As I Know: The Lord of the Mountains – Shiv Purana: 52

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Daksa's miseries increase each moment and therefore, he pleads before Vishnu and prays for empathy and mercy, and wants yajna to continue even as the powerful general Virbhadra arrives and so he imagines intensity in ferocity and destruction

Daksa was deeply disturbed as he visualised unfortunate events waiting in the far off horizon. He wanted to avoid an imminent cataclysm and therefore, appealed to Vishnu, “O Sri Hari, lord Vishnu, you are an ocean of mercy and generosity. You help and protect yajna. You are the only guardian of yajna. Yajna is your karma. You must show compassion so that yajna is not destroyed.”

Daksa continued to admire Vishnu for a long time and attributed each incident and event to him. It was to seek assistance in hour of crisis. At last, he fell at the holy feet of Sri Hari. Sri Vishnu found Daksa nervous, uncertain and in utter despair. Sri Hari lovingly put arms on Daksa’s shoulders, nodded him to get up and thereafter, remembered Shiva, the lord of gods.

He recalled the dazzling radiance of Shiva and said to Daksa, “O Daksa, I shall tell you about the truth of tattva. Please listen carefully. My word is mantra and it will be beneficial and heavenly. You do not know and understand tattva. Unaware of the true meaning of tattva, you ignored the great lord (Paramatma) Sankara. If you ignore or take no notice of Supreme Lord, you are never successful in any act or karma. He is karma, he is yajna and he is in everyone. You ignored the lord and so, confronted sufferings at each step you put forward. When, one worships those that need no adoration and ignores worth revering, one faces and suffers poverty, death and fear, the three calamities. You did it without thought of consequences.”

He listened to Vishnu and possibly, thought about the abusive and inappropriate language he had used against the lord, and the evil acts he had indulged in previously.

Vishnu said further, “O Daksa, in view of arrogance and unclean language, you must make earnest efforts to honour Shiva. A great calamity would visit you because you insulted Shiva. We are lords, no doubt, but are quite incapable of avoiding a devastating situation you face. It is the eternal truth you should know. No escape is possible.”

Multi-dimensional worries assaulted prajapati Daksa and therefore, the colour of face faded away but he continued to stand still on the ground. At that time, dreadful Virbhadra, the chief of ganas with a large army, reached. All ganas appeared brave, courageous, fearless and valorous and carried the image of the supreme commander. It was difficult to count numerous fear-instilling counselors of Shiva. Thus, crores of ganas were ready to destroy everything. Immense noise and clamour filled surroundings. Soldiers of Rudra were ready to strike anytime. Loud cries of war and the echoes thereof resounded in the three worlds as a broad layer of dust overcast the blue sky while a thick sheet of darkness covered all directions, and none could see anything.

It appeared as if the entire universe trembled with uncertain fears and imminent death. The islands, the earth, the mountains, the forests and the vegetation shuddered and quivered with fears, and the oceans were also disturbed. Even the gods of heavens were astonished to see a huge army capable of destroying the worlds. Daksa shivered and blood came out of the mouth. Immediately, he took queen’s hand and fell again, at the holy feet of Sri Hari.

He attempted to please the lord when he said, “O Vishnu, O great lord, I started a grand yajna because of the protection and strength you bestowed. It is a virtuous act and you are the real strength, who grants success and siddhi. You are witness to karmas and you are the guardian of yajnas. You are the sentinel of Vedic dharma. You are the guard of Brahma. Therefore, O lord, you protect yajna since you are the lord of all.”

Lost in thoughts of Shiva, Vishnu looked at the contemptible posture of Daksa. Now, he was free from thoughts of lord and therefore, tried to explain to Daksa, “Daksa, no doubt I should protect yajna because it relates to dharma. My pledge is to guard dharmic karmas. However, O Daksa, whatever I say, you listen and throw out evil-possessed intellect and cruelty. You recall an incident of past that occurred in the forest of Naimisa. It was an amazing incident. Did you forget because of stupidity? Who would protect you from the fury of Rudra? Daksa, no one is ready to protect you, and none advises. He, who is prepared to help you, demonstrates naïveté and false wisdom. You fail to understand the distinction between karmas and akarmas (passivity toward acts). Only karma is not sufficient to achieve the purpose. Whatever strength you get to do karma, you ought to recognise that it is a virtuous karma. Truth, virtues and right conduct strengthen man and it purifies the inner man.”

Vishnu tried to reveal certain truths to Daksa, who nurtured iniquitous and unsound thoughts. He thought he was the doer and the achiever and thus, failed to comprehend that none can do anything unless the Supreme Lord desires.

Vishnu said again, “Only lord Shiva bestows strength on karma so that it benefits all and thus, it is infused with a sense of wellbeing. If you act well, it is the blessing of the lord. Lord is never a party to evil deeds, for which a person is liable to get punishment. He, who performs karmas with mind fixed at the feet of the lord, lord Shiva bestows the fruit of karmas. People, who take help of intellect and knowledge and try to become atheists or do not believe in the existence of the invisible god, suffer in hell for hundreds of kalpas (a long period). Strong bonds of karmas ensnare living beings and in every birth, they suffer in hell.”

After a pause, Daksa said, “The destroyer of enemy has arrived at the site of yajna, who originated out of the fury of Shiva and at this time, he is the chief of ganas. He has come to destroy everything I organised and would not spare anyone. I have no doubt about it. I find nothing, which is not possible for him. He will calm down only after reducing to ashes all the gods, the saintly souls and the celestial beings I am sure. Under a wrong impression and suspicion, I disobeyed the instructions of Shiva and continued to stay here and therefore, I face sufferings.” Precisely, at that moment, Virbhadra along with a vast army of ganas entered as if it were a sea in fury. All the gods witnessed the terrible scene.

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