Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature c8.2048

c8.2048

Mahāmāyā incarnated as Satī in the house of Dakṣa. Satī blossomed into a beautiful maiden and all the Prajāpatis joined together and made Śiva marry her. The bride and bridegroom lived in the bride's house. At that time the sage Durvāsas worshipped Jagadambikā seated at Jāmbūnada meditating on her and reciting the māyābīja mantra. The devī was immensely pleased and appearing before him gave the divine garland lying round her neck. The garland was highly perfumed. Honey flowed from it always. Wearing that garland the sage travelled through air and reached the palace of Dakṣa, father of Satī, and gave that garland to him. Dakṣa received it with great delight and took it to his bed-room and placed it there. That night Dakṣa inhaled the perfume of the divine garland and enjoyed an amorous sport with his wife. This act made the garland impure and the latent curse in it made Dakṣa hate his daughter Satī and her husband Śiva. After that Dakṣa conducted a Yāga and insulted Śiva by not inviting either him or his wife. Satī, however, attended the Yāga uninvited and she was insulted. Unable to bear the insult Satī leapt into the fire and committed suicide. From that day onwards Śiva roamed about in the world crying "Satī, Satī."