Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c5.56

c5.56

Hearing that her father was conducting a sacrifice Satī came uninvited. But Dakṣa did not even look at her. Satīdevi whose heart was broken at this treatment made a fire and jumped into it and died. Śiva became furious when he came to know of this. Being overwhelmed with sorrow and anger he beat his matted hair on the ground, from which two monsters, Vīrabhadra and Bhadrakālī, came out. They ran to Dakṣa's sacrificial hall and destroyed everything they saw, killed everybody, caught hold of Dakṣa and cut off his head. Then they began to create havoc in the whole world. The hermits and sages began to take to flight. Men and animals shivered. Thus the three worlds began to tremble with fear. The gods approached Śiva with supplication to curb his anger. The gracious Śaṅkara was pleased to recall the monsters. After that everybody requested him to bring Dakṣa back to life. But the search made for the head of Dakṣa was futile. At last Brahmā took the head of a goat and joined it to the headless trunk of Dakṣa. Thus he was brought to life again.¹ (Devī Bhāgavata, Skandha 7).