99 - Destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice

The sages said:

1-2. O Suta of great intellect, the origin of the goddess has been indicated by you. Now, mention in detail her birth as the daughter of Mena after her self immolation as Sati in the previous birth and then the destruction of Daksha’s sacrifice. How was she given to Shiva, the lord of Devas, by Vishnu?

3-5. How was her marriage with him? It behoves you to narrate all this to us now.

On hearing their words, Suta the most excellent among the Pauranikas, narrated the birth of the great goddess to those noble-souled ones.

Suta said:

It was at the outset mentioned to Dandin in detail by Brahma; it was then mentioned to Kumara (Sanat) by him. Then it was mentioned to Vyasa, the intelligent sage. I have heard it from him and I am now recounting it to you all in detail.

6-7. O highly blessed ones, at your entreaty I shall mention it to you after bowing down to Uma and Shiva.

She is the mother of the universe. She is named Bhaga. She is the three-fold pedestal of the deity in the form of Linga.

Linga is the lord himself. O excellent brahmins, the creation of the universe is by both of them. Shiva in the from of Linga is the splendour stationed above darkness.

8. In view of the union of Linga and pedestal he became Ardhanarishvara (lord with the form of a woman in one half). At the outset he created his son Brahma the four-faced lord.934

934. Brahmanam vidadhe devam. Cf. yo brahmanam vidadhati purvam yo devanam prathamam purastat —cited in ST.

935. Shraddha, the first wife of Shiva who afterwards became Sati the daughter of Daksha. [She became Parvati in her third birth. Cf. - cited in ST. and also Adityapurana:

9. Shiva who excels the whole universe, the lord Ardhanarishvara, full of knowledge, granted knowledge to Brahma.

10. The lord Shiva saw Brahma being born. Brahma too saw Rudra, Shankara and Mahadeva.

11. On seeing the lord Ardhanarishvara stationed there, the lotus-born deity eulogised Shiva, the bestower of the boons, by means of pleasing words.

12. The unborn lord requested the lord the soul of the universe, by saying “Divide yourself.” He created the goddess from the left side of his body as his befitting wife.

13. This ancient splendid lady, viz: — Shraddha,935 became the daughter of Daksha at the behest of the lord.

14. At that time, her name was Sati. She resorted to Rudra alone as her husband. In course of time, she rebuked Daksha. The goddess then became the daughter of Mena.

15-20. It was due to the curse of Narada that Daksha also was prompted to censure them. The haughty Daksha, dishonoured the lord of Uma contemptuously. When Sati came to know of this action of her father Daksha, by her yogic power.

she reduced her body to ashes.936 Later she was born as goddess Parvati, the daughter of the lord of the mountains, and performed penance. On coming to know of this and at the instance of the son of Chyavana, the infuriated lord Bharga destroyed the extensive sacrifice of Daksha. The son of Chyavana was the well-known and intelligent Dadhicha. Thanks to the grace of the three-eyed lord, the leading sage conquered Vishnu in battle and cursed Devas along with Vishnu: “O Devas, your imminent destruction is by the fire originating from Rudra’s anger, due to the Maya of Shankara, the great lord.