Srimadh Bagawatham - Daksha Yagnam

Continued From: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/06/srimadh-bagawatham-kapilopadesam.html

Daksha Yagnam:

Swayumbhuva Manu also had a daughter named Ahuthi. She married Ruchi Munivar and they obtained Perumal and Thayar as their son and daughter. The son was named Yagnam and the daughter as Dakshina. Giving Dakshina is an important part of conducting Yagnam. A Yagnam is considered to be dead if dakshina (donation) are not offered according to the laws of the Yagnam. Hence we can see that by naming the son & daughter as Yagnam and Dakshina, Swayambhuva Manu and his wife indirectly show us the relationship between Yagnam and Dakshina.

Swayambhuva Manu’s daughter Prasuthi married Daksha Prajapatti and their daughter was Sati Devi who wedded lord Shiva.

The story of Daksha’s sacrifice teaches us the moral that a person who is in a powerful post must also exhibit humility along with modesty. The most Supreme Being in this Universe is Lord Vishnu and He is also the most humble and modest being. At Yudhishtirar’s Rajasuya Yagam, the Lord Krishna the Paramatma worshiped by all worshipped the rishis & Bagawathas by washing their feet.

Dakshan was second in command next to Lord Brahma. He started to feel haughty. He was overcome by false ego and started to associate wealth along with power as the most important quality to be possesed in a person who is worthy of worship. As he did not see anyone else who was equal to him in wealth or power, he considered himself to be the most supreme person. He conducted a sacrifice which was attended by all the Devas. As Dakshan entered the sacrificial hall, everyone except Lord Siva stood up to show their respect to him. Dakshan felt annoyed that Lord Siva who was also his son-in-law did not stand up to show respect to Dakshan when Dakshan entered the hall.

‘The biggest mistake I have ever made is to give my daughter Sati in marriage to Siva,’ said Dakshan. ‘Look at him, he knows nothing about orthodoxy roams around in cremation ground, is the Lord of pichasas. There is nothing auspicious about him!’

Unable to hear Dakshan speak ill of Lord Siva, Nandhikeswar the attendant of Lord Siva argued with Dakshan.

‘You are bleating like a goat for everything uttered by you is nonsense! Since you are bleating like a goat, may your head turn into a head of a goat!’

As the altercation started to become severe, Lord Siva collected his followers and left for Kailasam.

After some time Dakshan conducted a second sacrifice to which he invited everyone but Lord Siva.

Sati Devi saw the celestial women go to the Sacrificial Hall.

‘Aren’t you coming?’ they asked her. ‘It is after all a sacrifice performed by your own father. Shouldn’t you be there along with your family?’

Sati Devi wished to attend the sacrifice. She was afraid that if she stated that she wished to attend the sacrifice conducted by her father, Lord Siva would object. She hence used diplomacy to convince Lord Siva.

‘I just heard that your father in law is conducting a sacrifice. When should we start to go to the sacrificial hall?’

‘I too heard about the sacrifice but we have not been invited,’ answered Lord Siva.

‘If it is a wedding or a personal celebration I agree with you that we shouldn’t go uninvited but this is a sacrifice meant to worship the Devas. The sacrificial ground is common property during the period when the sacrifice is performed. It is open to all. Hence, it is okay to go uninvited.’

‘I once again agree with your logic but what if your father didn’t invite us because he feels ashamed of me? We should respect his feelings and stay away from him.’

As Sati Devi wouldn’t listen, Lord Siva allowed her to attend the sacrifice.

She arrived at her father’s sacrifice and saw that he was feeling very proud. She was horrified to see Dakshan exhibit his hate for Lord Siva by stopping even the offerings to be made in the sacrifice for Rudra. Dakshan prevented everyone from chanting the name “Rudra” or “Siva” even when uttered as part of the Vedic verse.
The names "Rudra" and "Siva" are the names of Perumal. Rudra means the one who cries and who makes people cry. Perumal is Rudran because He cries because we are suffering in samsara. He is also Rudran because He makes us cry tears of joy when we see Him. The name "Siva" means auspicious and again refers to Perumal.
'Are you blinded by hate so much that you do not even chant the names of Perumal?' asked Sati Devi.

‘How can you hate someone who doesn’t even know the meaning of hate?’ asked Sati to her father.

‘Do you realise that blinded by your hate you have started to stray even away from the Vedas by stopping the offerings meant for Rudra? This is a sacrifice only in appearance but the deity of sacrifice is absent from this hall! I feel sad that I am your daughter. I will use my yogic powers to immolate myself.  I wish to take birth as the daughter of someone else who respects Lord Siva!’ so saying, Sati Devi reduced her body to ashes. She then incarnated as the daughter of the mountain king Himavan and was called as Parvati. After meditating upon Lord Siva, Parvati Devi married him.

Sage Nardar went to Kailasham to inform Lord Siva that his wife had reduced herself to ashes. The sage requested Lord Siva to punish Dakshan. Lord Siva created a terrible being called Virabadhran from his locks. Dakshan’s sacrificial altar was destroyed by Virabadhran and Dakshan’s head was also cut-off.

All the Devas along with Lord Brahma went to Kailasham to pacify Lord Siva but to their surprise they found that Lord Siva was calm and composed.

‘It was not my intention to punish Dakshan. I only acceded to the request of Sage Naradar. If you request me to resussitate the sacrifice along with Dakshan I will do so for I have no personal opinion of my own.’

To make the words of Nandhikeswar come true, Lord Siva brought back Dakshan to life with the head of a goat. Once the sacrifice was set right and offerings meant for Rudra offered in them, Lord Vishnu (Perumal) appeared from the sacrificial fire with eight arms holding each of the eight weapons in His divine arms.

Ashtabhuja Perumal near Kanchipuram

Esoteric Meaning:

The following is my humble interpretation of the legend.

Esoterically, Dakshan seems to represent the knower who has not subdued his false ego. The false ego is the soma juice which is the essential ingredient to be offered as oblation. Dakshan under the influence of false ego fails to treat everyone equally and insulted Lord Siva (who is also Agni). Lord Siva is a true Bagawatha who doesn’t even discriminate between profit-loss, happiness-sadness etc. To show everyone that he has an equal outlook, he keeps the moon the origin of elixir in his locks as well as the poison in his throat. Thus, to him there is no difference between even elixir and poison. He sees Lord Narayanan in everything and wears the waters of river Ganges on his head with reverence since the water originated when Lord Brahma washed Perumals’ toe during Trivikrama Avataram. Sati Devi is Brahma Vidhya the true wife of knower like Lord Siva. As Dakshan is under the influence of false ego, he lost his daughter Brahma Vidhya and she became asariri. A true knower never loses Brahma Vidhya thus Lord Siva obtained her again in the form of Parvati Devi.

The cutting of Dakshan’s head symbolises the destruction of his ego. Dakshan rectifying the yagnam without ego making offerings to Lord Siva is the soma juice being poured in to Agni (Siva). Dakshan is then given the head of a goat. In Sanskrit “Aja” is the name for goat as well as Lord Brahma. By subduing his ego, Dakshan truly obtained a great position and became comparable to even Lord Brahma. Once his ego is subdued, Dakshan learnt to love everyone. Dakshan saw Lord Narayanan present as Antaryami in everyone. Pleased with Dakshan, Lord Narayanan appeared before him from the sacrificial altar.

Lord Narayanan will never appear as long as we hold on to false ego. He will also never appear if we hate his devotees. Bagawatha apacharam is an unforgiveable sin which Perumal never forgives. Lord Narayanan forgives this sin only if the devotee who was insulted himself forgives the misdeed. Thus Lord Siva is shown to forgive Dakshan by resussitating both Dakshan and the sacrifice. After Dakshan is forgiven by Lord Siva, Lord Vishnu appeared from the sacrificial altar.

The moral of this story is that we must treat Perumal’s devotees with love and respect. We can never attain the Perumal’s grace if we mistreat His devotees. Lord Siva is one of the greatest devotees of Perumal and hence is a true Bagawatha.

Continued On: http://thoughtsonsanathanadharma.blogspot.ca/2013/06/srimadh-bagawatham-dhruva-charitram.html