Arranging Daksha's Sacrifice

Brahma said

Ramesha, I, the gods and the rishis praised him thus, and so did the others. Mahadeva was pleased. Shambhu cast a compassionate glance on the rishis and gods, comforted Brahma and Vishnu, and spoke to Daksha.

Mahadeva said

Daksha Prajapati, I am pleased with you; listen. Though I am self-ruling and lord of everything, I am always under my devotees' control. Four kinds of people, virtuous in deeds, always worship me, and each category is higher than the one before: the afflicted, the inquisitive, those who desire artha, and fourth, those who have knowledge. The first three are ordinary and the fourth is special, so I am said to love the person with knowledge most. No one is dearer to me, and I tell you the truth. A person who has knowledge, knows the atman and is skilled in Vedanta and the shrutis can reach me. Those of limited intelligence try to reach me without knowledge. Foolish men attached to karma seek me through Vedas, sacrifices, gifts and austerities, and never succeed. You wished to cross samsara by karma alone, and that is why I was angered and had your sacrifice destroyed. Daksha, from now on think of me as Parameshvara. Place supreme knowledge in your intellect, then control yourself and perform karma. Prajapati, listen with a virtuous mind and I will tell you this secret for the sake of dharma, about saguna. Brahma, Vishnu and I are the supreme cause of the universe, but in my own atman I am Ishvara, the witness, the seer, without attributes. I enter my own maya, which is made of the gunas, and create, preserve and destroy the universe, taking the descriptions that suit each task. Yet I am supreme and without a second, and my atman is that of the brahman alone. The ignorant see differences among entities, Brahma, Ishvara and so on. A man does not regard his head, hands and other limbs as separate from himself; those immersed in me see no difference among beings. Daksha, a person who sees that the three divinities exist in the atmans of all beings and are one gains peace. A person, the worst of men, whose intelligence separates the three divinities lives in hell as long as moon and stars last. A discerning person immersed in me worships all the gods and gains the knowledge that leads to eternal liberation. Without devotion to Vidhatri there is no devotion to Vishnu, and without devotion to Vishnu no devotion to me arises.

Brahma said

So spoke Lord Shankara, lord of everything, and everyone present heard the compassionate one. "If a devotee of Hari criticises me, or a devotee of Shiva criticises him, both are cursed and will never reach the truth." Mahesha's words brought happiness, and hearing them the gods and sages present were delighted. Daksha was very happy and became devoted to Shiva. With his family, the gods and the rest, he came to see Shiva as lord of everything. They praised Shambhu the paramatman, and Shambhu, satisfied in mind, gave them boons.

Serene in intelligence, Daksha, now a devotee of Shiva, quickly did japa of Shiva. By Shiva's favour the sacrifice was completed. He gave shares to all the gods and a full share to Shiva, and with Shambhu's favour made gifts to brahmanas. By the norms the gods' great task was done. With the ritvijas Daksha Prajapati completed everything properly. So Daksha's sacrifice was finished through the favour of Shankara, a form of the supreme brahman. The gods and rishis praised Shankara's fame and, content and joyful, went to their own abodes. Vishnu and I, greatly pleased, went happily home, singing Shambhu's wide glory, which always brings all that is auspicious. Daksha affectionately honoured Mahadeva, goal of the virtuous, and with his own ganas, extremely happy, he returned to Kailasa.

Back on his own mountain Shambhu remembered his beloved Sati and told the chief of his ganas her story. Having told it, the one who has knowledge spent a long time. But then the lord took the path of ordinary people and longed to see her. The lord never follows wrong policy. He is the supreme brahman and goal of the virtuous; how could he be deluded, how could he grieve, how could he suffer such great aberration? Neither I nor Vishnu can ever know the truth of this, nor can others, sages, gods, humans or yogis. This is Shankara's infinite greatness, beyond even the learned. By his favour, without effort, a devotee with true devotion can come to know. There is not the least aberration in Shiva the paramatman; by following this kind of path he only instructs the worlds. Intelligent people in the world who read or hear this gain a virtuous destination and divine, excellent happiness hereafter.

So Dakshayani Sati gave up her body. She was born again as the daughter of the Himalaya and his wife Mena; this is well known. Again she did austerity and won Shiva as husband. Shivaa became Gouri, and beautiful in her limbs she played wonderfully with him. I have thus told the extremely wonderful account of Sati's conduct. It is divine and gives objects of pleasure and liberation, and confers everything desired. This stainless account is holy and supremely purifying, and gives the fruits of heaven, fame, long life, sons and grandsons. Son, men who listen to it with devotion, or have it heard with faith, accomplish every karma and reach the supreme destination in the world beyond. A person who reads or teaches this auspicious account enjoys every object of pleasure and at the end of those pleasures gains liberation.