Skandapurana 1.3.1

Lomaśa said: / Once, at that time, a great sacrifice was undertaken by him; / all were then summoned by that initiated ascetic. (2.1)

Various seers assembled there, headed by Vasiṣṭha: / Agastya, Kaśyapa, Atri, Vāmadeva, and Bhṛgu; (2.2)

Dadhīca, the venerable Vyāsa, Bharadvāja, and Gautama; / these and many other great seers arrived. (2.3)

Likewise all the hosts of gods, the guardians of the worlds, and others— / vidyādharas, gandharvas, and troops of kinnaras and apsarases. (2.4)

Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, was brought from the seven realms, / and Viṣṇu was brought from Vaikuṇṭha to the assembly. (2.5)

The resplendent Devendra was brought along with Indrāṇī, / and likewise the Moon with Rohiṇī, and Varuṇa with his beloved wife; (2.6)

Kubera mounted on the Puṣpaka, the Wind mounted on a deer, / Fire mounted on a he-goat, and Nirṛti mounted on a corpse. (2.7)

All these arrived at the sacrificial enclosure of the twice-born one; / they were all honored by him, the wicked-minded Dakṣa. (2.8)

Splendid, vast, and highly precious celestial dwellings / were fashioned with skill by the great-souled Tvaṣṭṛ. (2.9)

They took their seats at ease in all those mansions. (2.10)

As the great sacrifice proceeded at the sacred ford Kanakhala, / the ascetic priests, headed by Bhṛgu, were appointed by him as officiants. (2.11)

Invested with initiation, performing auspicious rites, / Dakṣa, accompanied by his wife, had benedictory mantras chanted extensively by the brahmins. (2.12)

He shone then in greatness, surrounded constantly by friends. / At that moment, Dadhīci spoke these words: (2.13)

Dadhīci said: / All these lords of gods, exalted seers, and guardians of the worlds have arrived at your [sacrifice]; / even so, the sacrifice does not shine brightly without the wielder of Pināka, that great soul. (2.14)

He through whom alone all auspicious things arise, as the great sages declare— / that ancient Person, bull-bannered, blue-throated, matted-haired, is not seen here. (2.15)

Even inauspicious things become auspicious when governed by him, O Dakṣa; / through the Three-eyed One, highly auspicious things become instantly [conferred], averting misfortune. (2.16)

Therefore, an invitation must be sent by you, by the Supreme Lord [Brahmā], / and quickly by Śakra, and by the all-powerful Viṣṇu. (2.17)

Indeed, all should go to where the god Maheśvara resides. (2.18)

Bring him along with the daughter of Dakṣa with all haste; / by that Śambhu, the yogin, everything will become exceedingly pure. (2.19)

By remembering him and uttering his name, all merit becomes complete; / therefore, with every effort, the bull-bannered one should be fetched. (2.20)

Hearing that speech of his, the wicked-minded one laughed and said: / 'Viṣṇu indeed is the root of the gods, in whom the eternal dharma abides; (2.21)

in whom the Vedas, sacrifices, and various ritual acts / are all established—that very Viṣṇu has come here. (2.22)

Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, has arrived from Satyaloka, / along with the Vedas, the Upaniṣads, and the various Āgamas. (2.23)

Likewise, the king of gods has come himself, accompanied by the heavenly hosts; / and you, seers freed from stain, have assembled. (2.24)

All those who are suitable for sacrifice and tranquil have arrived— / all of you firm in your vows, knowing the truth of the Vedas and the Vedic meaning. (2.25)

What need do we have for Rudra in this matter? / My daughter was given to him, O brahmins, only because I was urged by Brahmā. (2.26)

For he is of no noble lineage, O brahmins, ruined and ever fond of the ruined; / he is the solitary master of ghosts, spirits, and flesh-eaters, uncontrollable. (2.27)

Conceited, foolish, obstinate, taciturn, and full of malice, / he is unfit for this rite, and therefore has not been brought by me now. (2.28)

Therefore, such words must not be spoken again by you, O twice-born one; / you all should make my great sacrifice fruitful.' (2.29)

Hearing these words of his, Dadhīci spoke: (2.30)

Dadhīci said: / 'A great injustice has been committed against all the foremost seers and the purified deities / without that great soul. (2.31)

A great destruction will instantly befall those present here!' / Having spoken thus, that Dadhīca departed alone. (2.32)

And from Dakṣa’s sacrifice-enclosure, he went swiftly to his own hermitage. / When the sage had departed, Dakṣa laughed and said this:

"He who is dear to Śiva, that hero named Dadhīci by name, has gone. / Possessed in mind, dull-witted, devoted to falsehood, wicked,

outside the Vedas, of evil conduct—they are to be abandoned in this rite. / You who are devoted to Vedic doctrine, all headed by Viṣṇu,

make my sacrifice fruitful, O brahmins, without delay!" / Then all those [gods] along with the ṛṣis performed the worship of the gods.

In the meantime, there on Mount Gandhamādana, / in a water-pavilion, in an aerial chariot, surrounded by her companions,

Dakṣa’s daughter, the great goddess, then engaged in diverse / sports by the thousands, such as ball-games, seated inside the aerial chariot.

Engaged in sports, the goddess, the great Satī, then saw / the lord Soma going to the sacrifice along with Rohiṇī.

"Where is this moon going? Ask quickly, Vijayā!" / Commanded by her, the goddess Vijayā asked him as was fitting.

He related all that, namely Dakṣa’s sacrifice and the rest. / Hearing that, the swift goddess Vijayā, filled with excitement, / related fully all that had been spoken by the moon.

Considering the cause, the goddess [thought]: "Why does he not invite [me]? / My father Dakṣa and my mother—why have they forgotten me now?

Having made up my mind, I will ask Śaṃkara today about the reason." / Leaving her companions there, she went to Śaṃkara.

She saw him, the three-eyed, seated in the midst of the assembly, / surrounded then by all the gaṇas, Caṇḍa, Muṇḍa, and the others:

Bāṇa, Bhṛṅgin, and Nandī the son of Śalāda of great austerity, / Mahākāla, Mahācaṇḍa, Mahāmuṇḍa, Mahāśiras,

Dhūmrākṣa, Dhūmraketu, and likewise Dhūmrapāda. / These and many other gaṇas following Rudra,

some terrifying, dreadful, and others headless trunks, / some with strange eyes, and others without chests,

hundreds of such beings, all clad in skins, / adorned with braids of matted hair, all decorated with rudrākṣa seeds,

their senses conquered, free from passion, all enemies of sense-objects— / surrounded by all these, Śaṃkara, who brings peace to the world, / was seen by her seated on a most wondrous seat.

Agitated in mind, she swiftly approached Śiva’s presence. / She, his beloved, was placed on his lap by Śiva, full of love.

She was addressed with loving words accompanied by high respect: / "Tell me quickly, O slender-waisted lady, what is the purpose of your coming?"

Addressed thus then by him, the dark-eyed lady spoke.

Satī said: / "Why does going to my father’s great sacrifice not please you, / O god of gods? Tell all that, O Lord!

This is indeed the duty of friends: that they associate with friends, / which increases the affection of friends, O Mahādeva.

Therefore, by every effort, even though uninvited, go / today to my father’s sacrifice-enclosure at my request, O Sadāśiva!"

Hearing that speech of hers, he spoke words of truth: / "You should not go, O gentle lady, to Dakṣa’s sacrifice.

All those proud people belonging to him, along with gods and kinnaras, / they have all reached the sacrifice of your father, without doubt.

And those who go uninvited to another’s house, O fair-browed lady, / meet with dishonour, which is worse than death.

Even Indra, having reached the house of others, would suffer humiliation. / Therefore you must not go, O auspicious lady, to Dakṣa’s sacrifice."

Addressed thus by that great-souled Maheśa, Satī, / best among those who know speech, uttered words full of anger:

"You are indeed the sacrifice itself in the world, you the supreme lord of the gods! / You have not been invited today by him, my father of perverted conduct. / I wish to know all of that: the intention of that wicked one.

Therefore, I am going this very day to my father’s sacrifice-enclosure. / Grant me permission, my lord, god of gods, ruler of the universe!"

Having been spoken to thus by that goddess, the blessed Rudra, Śiva himself, / the knower, the all-seeing seer, the blessed source of all beings,

he, the lord of the gods, Maheśa, giver of all perfections, said to her: / "Go, O goddess, with haste, at my word, O lady of good vows!

Mounting this Nandī, accompanied by various gaṇas." / Sixty thousand Rudra-gaṇas went by Śiva’s command.

Surrounded by those gaṇas, the goddess went to her father’s abode. / Looking at that entire host, Mahādeva was greatly astonished.

Costly ornaments for them and for the goddess, that scorcher of foes, / Mahādeva, composed in mind, sent behind them.

Reflecting entirely on the goddess’s departure to her father’s house, the blessed Maheśa / then declared to his own city: "Satī, Dakṣa’s daughter, insulted by her father, will not return."

Thus ends the second chapter, named 'Description of the Goddess Satī’s Departure to Dakṣa’s Sacrifice', in the Kedārakhaṇḍa of the first [part], the Māheśvarakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa of eighty-one thousand verses.