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3-Shiv Jee and Satee Jee
Read its
another version from Shiv Puraan here
According to Hindu view of life, Shiv, the principle male power, unites
with his female counterpart in order to acquire the ability to create and
destroy. The story of Satee and Shiv Jee, described in the Puraan,
presents in simple language, the truth and beauty of such a lofty Vaidik
concept.
In the days of ancient mythology, Brahmaa, the Prajapati, mentally created
ten sons (Maanas Putra) to carry out his task of creation and destruction.
Both Shiv and Daksh were the outcome of such a creation but Shiv had
superior powers. Daksh, however, never liked the supremacy of Shiv. So, he
took Shiv as his rival.
One of the daughters of Daksh, named Satee, was a great devotee of Shiv.
She was beautiful and virtuous. Most of the time Sati immersed in the
thoughts of Shiv and dreamed of being his wife. Sati, through her sincere
and devotional prayers, acquired the blessings of all gods and goddesses.
Shiv finally yielded and appeared before Satee. She paid her reverence and
kneeling down to Shiv chanted in
praise of him.
Shiv asked her to choose a boon. Shiva knew what she would ask but wanted
her to speak for herself. Sati was hesitant, "How can I say that I want
nothing else but Him!" After a while Satee gathered her courage and
started to say, "Lord will you ----"
Shiv did not let Satee complete her question, and he blessed her - "Be my
consort Satee." Soon Satee was married to Shiv amidst numerous gods and
goddesses. After the wedding, Shiva took Sati to Kailas where they spent
many a happy days.
Then one day, Shiv requested Satee to accompany him to Prayaag, today's
Ilaahaabaad, to attend a fire-worship ceremony or Yagya. When Shiv entered
the Yagya hall, every one stood up to pay respect. After some time Daksh
entered the Yagna hall. Everyone stood up to pay respect except Shiv.
Daksh felt insulted.
"How dare my son-in-law, Shiv, did not stand up to respect me? This is a
deliberate insult to me," Daksh said to himself. Shiva, on the other hand,
thought to himself, "Being a superior power, it will not be nice if I
stand up, and harm may befall on Daksh." Shiv did not mean to insult Daksh.
Taking this instance as an exception, Daksh promised to insult Shiv in
public. He hurriedly returned home and declared that he will hold a grand
sacrificial ceremony. He invited all gods and goddesses, but deliberately
excluded Shiv. When Satee, Shiv's beautiful wife and Daksh's daughter,
noticed a large procession of gods and goddesses passing by, she curiously
asked Shiv - "Where are all these Dev Devee going?" Shiv replied, "To the
grand sacrificial ceremony to be held by Daksh,
your father." Sati was amazed to hear this.
she demanded angrily - "Then why have you not been invited? You should
have been the first to be asked." Shiv smiled gently at his wife's loyalty
and fervor. "Daksha has always been hostile to me, maybe that is why" Shiv
tried to explain.
But Satee did not believe this, she asked curiously - "Does my father not
realize that you are the supreme power and no one can equal you?" Shiva
replied gently - "You are a good and true wife Satee, but Daksh thinks
differently, he takes me as his rival." Sati said furiously - "Invited or
not invited, I think we should go. It is
after all my own father's house and at least I don't need any invitation
from him."
"Then go with my blessings Satee," replied Shiva, "but do not forget that
Daksh will shower insults upon me. You must be strong enough to bear it
silently and not allow your rage to show in your father's presence. If you
are unable to tolerate his insults, I fear you may come to harm." Taking
Nandee, the gentle white bull who was Shiv's companion and mount, Satee
arrived at her father's grand sacrificial ceremony.
Daksh reluctantly received her and publicly condemned Shiv - calling him
the demon of death and an impious haunter of cremation grounds. "What
place has the goblin lord of witches and foul spirits in a sacred ceremony
such as mine?" Daksh boomed. Sati was hurt by his insults to her husband
and begged her father to
stop, but Daksh could not contain himself.
"It is disgraceful for a so-called god to wear filthy rags, cover himself
with snakes and dance like a madman at ceremonies ---" continued Daksh on
and on, until Satee could not stand any longer. She remembered her
husband's caution - "Do not allow your rage to get over you."
Sati painfully said - "Father, I am ashamed to be known as your daughter.
As I have promised my husband not to take any revenge, much less upon you,
I merely denounce you before this assembly. I shall consume myself in a
fire and return to mother Earth until I am born again to a father whom I
can respect." Daksh ignored the disappearance of Satee and ordered to
continue with the sacrifice.
When the news reached Shiv through Nandee, that his beloved wife was dead,
he let out a mighty roar that shook Heaven and Earth. He soon created a
powerful demon, named Veerabhadra, from his matted hair. Shiv also created
a huge army of demons to accompany Veerabhadra. They descended like a
hurricane on Daksh's feast, destroying the sacrificial offering and
killing all those who dared defend Daksh. Finally every one walked over to
Shiv's side to seek refuge with him.
Shiv was about to destroy the Universe, when Brahmaa Jee came with other
gods to calm him down. Shiv was still quivering and shook with wrath and
grief at the loss of Satee. All the gods soothed the furious Shiv and
pleaded with him to forgive Daksh and allow him to complete the
sacrificial ceremony, which he had started, otherwise he would go to hell.
Relenting, Shiv brought back to life all the people who had been killed in
the battle and cured all those who had been injured. Finally he looked up,
suppressing the power of his destructive third eye, and stated - "I will
return Daksh to life, but he must bear the mark of his foolishness
forever."
The gods agreed to Shiv's condition and Daksh was revived. The mark of his
foolishness was clear for all to see for that instead of his own head, he
wore the head of a goat. Daksha fell at Shiv's feet weeping with
gratitude, and finally
acknowledged Shiv's supremacy.
With a mighty effort Shiv contained his grief for the loss of Satee, and
he fell into a profound meditation, waiting for the time when she would be
reincarnated as Paarvatee and be his wife once again.
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