Skandapurana 2.7.8

The King of Mithilā said: / O brahmin, the son of Ikṣvāku, through not giving water, / became a cātaka bird three times, and then a lizard in my house. / This corresponds to his karma, and is fitting for that unrefined soul. / But that through not serving the good he incurred the state of a vulture and a dog / seven times, as was stated—that does not seem right to me. / He did not revile the virtuous, nor the wretched either; / therefore, from mere non-service, absence of fruit would surely result, / not [a punishment], since in the absence of committing wrongdoing this would be inflicting injury on another. / For what causeless reason did he obtain this degraded birth? / Therefore, dispel this doubt of your disciple, who is dear to yourself. / Thus questioned well by the king, the highly renowned Śrutadeva / said, "Well spoken, well spoken!" and proceeded to utter these words: / Śrutadeva said: / Listen, O king, I shall explain what has been asked by you, O sinless one, / as was spoken by Śiva to Śivā on the spotless peak of Kailāsa: / Having created all these worlds, he then arranged their maintenance / in two ways: concerning the other world and concerning this world. / The great Lord arranged three causes for each maintenance: / service of water, service of food, and service of medicine— / where these are found, O highly fortunate one, they are the causes for maintenance in this world. / Likewise for the other world, O king, only three are proclaimed in the Veda: / service of the virtuous, service of Viṣṇu, and service of the path of dharma. / These, performed previously, are the causes of the next world, / just as provisions prepared at home serve for the journey. / The causes belonging to this world, O king, grant their objects immediately upon being performed. / Moreover, even what is desirable to the virtuous, if it is unbearable to the mind / for some reason, O king, turns out to lead to misfortune. / What need is there to speak of what is displeasing? Clearly, it is a cause of suffering. / In this very connection, they relate this ancient narrative, / which destroys sins, is a great wonder, and causes the hair to stand on end for those who hear it: / Long ago, Dakṣa Prajāpati, having undertaken initiation for a sacrifice, / went to the silver mountain to invite the Lord of Spirits. / Seeing him, Śambhu did not rise, wishing only his welfare [thinking]: / "I am the preceptor of all immortals, accessible through the Vedas, eternal. / These rulers of the gods, such as the Moon and Indra, are servants who bring offerings. / A master should not rise for a servant, nor a husband for his wife; / a teacher should not rise for a disciple: such is the opinion of those who know the scriptures. / Mere relationship is not the reason for being a guru, so says the Veda; / where strength, knowledge, austerity, and tranquility are greater, / he is the guru of the others, and the inferior should become servants. / If out of stubbornness masters and the like rise for servants and the like, / their life, wealth, and fame are ruined, and their progeny perishes immediately. / Therefore, I shall not rise, though this father-in-law is dear to me." / Seeking his welfare thus, the all-pervading Lord did not stir from his seat. / But seeing Mṛḍa not rising, Prajāpati became enraged. / He reviled him in many ways in front of the Lord of Girijā: / "Oh, the arrogance, oh, the arrogance of this impoverished, unrefined fellow! / Whose only wealth is an aged bull that is nothing but skin. / For this very reason he bears skulls and bones, moving in the realm of heretics! / Whence will destiny grant auspiciousness to a vainly conceited person? / The wise know that deeds in the world are pure by their proper performance. / Destitute and afflicted with cold, he wears a sacred elephant's skin; / his dwelling is a cremation ground, and serpents are indeed his adornment! / There is no courage, nor even knowledge, in one who fled from that wolf [asura]! / He is perpetually united with wicked beings: bhūtas, pretas, piśācas, and the like. / No noble family is heard of anywhere, nor is he approved by the virtuous! / Formerly, I was falsely made to place trust by the wicked Nārada, / by whom I was persuaded and gave him this Satī, my daughter. / Following a different code of conduct, let her dwell happily in his house! / He is not to be praised by us, nor my daughter in any way, / like a potter's jar that has fallen into the power of an outcaste!" / Thus Dakṣa, foolish in mind, without inviting Umā or that Mṛḍa, / having severely rebuked him, went home in silence. / Then, going to the sacrificial arena together with the priests and sages, / he sacrificed according to the rite, constantly reviling the great Lord. / Leaving aside Brahmā and Viṣṇu, all the gods assembled: / the siddhas, cāraṇas, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, and kinnaras. / Then the virtuous goddess Satī, enticed by womanly fickleness, / was eager to see the festival and the relatives gathered there. / Being restrained by Rudra, unsteady due to woman's nature, / though answered again and again, she resolved: "I must go!" / [Śiva said:] "He always insults me in the midst of the assembly, O fair-complexioned one; / and hearing that unbearable [insult], you will truly abandon your body. / Even what is unbearable must be tolerated by me, who desires a household. / As I have acted, O goddess, you do not behave at all.

Therefore, do not go to the hall; surely no good will come!"

Though advised thus, the goddess again became fickle.

Satī departed from the house, alone and on foot.

Seeing her, the bull silently carried the goddess upon his back.

And millions of hosts of spirits then followed Satī.

Having reached the sacrificial arena, she first went to the hall of the wife.

[Her mother] remained silent upon seeing Satī; out of distress, she went out from there.

Remembering the words of her husband, she went to the northern altar.

Seeing her, her father and the members of the assembly stood silent, their blessings destroyed.

Observing her father's conduct up to the time of the oblation to Rudra,

as he made offerings omitting Rudra, she spoke, her eyes filled with tears.

The goddess said:

Transgression of the great generally does not lead to welfare for men.

He is the creator of the worlds, the supporter of the worlds, the imperishable Lord of all.

How is sacrificial oblation not given to such a Rudra?

Do the others who have assembled not remove this wicked intent that has arisen in you?

Are these great-souled ones not so? Why is fate opposed to them?

While she was speaking thus, the god Pūṣan laughed out loud;

Bhṛgu, whose auspiciousness was ruined, stroked his beard in like manner.

Others slapped their arms, feet, thighs, and armpits;

and her ill-fated father reviled [Śiva] in manifold ways.

Hearing that, she, the wife of Rudra, her mind agitated with rage,

cast off her body to perform an expiation for what was heard—she, Satī,

in the sacrificial fire in the middle of the altar, while everyone was looking on.

A great wailing arose, and the pramathas ran swiftly;

they reported the whole matter to the god of gods then.

Hearing that, rising up suddenly, Rudra, like Kāla the destroyer,

tore out a matted lock with his hand and struck it upon the ground.

From that arose Vīrabhadra of colossal body and immense strength;

he had a thousand arms, shining with a radiance like Kāla the destroyer.

Having folded his hands in reverence, he then spoke to Hara:

“For whatever purpose my creation was made by you, assign me to that purpose.”

Addressed thus, enraged Dhūrjaṭi said to him standing before him:

“Slay Dakṣa the reviler, on whose account my beloved was destroyed!

Let the hosts of spirits of mighty power go along with him.”

Commanded thus by the Lord, they then went to the sacrificial assembly;

the great heroes struck down all—gods, asuras, humans, and the rest.

And he who was born of the matted lock shattered the teeth of the laughing Pūṣan;

he plucked out the beard of that evil-minded Bhṛgu.

Whatever limb had previously been slapped, that the valiant one cut off;

then he made great effort to take Dakṣa's head.

Protected by the sages' mantras, he could not cut it off by force;

knowing this, Hara came in person and cut off [the head] of the evil-minded one.

Having thus slain those at the sacrifice, he went to his own abode with his followers.

Certain survivors went to Brahmā for refuge.

Accompanied by them, Brahmā went to Kailāsa, the abode of Śiva.

Then, having conciliated Rudra with diverse words,

the great lord went along with him to the sacrificial enclosure;

he revived all those who had assembled for the sacrifice.

Śiva then gave a goat's face to Dakṣa for his fame;

and Śambhu gave a goat's beard to the great-souled Bhṛgu.

He did not give Pūṣan his teeth back, making him an eater of ground flour;

and Śiva indeed [rectified] the disfigurement of the limbs of some.

And all of them attained auspiciousness through Brahmā and Śiva;

the sacrifice of the great-souled one was set in motion again as before.

At the conclusion of the sacrifice, all the gods went to their respective abodes.

Having undertaken lifelong celibacy, Rudra of great tapas

practiced austerity on the bank of the Gaṅgā, seated at the root of a punnāga tree.

The devoted wife goddess Satī, Dakṣa's daughter, having cast off her body,

was born to Menakā from the Himālaya, and grew up in his house.

At that very time, a great asura named Tāraka,

having propitiated Brahmā Parameṣṭhin with severe tapas,

chose the boon of invulnerability to gods, asuras, humans, and serpents,

and to all weapons and missiles of great power.

“O daitya, you shall indeed be invulnerable to all, except for a son of Rudra”—

thus Brahmā, the grandfather of the worlds, granted him the boon,

saying “So be it,” because Rudra had no wife and had no son.

Having obtained the boon and returned to his home, he oppressed the worlds:

the gods were servants for sweeping and such, and the goddesses were servant-maids in his house.

Then, afflicted by him, the gods went to Brahmā for refuge;

hearing their affliction described by them, the Creator said this to the gods:

“O gods, at the time of granting the boon, except for a son of Rudra,

I granted the boon to that evil-minded one that he cannot be slain at all.

Formerly, Satī, the wife of Rudra, abandoned her body at the sacrificial session;

was born as the daughter of Himavat, whom they know as Pārvatī. (74b)

Rudra performs severe austerity on the ridge of Himavat.

Unite Rudra, the lord of the worlds, the master, with Pārvatī!" (75)

Then, having assembled again in the dwelling of Devendra with the chiefs of the immortals,

and having deliberated also with Dhiṣaṇa, Devendra, the chastiser of Pāka, (76)

remembered Nārada and Smara as well, for the sake of the task.

Then, when the two arrived there, the slayer of Bala spoke these words: (77)

"You, sir, go to Himavat and instruct him with words:

'Your daughter was formerly the virtuous daughter of Dakṣa, the wife of Hara. (78)

Separated from [her], [Hara] performs austerity on your peak with ten maidens.

Direct his beloved to the service of Mṛḍa. (79)

She alone will be his wife; he alone will be her husband.'"

Being thus instructed by Maghavat, Nārada approached that mountain, (80)

and brought it about precisely as had been stated by Devendra.

Afterwards, having summoned Kāma, Maghavat said this to him: (81)

"For the benefit of the gods and also for the benefit of Mṛḍa,

go to the penance grove of Rudra accompanied by Spring. (82)

Manifesting the qualities of spring that bring about desire in the heart,

when the goddess Pārvatī is near Mṛḍa, (83)

then, discharging your arrows, enchant the great lord.

When their union takes place, our task will indeed be accomplished." (84)

Thus instructed, Smara promptly set out, saying, "Certainly!"

Together with Spring, with Rati, and with his attendants, he went to that forest. (85)

Having unfolded the spring season out of season by his own power

in that forest, delightful on all sides and frequented by gentle breezes, (86)

at one time the god of gods, pleased by Pārvatī's service,

placed her on his lap and began to say something. (87)

Thinking, "This is the determined time for the union of the beloved of life,"

he stood behind Hara taking up his charming bow. (88)

Making a tree his screen, he released an arrow.

Fitting a second one as well, he made a great effort to loose it. (89)

Then Mṛḍa, his mind disturbed, was seized with reflection:

"My mind never wavers anywhere; by whom has it been defiled?" (90)

Thus troubled with thought, he saw Kāma on his left side.

Angered, opening his forehead eye and setting the goddess down from his lap, (91)

from that eye arose a fierce fire terrifying the worlds.

By it, Manmatha together with his bow was instantly burnt. (92)

And seeing the success of their purpose, the immortals fled to heaven;

dreading their own punishment, Spring and Rati also [fled]. (93)

Closing her eyes in fear, the goddess fled far away.

To remove the presence of a woman, Mṛḍa also vanished. (94)

A god who performs what is dear to Rudra and beneficial to the mind,

incurred misfortune without end; what then for one who does what is displeasing? (95)

Therefore, the son of Ikṣvāku was always unpleasant to virtuous people;

therefore, dull-witted, he did not perform service to the good which brings benefit to oneself. (96)

Great suffering was experienced, and therefore an evil rebirth.

Therefore, one should perform service to the virtuous, which achieves all ends. (97)

Because he acted displeasingly toward Rudra, Smara, in a future birth,

experienced abundant suffering at the time of his birth, though a great lord. (98)

Those who hear this sacred history day and night

are freed from birth, death, old age, and the like; there is no doubt in this. (99)

Thus ends the eighth chapter, named "Description of the Burning of Kāma Preceded by the Birth of Pārvatī and the Destruction of Dakṣa's Sacrifice, in the Insult to Dākṣāyaṇī," in the dialogue between Nārada and Ambarīṣa, in the Vaiśākhamāsamāhātmya, in the second section, the Vaiṣṇavakhaṇḍa, in the glorious Skanda Mahāpurāṇa consisting of eighty-one thousand verses. (8)