The Brihaddharma Purana (abridged)
by Syama Charan Banerji | 1915 | 50,976 words
The English translation of the Brihaddharma Purana, one of the several minor or Upa Puranas, and represents an epitome of several important (Major) Puranas. In this book one can observe the attempts made to reconcile the three main forms of Hindu worship, viz. the Shaiva Vaishnava and Tantrika (worship of God in the form of Kali, Durga, Ganga, and ...
Chapter 32 - Daksha, the father of Sati performs a sacrifice
Narada once came to Daksha, and said,
“You constantly speak ill of Siva, and, so, he is going to punish you. He will invade your city with his ghosts and goblins, and fill your house with bones and ashes”.
Daksha thought that the only way of scaring Siva and his host of followers away would be by performing a sacrifice and inviting the gods to it. Accordingly, he commenced a sacrifice to which he invited the gods, Rakshasas[1], Kinnaras[1], Siddhas[1], Yakshas[1], Gandharvas[1], Apsaras[1], Pitris[2], Charanas[3], Munis[4], Daityas[5], men and Uragas[5]. His daughter, Sati, and her husband, Siva, remained uninvited, and this fact he had proclaimed far and near.
The sacrifice commenced with great magnificence and all who were invited came to take a share in it, although with some misgiving in their hearts. Sati heard about it and wished to go to see it. She went to seek Siva’s permission, and, after coaxing him for a long time, obtained a half-hearted consent from him. After having got it, she proceeded to her father’s house, assuming a dark form like that of the goddess Kali.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
See footnotes at p 22.
[2]:
Literally ancestors. Their manes.
[3]:
Celestial singers.
[4]:
Sages. (Also, see footnotes at p 22.)
[5]:
Demons.
[6]:
Semi-divine serpents usually represented in Mythology with human faces.