Radha Krishna - Chapter 5: Frustration of the Sacrifice of Daksha

(1) Maitreya said: 'When Lord S'iva heard from Nârada about the death of Satî because of the impudence shown by the Prajâpati and that the soldiers of his associates had been driven away by the Ribhus produced from Daksha's sacrificial fire, his anger knew no bounds. (2) Angrily clenching his lips with his teeth he snatched from a cluster of hair on his head one hair that blazed terribly like an electric fire. Briskly standing up Rudra laughed with a deep sound and dashed the hair on the ground. (3) Next a great black man appeared with a sky-high body that had a thousand arms upholding several kinds of weapons. He radiated as bright as three suns combined, had fearful teeth, a garland of skulls around his neck and hair on his head that looked like a burning fire. (4) Upon asking him, the great Lord, with folded hands: 'What can I do for you, oh Lord of the Ghosts?', the Lord told him: 'You as the chief of my associates, oh Rudra, oh expert of combat born from my body, go and put an end to Daksha and his sacrifice!'

(5) Thus being ordered he, as the anger of the anger of the god of gods, circumambulated the mighty S'iva. Invested with the unopposable power of the most powerful one he considered himself to be the mightiest my dear Vidura, and thus capable of coping with any force. (6) With bangles on his ankles that made a loud sound and carrying a frightening trident that could even kill death, he with a loud roar hurried away, followed by S'iva's soldiers roaring [along] with a tumultuous sound. (7) At that moment the priests, Daksha the leader of the Yajña and all the persons assembled saw the darkness of a dust storm emerging from the north, upon which the brahmins and their wives began to speculate about where this dust came from: (8) 'The winds don't blow, it can't be plunderers since old King Barhi is still alive to punish them and the cows aren't herded either; so from where is this dust coming? Does this mean that the world is about to end?'

(9) The women of Daksha headed by Prasûti most afraid said: 'This is indeed the danger resulting from the sin of Daksha who, being Satî's Lord and creator, has insulted his completely innocent daughter in the presence of her sisters. (10) Or would it be he who at the time of dissolution dances with his weapons raised like flags in his hands and with the bunch of his hair scattered, while he pierces the rulers with his pointed trident and sends his loud laughter in all directions like a clap of thunder? (11) How can one ever find happiness when one as the one who arranges everything raises the fury of him who with an unbearable effulgence full of anger now darkens the luminaries with the unbearable sight of his fearful teeth and the movement of his eyebrows?'

(12) While the people [assembled at the sacrifice] of Daksha all were talking like this they, looking around nervously, could everywhere and repeatedly observe the countless fearful omens in the sky and on the earth [as a result of the anger] of the great Lordship. (13) Quickly oh Vidura, the arena of sacrifice was surrounded by the followers of Rudra who with al kinds of raised weapons were running all around with their short, blackish and yellowish, shark-like bodies and faces.

(14) Some pulled down the pillars of the pandal while others invaded the quarters of the women, the sacrificial arena, the residence of the priests and the place where one was cooking. (15) Some shattered the pots used for the sacrifice, some extinguished the fires burning for the sacrifice, some tore down the boundary lines demarcating the arena and some urinated there. (16) Others blocked the sages their way and some threatened the women and arrested the godly ones sitting nearby who wanted to get away. (17) Manimân got hold of Bhrigu Muni, Vîrabhadra [the great one] caught Prajâpati Daksha, Candes'a arrested Pûshâ and Nandîs'vara arrested the demigod Bhaga. (18) Suffering a hail of stones all the priests, godly ones and other members of the sacrifice who saw all of this happening, utterly agonized spread in all directions. (19) S'iva's mighty appearance [Vîrabhadra] in the midst of the assembly tore off the mustache of Bhrigu Muni who had held the sacrificial ladle for doing oblations, for he with his [proud] mustache had dared to laugh at S'iva. (20) Bhaga's eyes were by the great warlord, who in great fury had thrust him to the ground, plucked out in the presence of the Vis'vasriks, because he with the movement of his eyebrows had encouraged the cursing of Lord S'iva. (21) Like Baladeva did with the king of Kalinga [during the gambling match at the marriage ceremony of Aniruddha], he knocked out the teeth of Pûshâ who had shown his teeth as he smiled during the cursing of S'iva. (22) But when he with his foot on Daksha's chest with a sharp blade tried to sever his head from his body, the three eyed giant couldn't manage to get it done. (23) Nor with weapons, nor with the help of mantras being able to even scratch his skin, Vîrabhadra was struck with wonder and had to think deeply. (24) Then he spotted the device used for killing the sacrificial animals and managed therewith to sever the head from the body of Daksha, the lord ruling the sacrifice, who now was an animal of sacrifice himself.

(25) All the Bhûtas, Pretas and Pis'âcas of S'iva joyfully cheered the very moment they saw him doing that, while the followers of Daksha suffered the opposite. (26) Out of his great anger with Daksha, Vîrabhadra threw the head as an oblation in the southern sacrificial fire and set ablaze all the arrangements for the sacrifice of the godly. Then they departed for their master's abode ['where the Guhyakas reside' or Kailâsa].'