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Satī Quits Her Body (Srimad Bhagavatam

#49)
Having already given all his arguments, Lord Shiva didn't say anything more when Sati
decided to disregard his instructions and go alone. This lead to a tragic end.

Caitanya Chandra Dasa

Having already given all his arguments, Lord Shiva didn't say anything more when Sati decided to
disregard his instructions and go alone, but his followers accompanied Sati, understanding that this
was Lord Shiva's desire. They organized a procession for Sati, so she could travel comfortably.

However, when Sati reached the opulent arena of the sacrifice, no one received her apart from her
mother and sisters. All the Brahmanas and demigods present wanted in their minds to receive Sati
and honor her, but they knew Daksa would be displeased by that. Since Daksa was their superior,
they were afraid of him. The mother and sisters of Sati were however more softhearted and received
her with affection.

However, understanding Daksa's offensive mentality towards her husband, Sati didn't reply to them
or accept their presents. She was focused on her father and the arrangements made by him to neglect
her husband. She saw that the Brahmanas were skipping the mantras for offering oblations to Lord
Shiva, and that Daksa was so envious of him to the point of refusing to receive his youngest
daughter just because she was married to him.

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💬 Text of the lesson

Satī Quits Her Body (Chapter 4.4)

Sati and Lord Shiva formed an ideal couple: Lord Shiva is the greatest Vaishnava,
completely devoted to the Lord, while Sati was an extremely dedicated and qualified wife.
Having such a qualified husband, Sati was supposed to accept his judgment, understanding
that he was operating under higher reasoning. The real reason Sati wanted to go to the
sacrifice was to confront her father about not honoring her husband, but externally she
behaved like a regular woman, appearing to want to go due to family attachment. In this
way, the story gives us the example of a woman who has a highly qualified husband
disagreeing with him and the negative consequences for both their marriage and the lady's
own happiness. Srila Prabhupada picks this meaning for his comment on verse 3:

"Vedic marital relationship existed between Lord Śiva and Satī, but sometimes, due to weakness, a
woman becomes very much attracted by the members of her father’s house, and this happened to
Satī. In this verse it is specifically mentioned that she wanted to leave such a great husband as Śiva
because of her womanly weakness. In other words, womanly weakness exists even in the relationship
between husband and wife. Generally, separation between husband and wife is due to womanly
behavior; divorce takes place due to womanly weakness. The best course for a woman is to abide by
the orders of her husband. That makes family life very peaceful. Sometimes there may be
misunderstandings between husband and wife, as found even in such an elevated family relationship
as that of Satī and Lord Śiva, but a wife should not leave her husband’s protection because of such a
misunderstanding. If she does so, it is understood to be due to her womanly weakness."

Having already given all his arguments, Lord Shiva didn't say anything more when Sati
decided to disregard his instructions and go alone, but his followers accompanied Sati,
understanding that this was Lord Shiva's desire. They organized a procession for Sati, so
she could travel comfortably.

This also tells us something about a qualified disciple being able to understand the
intentions of the spiritual master without having to be directly ordered at each step.

However, when Sati reached the opulent arena of the sacrifice, no one received her apart
from her mother and sisters. All the Brahmanas and demigods present wanted in their
minds to receive Sati and honor her, but they knew Daksa would be displeased by that.
Since Daksa was their superior, they were afraid of him. The mother and sisters of Sati were
however more softhearted and received her with affection.

However, understanding Daksa's offensive mentality towards her husband, Sati didn't reply
to them or accept their presents. She was focused on her father and the arrangements made
by him to neglect her husband. She saw that the Brahmanas were skipping the mantras for
offering oblations to Lord Shiva, and that Daksa was so envious of him to the point of
refusing to receive his youngest daughter just because she was married to him. As
Prabhupada explains in his purport to verse 9:

"She was not sorry for herself, for she was ready to come to her father’s house without being invited,
but she wanted to see whether or not her husband was being respected. To see her relatives, her
sisters and mother, was not so important; even when she was received by her mother and sisters she
did not care, for she was most concerned that her husband was being insulted in the sacrifice. When
she marked the insult, she became greatly angry, and she looked at her father so angrily that Dakṣa
appeared to burn in her vision."

Not only Sati, but all the followers of Lord Shiva who accompanied her were enraged by
these offenses, and they were prepared to attack and if possible kill Daksa. Sati however
stopped them. She wanted to deal with the situation herself, using words and not physical
violence. She was not sorry for herself, but because her husband was insulted.
As Prabhupada explains in his purport to text 10: "Thus when Satī saw that her father was
performing great sacrifices but had no respect for the greatest devotee, Lord Śiva, she was very angry.
This is fitting; when Viṣṇu or a Vaiṣṇava is insulted, one should be angry. Lord Caitanya, who
always preached nonviolence, meekness and humility, also became angry when Nityānanda was
offended by Jagāi and Mādhāi, and He wanted to kill them. When Viṣṇu or a Vaiṣṇava is
blasphemed or dishonored, one should be very angry."

"Lord Śiva is the most beloved of all living entities. He has no rival. No one is very dear to him, and
no one is his enemy. No one but you could be envious of such a universal being, who is free from all
enmity.

Twice-born Dakṣa, a man like you can simply find fault in the qualities of others. Lord Śiva,
however, not only finds no faults with others’ qualities, but if someone has a little good quality, he
magnifies it greatly. Unfortunately, you have found fault with such a great soul.

It is not wonderful for persons who have accepted the transient material body as the self to engage
always in deriding great souls. Such envy on the part of materialistic persons is very good because
that is the way they fall down. They are diminished by the dust of the feet of great personalities. (SB
4.4.11-13)

There were many brahmanas present in the assembly, but they were not envious of Lord
Shiva. The whole situation was caused by Daksa, who was misusing his authority, forcing
all the others to neglect him. This Sati accused Daksa of being the only one envious. She
also contrasted the attitude of Lord Shiva, in seeing only the good qualities of others with
Daksa who was envious of even completely faultless persons.

The speech of Sati goes from verse 11 to 16. This passage is important because it describes
the glories of Lord Shiva, not as a demigod, but as the greatest of Vaishnavas. Lord Shiva
has many worshipers, but very few of them understand his real position. As Vaishnavas, we
should be very careful to not offend Lord Shiva, since he is senior to all of us. Just as Daksa
fell for offending Lord Shiva, anyone who does the same may face the same end. Followers
of Lord Shiva often have nasty habits due to their tamasic nature, but Lord Shiva is
completely different from them.

Demons and ghosts worship Lord Shiva for material benefits, seeing him as a separate deity
from Lord Vishnu. For them, Lord Shiva acts as a demigod, granting them material
blessings. Vaishnavas however are the true followers of Lord Shiva, because they
understand his real position and glorify him as a devotee of the Lord. Lord Shiva's position
is fully transcendental, and his external behavior just confirms that. No one could associate
with the most degraded classes of beings as he does without becoming contaminated, and
he does so not out of personal desire, but out of compassion for them, giving shelter for the
most degraded creatures, who would otherwise have no means of deliverance. The many
rules prescribed in the Vedas regulate the activities of common men who are attached to
material activities, but because Lord Shiva is completely free from material attachment, all
his activities are pure, and there is no need for him to follow such rules.

Sati came to talk to her father, even against the desire of her husband because the situation
was intolerable for her. Because she had a familial relationship with Daksa, having accepted
him as her father, his attitude deeply pained her. She came to the arena with the idea that
she might be able to convince her father with good arguments, and that's what she does in
this passage. As Prabhupada mentions in his purport to verse 16:

"The position of Lord Śiva is accepted by Lord Brahmā, so Dakṣa, Satī’s father, should also
recognize him. That 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."

Daksa, however, ignored the pleas of Sati, failing to consider her arguments. Seeing that it
would be impossible to change Daksa's mentality, she decided she decided to break the
relationship with him. In other words, she decided she didn't want to be his daughter
anymore. Since a familial relationship is established based on the body, she decided to cut
the problem from the root by destroying her body.

Sati is the incarnation of the external potency of the Lord. Just as Lord Shiva appears as the
son of Lord Brahma, although he exists eternally outside the material universe, his wife, the
material potency appeared first as Sati, and then as Parvati, accompanying him. Daksa had
the good fortune of playing the role of a father for such an exalted personality, but
unfortunately, he wasted the opportunity.

"Therefore I shall no longer bear this unworthy body, which has been received from you, who have
blasphemed Lord Śiva. If someone has taken food which is poisonous, the best treatment is to
vomit."
"You are an offender at the lotus feet of Lord Śiva, and unfortunately I have a body produced from
yours. I am very much ashamed of our bodily relationship, and I condemn myself because my body is
contaminated by a relationship with a person who is an offender at the lotus feet of the greatest
personality." (SB 4.4.18,22)

After speaking these words, Sati sat down facing North. Perfect yogis can leave the body
whenever they desire. Normally, they do that by controlling the vital airs and thus elevating
the vital airs through the ṣaṭ-chakra, the six circles of air circulation. The subtle body floats
in the five types of vital air inside the heart, and thus by moving the vital air they can move
the subtle body to the top of the head, and from there leave the body by the cerebral
passage. Sati however decided to also incinerate her body using her mystic power,
completely destroying the root cause of her relationship with Daksa.

As she mentions, she was feeling very sorry that her body was produced by him, and she felt
morose due to this relationship. She desired to obtain another, uncontaminated body to
associate with her husband free from the contaminating relationship with such an offender.

In text 26, Srila Prabhupada connects her example with our practical life, emphasizing the
importance of good association in spiritual life:

"This severe example set by Satī is to be followed. One should be extremely careful about associating
with persons who are not respectful to the higher authorities. It is therefore instructed in the Vedic
literature that one should always be free from the association of atheists and nondevotees and
should try to associate with devotees, for by the association of a devotee one can be elevated to the
platform of self-realization. This injunction is stressed in many places in Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam; if
one wants to be liberated from the clutches of material existence, then one has to associate with
great souls, and if one wants to continue one’s material existential life, then one may associate with
persons who are materialistic."

The passing away of Sati was a dramatic event for everyone present. It is described that
there was a tumultuous roar all over the universe. Everyone was questioning how such an
elevated person, the wife of the respected Lord Shiva could abandon her body in such a
manner, and how Daksa could be so neglectful to the point of causing it.

The associates of Lord Shiva who accompanied Sati, however, were not in the mood of
lamentation. They took their weapons and prepared to storm the sacrifice and kill Daksa,
even though he was protected by very powerful Brahmanas and demigods. Having failed in
their mission of protecting Sati, they felt there was no other reason than to give up their
lives.

As they came forward, Bhṛgu Muni immediately saw the danger and uttered Vedic mantras
from the Yajur Veda, destined to protect Vedic ceremonies by killing attackers. As he
offered oblations to the fire, thousands of demigods followers of Soma called Ṛbhus
appeared to neutralize the attack. The followers of Lord Shiva who were not killed ran away
in different directions and returned to the abode of Lord Shiva.

In his purport, Prabhupada mentions that in previous ages Brahmas had such powers
because they would very rigidly follow all regulations of the scriptures and thus attain
Brahminical perfection. Although Vedic mantras are still known in our age, the current
Brahmanas have no power. The power of Vedic mantras is not just in the proper
pronunciation but in the spiritual power of the chanter. Although in our age it is not
possible to follow all the Brahminical rules and regulations, we can still attain spiritual
perfection by chanting the Hare Krsna Maha-Mantra. A pure devotee attains all mystic
perfections due to his connection with the Lord.

Lord Shiva frustrates the sacrifice of Daksa (chapter 4.5)

With the death of Sati and the retaliation against his followers, Lord Shiva decided that
enough was enough. Before, when offended by Daksa at the sacrifice, he remained
composed and left the assembly to avoid further upheaval. When Daksa deprived him of his
share of sacrifices and failed to invite him and his wife to the bṛhaspati-sava sacrifice, he
just showed a little moroseness. Now, however, he showed anger. Laughing like a madman
at Daksa's foolishness, he snatched a strand of hair from his head and threw it to the
ground. From this hair, that blazed like electricity, Vīrabhadra, the great fearful demon
appeared, bright like three suns combined and high as the sky.

The word "demon" is used in this case in the traditional Western sense, as a fearful
creature, and not as a translation for the word asura. Virabadra is described in the text as
"atikāyaḥ" (a great personality). The word "demon" is just used to describe his fearful
appearance.

Virabadra is described as being the personification of the anger of the Supreme Personality
of Godhead. Because he is directly empowered by the Lord, no one was capable of checking
him. Therefore, when Shiva ordered him to "kill Dakṣa and his soldiers at the sacrifice", his
destiny was sealed. It's described that even Lord Brahma would not be capable of saving
himself if attacked by him.

Assisted by all the followers of Lord Shiva, he stormed the sacrifice of Daksa and killed him
by cutting his head using the wooden instrument used to sacrifice animals and throwing it
into the sacrificial fire. Daksa was so powerful that even Virabadra had difficulties cutting
his head, but in the end, he was successful.

Other demigods who supported Daksa were punished according to the gravity of their
offenses. Bhṛgu had his mustache torn out, Bhaga lost his eyes, Pūṣā lost his teeth, and so
on. Later, in the 6th canto, it is mentioned that Pūṣā was forced to live on eating chickpea
dough and remained childless due to this. After devastating the sacrifice, the followers of
Lord Shiva returned to Kailāsa Hill, back to their master.

The demigods approach Lord Brahma (4.6.1-41)

Having been defeated and injured by the followers of Lord Shiva, the demigods and priests
went to see Lord Brahma and ask for instructions. Due to their offense to Lord Shiva, Daksa
was dead, the sacrifice was ruined, and so on. Although the demigods have bodies that are
much more subtle and refined than ours, their bodies are still material and can be injured
by the right type of weapons. As Lord Kapila explains in His teachings, there are different
grades of matter, but inside all abodes, the qualities of different material elements (such as
hot and cold, soft and hard, etc.) remain the same. A demigod may not be hurt by weapons
from our plane, but there are weapons in their own plane that can hurt them, like the
tridents and swords of the followers of Lord Shiva.

The demigods had to visit Brahma in his abode because he was not present in the sacrifice.
The reason he didn't attend was because he understood what would happen. Similarly, Lord
Vishnu was not present there; only the demigods and priests who were under Daksa
attended.

"When Lord Brahmā heard everything from the demigods and the members who had attended the
sacrifice, he replied: You cannot be happy in executing a sacrifice if you blaspheme a great
personality and thereby offend his lotus feet. You cannot have happiness in that way.

You have excluded Lord Śiva from taking part in the sacrificial results, and therefore you are all
offenders at his lotus feet. Still, if you go without mental reservations and surrender unto him and
fall down at his lotus feet, he will be very pleased." (SB 4.6.4-5)

As explained in the 11th canto of Srimad Bhagavatam, the symptom of a neophyte devotee
is that he worships the Lord in the temple while failing to show proper respect to His
devotees and to people in general. Lord Kapila compares this type of worship to offering
ghee into ashes. Because in the case of the demigods the offense was against the highest
personality, the results were dramatic. Being a Vaishnava, however, Lord Shiva can be easily
appeased, and therefore Lord Brahma instructed the demigods to go to him and surrender
without reservations.

In his Bhakti-Sandarbha, section 153, Srila Jiva Goswami explains more about the
consequences of offending devotees of the Lord. Just as the demigods faced difficulties in
the performance of the sacrifice, such offenses can also create obstacles for us in our
spiritual progress. He then details five characteristics we may develop as a result of these
offenses, which will act as obstacles to our devotional service:

1) Crookedness

2) Faithlessness

3) Attachment to things that destroy faith in the Lord

4) Slackness in devotional service

5) Pride in being advanced in devotional service.

According to him, crookedness means to engage in devotional service while committing

offenses to the Supreme Personality of Godhead, the Vedas, the spiritual master, or the
devotees. The Lord Does not accept devotional service offered by those who are crooked,
just as He did not accept the sumptuous meal offered by Duryodhana when He visited
Hastinapura as a messenger from the Pandavas. He explains that even a foolish person can
attain success in devotional service, but not those who are crooked. As explained by Srila
Suta Goswami: "The Lord can be easily pleased by spotless devotees who resort exclusively to Him
for protection, though the unrighteous man finds it difficult to propitiate Him."

Faithlessness means when one hears of or directly sees the glories of the Lord, one does not
believe that they are true. One example is the response of Duryodhana on seeing the
universal form of the Lord, presuming it was just a display of illusory magic by Krsna,
whom he considered an ordinary man. A faithless person will not have faith in the chanting
of the holy names and will see the deity as just a statue and prasadam as just ordinary food,
even after practicing for many years.

Attachment to things that destroy faith in the Lord includes excessive involvement in
materialistic activities and sense pleasure, association with non-devotees, indulgence in
philosophies that contradict devotional conclusions as well as pride and arrogance. As we
advance in our practice in our practice and get a higher taste, we are supposed to give up all
these tendencies, since they replace our faith in the Supreme Lord and in the chanting of
the holy names. Offenses block this process, keeping us conditioned in this material world.
Mentioning verse 5.8.26 of Srimad Bhagavatam, Srila Jiva Goswami explains that the
pastime of Bharata Maharaja becoming attached to the deer must have been due to offenses
committed in his past life since such a strong impediment could not have been created due
to ordinary fruitive activities.

As he mentions, in the case of great devotees like Bharata Maharaja, Gajendra, etc. such
temporary reverses may be created by the Lord to increase their determination in attaining
Him, but in our case, the impediments that we may receive due to offenses to advanced
Vaishnavas may not be so benign.

In section 159, Srila Jiva Goswami makes the point that when a foolish person commits
offenses, it is often not out of malice, and therefore such offenses are not taken very
seriously. The same applies to animals that somehow or other perform some kind of service
and may attain perfection very easily because their offenses are also not out of malice. One
example is the rat who entered the altar to eat the ghee from the lamp offered to the Lord.
However, as he approached the lamp, his whiskers caught fire, making him jump and move
around, causing the flame to flicker and rise higher. He got burned and died, but the Lord
accepted this as an offering, and as a result, he became a queen in the next life who was
serious about devotional practice, and from there went back to Godhead.

An intelligent and educated person, however, knows very well the difference between right
and wrong, and if he commits offenses it is out of malice. We can see that the demigods fit
this description, therefore they received a very serious reaction for their offenses to Lord
Shiva, and their whole sacrifice was spoiled.

The 4th factor, slackness in devotional service makes us experience happiness and suffering
caused by our own minds and also by others. When we are properly engaged in devotional
service, we become quickly free from such sufferings, but when we are not determined, we
continue immersed in them. Offenses are one of the factors that sap our determination,
making us morose.

The last factor is to develop pride in whatever advancement one can achieve in the practice
of devotional service. This pride in itself comes as a result of past offenses, and due to pride
one becomes propense to commit more offenses, just like Daksa, becoming further
entangled. In the Caitanya Caritamrta, Lord Caitanya personally teaches about the risks of
committing offenses to Vaishnavas, and the example of Daksa and the demigods is another
example of this direction. How to escape this cycle? We have to beg forgiveness from whom
we have offended, as Lord Brahma instructed the demigods.

Brahma took the demigods to Kailāsa, in the Northern part of Jambūdvīpa (the opposite
side of Bharata-varsa). Verses 9 to 32 describe the opulence of this celestial abode. Although
Lord Shiva is completely renounced, his wife is the personification of material energy,
therefore their abode is extraordinarily opulent, not in terms of buildings and gold, but in
terms of natural beauty, cleanliness, and auspiciousness, with many auspicious trees,
mountains, rivers, waterfalls, flowers, animals, etc. Sati mentioned to Daksa that he could
not even imagine the opulence of her husband and her, and that was not an exaggeration.

Since Lord Shiva is constantly engaged in meditation and prefers to live under a tree, his
wife organizes the most perfect place for his meditation. Other fortunate beings live there,
including many Kinnaras, Gandharvas, Apsaras, etc.

The demigods came from the higher planets in the direction of Jambūdvīpa, and on the way
passed through the abode of Kuvera, which is situated between Swargaloka and Bhu-loka.
After observing the opulence of Kailāsa Hill, the demigods finally reached the great banyan
tree that serves as the residence of Lord Shiva. This banyan tree is described as being 800
miles high, with the branches expanding for 600 miles around. The environment around the
tree was perfectly peaceful. The temperature was stable, and there was absolutely no noise.
Even birds did not make nests there, creating a perfect environment for meditation, all
arrangement of the material energy to her husband.

"The demigods saw Lord Śiva sitting under that tree, which was competent to give perfection to
mystic yogīs and deliver all people. As grave as time eternal, he appeared to have given up all anger.

Lord Śiva sat there, surrounded by saintly persons like Kuvera, the master of the Guhyakas, and the
four Kumāras, who were already liberated souls. Lord Śiva was grave and saintly.
The demigods saw Lord Śiva situated in his perfection as the master of the senses, knowledge,
fruitive activities and the path of achieving perfection. He was the friend of the entire world, and by
virtue of his full affection for everyone, he was very auspicious. (SB 4.6.33-35)

Lord Shiva was speaking to Narada Muni, answering questions posed by him about
devotional service. He was also accompanied by Kuvera, the four Kumaras as well as other
great personalities. Lord Shiva was in the sitting pose called vīrāsana, with his finger in the
mode of argument. However, when he saw Lord Brahma approaching, together with all the
demigods, Lord Shiva got up and offered him respects, followed by all the great sages
present. This is compared to Lord Vāmanadeva offering respects to his father Kaśyapa
Muni, although he is the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Lord Shiva is in a higher
position than Brahma, but he offers him respect in all humility because he appeared as his
son. Kṛṣṇa Himself touched the feet of Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira because he was older than
Him. By all these examples, the Lord teaches us to respect seniors.

From verse 42 to verse 53, Brahma offers prayers to Lord Shiva and requests him to kindly
forgive the demigods and revert the injuries done to them. These are the main points:

a) Brahma describes Lord Shiva as "the Supreme Brahman beyond the cosmic
manifestation". Lord Shiva comes originally from Maha-Vishnu, but at the same time, part
of his qualities are covered when he appears inside the many different universes and
associates with material nature. Since material nature acts as his energy, he is defined as
both the father and mother of the cosmic manifestation.

b) Ultimately, the Supreme Lord is the creator, maintainer, and destroyer of the material
manifestation, but because Lord Shiva is empowered by Him, Brahma addresses Lord Shiva
as such. Another reason is that Lord Shiva is an expansion of the Lord, and therefore in one
sense they are non-different, although Lord Shiva prays a different role and shows different
qualifies. Lord Vishnu is like milk, and Lord Shiva is like yogurt. Yogurt comes from milk
and is nothing but milk, but at the same time, it has different properties.

c) Brahma appears to address Lord Shiva as the Supreme Lord in his prayers. This has two
reasons: one is because of the close relationship of Lord Shiva and the Supreme Lord. A
second reason is given by Vyasadeva in the Vedanta-sutra 1.4.28: etena sarve vyākhyātā
vyākhyātāḥ, "The Supreme Lord is the original cause of everything. All words of the scriptures
should be interpreted according to this explanation."
In many passages of the scriptures, names such as Indra, Vayu, Surya, and Shiva are used to
address the Supreme Lord. In these cases, they are accepted as addressing Lord Vishnu, and
not as the respective demigods. In this way, the prayers of Lord Brahma mix glorification to
Lord Shiva and to the Supreme Lord behind him.

d) The Lord created the varnasrama system and the four varnas are accepted as parts of His
universal form. Everyone is supposed to follow the system, but Brahmas are supposed to be
especially strict. Daksa was entrusted with knowledge of the karma-kanda portion of the
Vedas, the knowledge about fruitive sacrifices, which is also part of the system.

e) Everything exists on the energy of the Lord. The pious, who perform auspicious
activities, culminating with devotional service, are elevated to the celestial planets, the
impersonal Brahmajoti or the spiritual planets, according to the quality of their activities,
while the miscreants who reject the path of devotional service and disobey the injunctions
of the scriptures are sent to the hellish planets. However, sometimes a pious person, like
Daksa is punished due to offenses to pure devotees, and sometimes a sinful person or
demon is promoted to the impersonal Brahman or even the spiritual planets due to mercy
(like in the case of Ajamila) or for being killed by Krsna, like in the case of many demons.
The Lord is the ultimate judge and no one can challenge His decision. Demons may protest
the authority of the Lord, but pure devotees surrender fully unto Him, understand that his
activities are all-auspicious,

f) Pure devotees see the Lord in all bodies as Paramatma, together with the individual soul.
They see thus everyone equally, different from the materialist who discriminates according
to the body and social position. They also never become overwhelmed by anger, like
animals and people who can't control their senses, and they understand that both the
blessings and anger of the Lord are auspicious and thus they never find fault with Him.

g) Brahma argues that apart from pure devotees of the Lord, who attain eternal life,
everyone is automatically killed by the influence of eternal time, or providence, which acts
under the sanction of the Lord. This is especially true of materialistic, mean, and envious
people who offend and pain others. Since they are already dead, there is no need for a great
Vaishnava like Lord Shiva to personally kill them. Instead, a Vaishnava should try to revive
their Krsna consciousness and push them out of the clutches of Maya, even if this means
tolerating personal insults.

h) Materialists are overwhelmed by illusion, and due to this they sometimes commit
offenses to saintly persons. Although a Vaishnava should not tolerate offenses against the
Supreme Lord or other Vaishnavas, he should, out of compassion, not take personal
offenses very seriously and not use his power to retaliate, just as in the case of Pariksit
Maharaja being cursed by the Brahmana boy. Vaishnavas are the only means of deliverance
for fallen people, and therefore they should take care of them instead of becoming angry at
their offenses.

After offering all these points, Lord Brahma pleaded with Lord Shiva to revert the damage
done to the demigods and the sacrifice, allowing Daksa to return to life, the different
demigods to regain their lost limbs, etc. so the yajña could be resumed, now with Lord
Shiva accepting his proper share of the offerings.

In his purport, Srila Prabhupada makes the point that yajña means to work for the
satisfaction of the Lord, instead of personal sense gratification. Activities to satisfy the
Supreme Godhead are prescribed in the Vedic literature, and the aim of all our activities
should be to satisfy the Lord. There are different activities prescribed as yajña for different
classes of people and different ages. Demigods typically perform fire sacrifices, just as
people in Treta-yuga, while sages on the higher planets usually perform meditation, just as
people in Satya-yuga. In Dvapara-yuga these two activities are replaced by temple worship
and in Kali-yuga the process of chanting is recommended. In the Bhagavad-gita Krsna also
recommends the paths of Karma-yoga, Jñāna-yoga, Sankhya, etc. These paths should not be
seen as separate processes, but as different stages of the process of bhakti-yoga, leading to
the same ultimate goal.

When a fire sacrifice is performed, all the oblations are offered to the Lord, and the prasāda
is then shared between the different demigods who are attending the ceremony. Daksa
deprived Lord Shiva of his share of the prasāda, but now Brahma reassured him he would
get it.

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