahmā, although Lord Śiva
appeared as the son of Brahmā. Here it is mentioned that even
personalities like Brahmā accept the so-called inauspicious flowers and
the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Śiva. Great sages like Marīci, Atri,
Bhṛgu and the others among the nine great sages who are descendants of
Brahmā also respect Lord Śiva in such a way because they all know that
Lord Śiva is not an ordinary living entity.
he associates with demons in crematoriums, covers his body with the
ashes of the dead, and garlands himself with the skulls of human beings.
You have shown so many defects, but you do not know that his position
is always transcendental. Although he appears inauspicious, why do
personalities like Brahmā respect the dust of his lotus feet and place
on their heads with great respect those very garlands which are
condemned by you?" Since Satī was a chaste woman and the wife of Lord
Śiva, it was her duty to establish the elevated position of Lord Śiva,
not only by sentiment but by facts. Lord Śiva is not an ordinary living
entity. This is the conclusion of Vedic scripture. He is neither on the
level of the Supreme Personality of Godhead nor on the level of the
ordinary living entities. Brahmā is in almost all cases an ordinary
living entity. Sometimes, when there is no ordinary living entity
available, the post of Brahmā is occupied by an expansion of Lord
Viṣṇu, but generally this post is occupied by a greatly pious living
entity within this universe. Thus Lord Śiva's position is
constitutionally higher than that of Lord Brahmā, although Lord Śiva
appeared as the son of Brahmā. Here it is mentioned that even
personalities like Brahmā accept the so-called inauspicious flowers and
the dust of the lotus feet of Lord Śiva. Great sages like Marīci, Atri,
Bhṛgu and the others among the nine great sages who are descendants of
Brahmā also respect Lord Śiva in such a way because they all know that
Lord Śiva is not an ordinary living entity.
In many Purāṇas it is sometimes asserted that a demigod is elevated to such a high position that he is almost on an equal level with the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but the conclusion that Lord
Viṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed in every
scripture. Lord Śiva is described in the Brahma-saḿhitā to be like curd
or yogurt. Curd is not different from milk. Since milk is transformed
into curd, in one sense curd is also milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva is in
one sense the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in another sense he is
not, just as curd is milk although we have to distinguish between the
two. These descriptions are in the Vedic literature. Whenever we find
that a demigod occupies a position apparently more elevated than that of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is just to draw the devotee's
attention to that particular demigod. It is also stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā (9.25) that if one wants to worship a particular demigod,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sitting in everyone's heart,
gives one greater and greater attachment for that demigod so that one
may be elevated to the demigod's abode. Yānti deva-vratā devān. By
worshiping demigods one can elevate himself to the abodes of the
demigods; similarly, by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead
one can be elevated to the spiritual kingdom. This is stated in
different places in Vedic literature. Here Lord Śiva is praised by Satī,
partially due to her personal respect for Lord Śiva, since he is her
husband, and partially due to his exalted position, which exceeds that
of ordinary living entities, even Lord Brahmā.
The position of Lord Śiva is accepted by Lord Brahmā, so Dakṣa, Satī's father, should also recognize him. ThatViṣṇu is the Supreme Personality of Godhead is confirmed in every
scripture. Lord Śiva is described in the Brahma-saḿhitā to be like curd
or yogurt. Curd is not different from milk. Since milk is transformed
into curd, in one sense curd is also milk. Similarly, Lord Śiva is in
one sense the Supreme Personality of Godhead, but in another sense he is
not, just as curd is milk although we have to distinguish between the
two. These descriptions are in the Vedic literature. Whenever we find
that a demigod occupies a position apparently more elevated than that of
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, it is just to draw the devotee's
attention to that particular demigod. It is also stated in the
Bhagavad-gītā (9.25) that if one wants to worship a particular demigod,
the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is sitting in everyone's heart,
gives one greater and greater attachment for that demigod so that one
may be elevated to the demigod's abode. Yānti deva-vratā devān. By
worshiping demigods one can elevate himself to the abodes of the
demigods; similarly, by worshiping the Supreme Personality of Godhead
one can be elevated to the spiritual kingdom. This is stated in
different places in Vedic literature. Here Lord Śiva is praised by Satī,
partially due to her personal respect for Lord Śiva, since he is her
husband, and partially due to his exalted position, which exceeds that
of ordinary living entities, even Lord Brahmā.
was the point of Satī's statement. She did not actually come to her
father's house to participate in the function, although before coming
she pleaded with her husband that she wanted to see her sisters and her
mother. That was a plea only, for actually at heart she maintained the
idea that she would convince her father, Dakṣa, that it was useless to
continue being envious of Lord Śiva. That was her main purpose. When she
was unable to convince her father, she gave up the body he had given
her, as will be seen in the following verses.
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