Chapter FiveDeath of Dakña

|| 4.5.1 ||maitreya uväca

bhavo bhavänyä nidhanaà prajäpaterasat-kåtäyä avagamya näradät

sva-pärñada-sainyaà ca tad-adhvararbhubhirvidrävitaà krodham apäram ädadhe

Maitreya said: Hearing from Närada about that Saté had died because of the insults to her by Dakña, and that soldiers had been driven away the Åbhus who arose from the sacrifice, Çiva became angry.

In the Fifth Chapter, Çiva, hearing about the death of his wife, cuts off the head of Dakña and kills him by transforming his hair into Vérabhadra. Çiva heard the Saté had died because of the insults of Dakña (prajäpateù).The Åbhus had appeared at the sacrifice (tad-adhvararbhubhih).

|| 4.5.2 ||kruddhaù sudañöauñöha-puöaù sa dhür-jaöir

jaöäà taòid-vahni-saöogra-rociñamutkåtya rudraù sahasotthito hasangambhéra-nädo visasarja täà bhuvi

Çiva, with locks of matted hair, biting his lips, snatched a hair which blazed terribly like fire or lightning, and, becoming ferocious, he stood up. Laughing and roaring loudly, he forcibly threw the hair on the ground.

Saöä means blazing. Rudraù àeans he became ferocious.

|| 4.5.3 ||tato 'tikäyas tanuvä spåçan divaà

sahasra-bähur ghana-ruk tri-sürya-dåkkaräla-daàñöro jvalad-agni-mürdhajaù

kapäla-mälé vividhodyatäyudhaù

From that hair, a huge, black figure which touched the sky with its body, having a thousand arms, projecting teeth, eyes bright as three suns, hair like blazing fire, appeared, wearing a garland of skulls and holding various weapons.

Tataù mean “from that hair.” He touched the sky with his body. His eyes were like three suns.

|| 4.5.4 ||taà kià karométi gåëantam äha

baddhäïjalià bhagavän bhüta-näthaùdakñaà sa-yajïaà jahi mad-bhaöänäàtvam agraëé rudra bhaöäàçako me

Vérabhadra, with folded hands, asked, “What shall I do?” Çiva, lord of the ghosts, said, “Kill Dakña along with his sacrifice. O Rudra, skilled in battle! You are my chief portion.”

“O Rudra, skilled in battle! Since you are my portion, the power of Brahman, you cannot be defeated! Do not worry!”

|| 4.5.5 ||äjïapta evaà kupitena manyunä

sa deva-devaà paricakrame vibhummene-tadätmänam asaìga-raàhasämahéyasäà täta sahaù sahiñëum

O Vidura! Thus ordered by angry Çiva, Vérabhadra circumambulated the powerful lord of the devatäs. He considered himself capable of combating the strength of the strongest with his speed which could not be matched.

Ordered by Çiva who was angry, he circumambulated Çiva. He had speed which could not be matched (asaìga-raàhasä). Or he had the speed of Çiva who is without material association, since he is self-satisfied. He thought himself capable of tolerating the strength (sahaù) of the strongest (mahéyasäm).

|| 4.5.6 ||anvéyamänaù sa tu rudra-pärñadair

bhåçaà nadadbhir vyanadat subhairavamudyamya çülaà jagad-antakäntakaà

samprädravad ghoñaëa-bhüñaëäìghriù

Accompanied by the followers of Çiva, who made a tumultuous sound, making a thundering sound with his foot ornaments, and raising a trident which was the death for death itself, he hurried to the sacrifice.

The trident was like death (antakam) for death itself (jagad-antaka). On his two feet he had ornaments which made a thunderous noise (ghoñaëa).

|| 4.5.7 ||athartvijo yajamänaù sadasyäù

kakubhy udécyäà prasamékñya reëumtamaù kim etat kuta etad rajo 'bhüditi dvijä dvija-patnyaç ca dadhyuù

Seeing the darkness in the northern direction, the priests, sponsors and assembled guests understood it was dust. The brähmaëas and their wives then thought, “Where has this dust come from?

When it became dark, they thought that it was impossible. Then they understood it was dust. “But where has this dust come from?”

|| 4.5.8 ||vätä na vänti na hi santi dasyavaùpräcéna-barhir jévati hogra-daëòaù

gävo na kälyanta idaà kuto rajoloko 'dhunä kià pralayäya kalpate

The winds are not blowing. It is not thieves because King Präcénabarhi, who administers severe punishment, is living. No one is herding cows. Where is the dust coming from? Is the world ready for final destruction?

They considered various possibilities. It is evident that Präcénabarhi was the King at that time.

|| 4.5.9 ||prasüti-miçräù striya udvigna-cittä

ücur vipäko våjinasyaiva tasyayat paçyanténäà duhitèëäà prajeçaù

sutäà satém avadadhyäv anägäm

The wives of Dakña headed by Prasüti, with anxious hearts, said, “This is the result of Dakña’s sin. While her sisters watched, he insulted Saté, his daughter, who was innocent.”

The women of whom Prasüti was the chief spoke. This is the result (vipäkam) of the offense of her father. Not only did Dakña offend her, but did so in the presence of her sisters, and she was innocent as well.

|| 4.5.10 ||yas tv anta-käle vyupta-jaöä-kaläpaùsva-çüla-sücy-arpita-dig-gajendraù

vitatya nåtyaty uditästra-dor-dhvajänuccäööa-häsa-stanayitnu-bhinna-dik

With scattered locks, piercing the directions with his trident, waving his flag-like arms holding upraised weapons, and breaking the directions by the roar of his loud laughter, Çiva dances at the time of universal destruction.

The powers of Dakña cannot defeat Çiva. This is explained in two verses. Siva’s locks of hair are scattered (vyupta-jaöä-kaläpaù). In his arms are raised weapons. He throws his arms about like waving flags and dances. He pierces the directions by the roar of his loud laughter.

|| 4.5.11 ||amarñayitvä tam asahya-tejasaà

manyu-plutaà durnirékñyaà bhru-kuöyäkaräla-daàñöräbhir udasta-bhägaëaà

syät svasti kià kopayato vidhätuù

After angering Çiva , terrifying in appearance, who has intolerable strength, great anger, and who scatters the planets by the his frown and protruding teeth, how can a person, even Brahmä, have good fortune?

Having angered (amarñayitvä) Çiva who scatters the luminaries like fire and the sun, how can a person have good fortune, even if Brahmä, the father of Dakña, angers Çiva? What to speak of others! By Dakña’s cruelty, we have fallen into the greatest danger.

|| 4.5.12 ||bahv evam udvigna-dåçocyamäne

janena dakñasya muhur mahätmanaùutpetur utpätatamäù sahasraço

bhayävahä divi bhümau ca paryak

While people were continuously speaking in this way, thousands of great disturbances, frightening even to sober-minded Dakña, appeared in the sky, on earth, and all around.

“O mothers! You are speaking the truth.” In this way, all the assembled persons spoke. The omens were frightening even for Dakña who was powerful (mahätmanaù). Or mahätmanaù can sarcastically mean the opposite-- evil-minded.

|| 4.5.13 ||tävat sa rudränucarair mahä-makhonänäyudhair vämanakair udäyudhaiùpiìgaiù piçaìgair makarodaränanaiùparyädravadbhir viduränvarudhyata

O Vidura! Vérabhadra, along with Çiva’s associates, who were short, reddish and yellowish, with faces and bellies like makaras, holding various weapons, running everywhere, quickly surrounded the sacrificial arena.

Vämanakaiù means “with short stature.” Anvarudhyata means” they surrounded.”

|| 4.5.14 ||kecid babhaïjuù präg-vaàçaà

patné-çäläà tathäparesada ägnédhra-çäläà ca

Some of the associates broke the beams, while others destroyed the women’s quarters, the assembly hall, the kindling house, the sponsor’s quarters and the kitchen.

Präg-väàñam refers to the wooden beams running east to west resting upon the pillars, in construction of the sacrificial house. West of the sacrificial area was the women’s quarters. East of the sacrificial area was the assembly shed (sadas). East of that was the shed for the vehicles to carry soma. North of that was the place for kindling the fire (ägnédhra-çäläm). Vihäram is the house for the sponsor. Mahänasam is the kitchen.

|| 4.5.15 ||rurujur yajïa-päträëi

tathaike 'gnén anäçayankuëòeñv amütrayan kecidbibhidur vedi-mekhaläù

Others broke the sacrificial vessels. Others extinguished the fire. Others urinated in the pits and others tore up the earthwork around the fire pits.

Rurujuù means “they destroyed”.

|| 4.5.16 ||abädhanta munén anye

eke patnér atarjayanapare jagåhur devän

pratyäsannän paläyitän

Others harassed the sages, while others shouted at the women. Others caught the devaöäs who had fled nearby.

They scolded the women with coarse language or by saving, “Stay here, and we will make you widows.”

|| 4.5.17 ||bhåguà babandha maëimän

vérabhadraù prajäpatimcaëòeçaù püñaëaà devaà

bhagaà nandéçvaro 'grahét

Maëimän tied up Bhågu Muni, and Vérabhadra tied up Dakña. Caëòeça tied up Püñä. Nandéçvara tied up Bhaga.

|| 4.5.18 ||sarva evartvijo dåñövä

sadasyäù sa-divaukasaùtair ardyamänäù subhåçaàgrävabhir naikadhädravan

After seeing this, all the priests, guests, and devatäs, afflicted greatly by the stones thrown at them, could not flee in a group.

Being afflicted by stones, they could not flee in a group.

|| 4.5.19 ||juhvataù sruva-hastasya

çmaçrüëi bhagavän bhavaùbhågor luluïce sadasi

yo 'hasac chmaçru darçayan

Vérabhadra tore off the moustache of Bhågu, who was offering oblations with a ladle in his hand, but who had smiled, showing his moustache (after Dakña insulted Çiva).

|| 4.5.20 ||bhagasya netre bhagavän

pätitasya ruñä bhuviujjahära sada-stho 'kñëäyaù çapantam asüsucat

Vérabhadra pulled out the eyes of Bhaga, who had fallen on the ground, and who had encouraged Dakña by the movement of his eyebrows in the assembly.

Çapantam refers to Dakña who criticized Çiva. Bhaga encouraged Òakña by glancing with the corner of his eye.

|| 4.5.21 ||püñëo hy apätayad dantän

käliìgasya yathä balaùçapyamäne garimaëi

yo 'hasad darçayan dataù

Vérabhadra made Püñä’s teeth fall out, just as Balaräma made the King of Kaliìga’s teeth fall out. Püñä had smiled, showing his teeth, when Çiva was being rebuked by Dakña.

Just Balaräma, at the time of Aniruddha’s marriage, during a game of dice, made the teeth of the King of Kaliìga fall out, so Vérabhadra made Püñä’s teeth fall out. Garimaëi refers to Çiva. Dataù stands for dantän (teeth). Another version has puñnoù in the dual form. Sometimes Indra and Püñä are grouped together as in the phrase aindräpauñëaà carum: the rice offering of Indra and Püñä. (Black Yayur Veda, Taittiréya-båahmaëa 1.7.2.4.5) Thus Vérabhadra made the teeth of both Indra and Püñä fall out.

|| 4.5.22 ||äkramyorasi dakñasya

çita-dhäreëa hetinächindann api tad uddhartuànäçaknot tryambakas tadä

Vérabhadra, sitting on the chest of Dakña, though trying to cut off his head with a sharp sword, could not separate it from the body.

Hetinä means “using a sword.” Tat refers to his head. Tryambakaù is Vérabhadra.

|| 4.5.23 ||çastrair astränvitair evamanirbhinna-tvacaà haraùvismayaà param äpannodadhyau paçupatiç ciram

Seeing that Dakña’s skin could not be cut by swords or throwing weapons, Vérabhadra became perplexed and thought for a long time.

Çastraiù refers to swords and other hand weapons. Astra refers to weapons which are thrown like arrows and tridents. The word “seeing” should be supplied. Seeing that his skin could not be cut, he thought for a long time.

|| 4.5.24 ||dåñövä saàjïapanaà yogaà

paçünäà sa patir makheyajamäna-paçoù kasyakäyät tenäharac chiraù

Seeing a device for killing animals in the sacrificial arena, who had using that device, Vérabhadra then cut off the head of Dakña, who had become a sacrificial animal.

Saïjïapanaà yogam means a device for killing sacrificial animals by squeezing. Using that, he severed his head.

|| 4.5.25 ||sädhu-vädas tadä teñäà

karma tat tasya paçyatämbhüta-preta-piçäcänäà

anyeñäà tad-viparyayaù

Seeing Vérabhadra’s action, the ghosts and demons expressed their satisfaction, while others expressed grief.

Others, brähmaëas, said the opposite: it was an improper action.

|| 4.5.26 ||juhävaitac chiras tasmindakñiëägnäv amarñitaù

tad-deva-yajanaà dagdhväprätiñöhad guhyakälayam

Angry Vérabhadra offered the head in the southern fire. Setting the sacrificial arena on fire, he then departed for Kailäsa.

Guhyakälayam means Kailäsa.

Thus ends the commentary on the Fifth Chapter of the Fourth Canto of the Bhägavatam for the pleasure of the devotees, in accordance with the previous äcäryas.