Shiva. Sati. Uma Shankar. Dakshayani Shankar. Gangadhara Gauri. Shakti Shiva. First couples. Two beautiful souls in one body. This story of how love knows no bounds; how Shiva’s loss of a part of himself, his love, his life, and his wife, triggered his most dangerous form.
This story begins with Sati. Sati, also known as Dakshayani, was the youngest daughter of Daksha Prajapati, a prominent figure created by Brahma, the god of creation. Shiva’s ascetic and enigmatic nature attracted Sati from a very young age.
Shiva, the austere and powerful ascetic, resided on Mount Kailash, immersed in deep meditation. Despite Shiva’s unconventional lifestyle and his disregard for worldly affairs, Sati’s love for him was unwavering.
Moved by Sati’s devotion and purity of heart, Shiva accepted her as his wife, his love, his Ardhangini (better half). Their union was celebrated by the gods and celestial beings, marking a harmonious confluence of primal energies within the cosmos. Everyone accepted them except one, Sati’s father — Daksha Prajapati.
Daksha’s Disapproval
Daksha’s disapproval of his son-in-law Lord Shiva stemmed from a complex blend of personal prejudice and ideological differences. Shiva’s disregard for material wealth, his association with ghosts and goblins, and his residence on cremation grounds were antithetical to Daksha’s vision of a suitable husband for his beloved daughter.
Daksha’s “pride” was also a significant factor in his disapproval. He could not accept that his daughter, a princess, had chosen an ascetic, a yogi who seemed indifferent to the trappings of social prestige and material success.
This disapproval was not merely paternal concern but a deep-seated arrogance that blinded Daksha to Shiva’s true nature as the supreme consciousness.
This cold conflict between Daksha and Shiva reached its bottleneck when Daksha organised a grand yajna (fire sacrifice), an event of immense spiritual significance intended to secure cosmic blessings and assert Daksha’s prominence among the celestial hierarchy. Daksha invited everyone, from heaven and earth, all the gods, goddesses, and eminent sages, particularly excluding his son-in-law Shiva and daughter Sati from the guest list.
The Yajna and Sati’s Sacrifice
This exclusion was a direct message to Shiva, but more importantly, it was a public display of Daksha’s disdain for his son-in-law, intended to belittle Shiva’s status among the divine assembly. The yajna was not just a religious ceremony but a stage for Daksha to assert his superiority and undermine Shiva.
Despite being aware of her father’s animosity towards Shiva, Sati expressed a desire to attend the yajna. She believed that her presence could bridge the growing rift between her husband and her father. Initially, Shiva dissuaded Sati but later agreed, respecting her autonomy and familial love.
Sati’s attendance at the yajna, despite Shiva’s exclusion, showed her unwavering devotion and hope for reconciliation. But no one knew this decision by Sati would lead to tragic consequences. Something wrong was about to happen.
Upon arrival, Sati faced neglect and humiliation from her father and others. Daksha’s disrespect for Shiva extended to Sati due to her loyalty.
Daksha publicly INSULTED Shiva, calling him unsuitable and dishonourable, essentially questioning Sati’s judgement and undermining her status as a devoted wife. This public humiliation was not just an attack on Shiva’s character but also a direct affront to Sati’s honour and her choice to stand by her husband.
Confronted with the unbearable humiliation of her husband and herself, and unable to bear the disrespect meted out to Shiva, Sati made the ultimate sacrifice. Invoking her yogic powers, she self-immolated in the fire of the yajna.
SHE PUT HERSELF ON FIRE. This act was not just a portrayal of her devotion to Shiva but also a profound statement against the injustice and dishonour inflicted upon her husband, the destroyer and creator, Lord Shiva.
Sati’s self-immolation was a form of protest and a declaration of her unwavering loyalty to Shiva, choosing to forsake her life rather than endure the disrespect towards her beloved. Shiva’s reaction to Sati’s demise echoed in grief and rage. Learning of her self-immolation, Shiva, consumed by sorrow, unleashed wrath upon Daksha and his yajna.
Shiva summoned Veerabhadra and Bhadrakali to destroy Daksha’s yajna, decapitate him, symbolizing cosmic disruption caused by Sati’s death.
Shiva ‘s Wrath Unleashed and the Tandava
His anguish stemmed not only from losing a beloved but also from the departure of his divine counterpart, integral to his life and cosmic balance. In profound grief, Shiva retrieved Sati’s lifeless body and began the “Tandava,” a cosmic dance of destruction, consumed by sorrow and anger.
The dance expressed not just personal anguish but also manifested the cosmic cycle of creation, preservation, and destruction. The intensity of Shiva’s Tandava threatened to unravel the very fabric of the universe, indicating the potential for cosmic dissolution.
In his grief, Shiva carried Sati’s body across the cosmos, unwilling to part with her. His actions were driven by a deep sense of loss and denial of the finality of Sati’s death. The universe witnessed sorrow and fear as the wandering lord of destruction, his grief threatening creation’s very existence.
The gods, witnessing the potential for cosmic imbalance and destruction, sought to intervene and restore order. Vishnu Ji, the preserver of the universe, realised the necessity of stopping Shiva’s dance of destruction. But the task was delicate, as it involved calming Shiva without further aggravating his sorrow.
Vishnu’s Intervention
Vishnu, seeking to stop the destruction and bring Shiva to his senses, wielded his Sudarshan Chakra, known for its invincible power. Vishnu used the Chakra to sever Sati’s body into pieces, which then scattered across the Earth. This seemingly violent act was carried out with utmost reverence, aiming to ease Shiva’s suffering and halt cosmic destruction.
As Sati’s body was dismembered by the Sudarshan Chakra, Shiva’s reasons for the Tandava diminished. Each piece of Sati’s body that fell became a sacred site, a Shakti Peetha, sanctifying the land and embedding Sati’s presence in the spiritual world.
The Rebirth of Love
Shiva didn’t just lose his better half, but lost the will and desire to love anymore or anything. He went into deep meditation. Silence and solitude became his best friend. Until the day when “Kama” was plotted in Shiva’s life. And Sati was reborn as “Maa Parvati.” She pulled Shiva out of deep pain; brought back his lost spirit to love again.
Shiva couldn’t deny Parvati Ji’s love so he married her on “Maha Shivratri.”