The Story of Brahmand

Sati and Shiva

Daksh's daughter Sati grew to be a beautiful girl with love for truth as her name suggest satya. She knew she was special, but used to think that it was because her father loved her the most. Quick to temper and easy to placate, she was a kind and considerate soul who lived to do her father's bidding. One day Narad muni came to Daksh and Sati with a message from Brahmadev. He had requested Daksh to remind Sati the reason for her birth and asked him to guide her in the penace required. Being ever dutiful, Daksh with a heavy heart did so and Sati left for her austerities. Years passed but Sati didn't stop her prayers. Brahma and Naarayan approached Shiva asking him to marry Sati, and despite his reluctance managed to persuade him. In due course, with Daksh's blessings their marriage occured and they started a happy life in Kailash. One day Brahma did a yajna in which he invited all gods, Shiva and Sati had also reached and were seated. Daksh came slightly latter and all gos save tridev rose to welcome him. He got angry, Naarayan was his isht dev so not standing was correct, Brahmadev, his father but Shiva was his son in law and as such he should have paid him respect. Choosing not to make a scene he went forward to greet the assembled gods, Sati touched his feet and took blessings, however when he reached Shiva, Shiva instead blessed him. Ego stung Daksh resolved to conduct a grander yajna at his home where he would show Shiva his place. The all knowing tridev sensed the going on of Daksh's mind and was wary, however he chose to placate his sweet wife with the knowledge that if he, who was superior to Daksh, had touched his feet or taken blessings, great harm would have befallen Daksh. He also shared the story of Ramayan with Sati. Innately curious, Sati was struck by Rama's grieving at the loss of Sita as too melodramatic. She couldn't believe such a power of love or that Rama was Narayana as she felt as Narayan, how could anyone seperate him from his wife and he roam brokenly about. She wondered how would Shiva feel in such condition. She decided to test Ram and reached Rameshwaram in the future just before they set of for Lanka, taking the form of Devi Sita. However, Rama recognised her, making her realise her folly. Moreover Shiva who had followed her there was angry at her mistake creating a wall between the two. Before leaving both blessed Rama and made the shivling there into a jyotirling.
Around this time Sati realised all devtas where departing for her father's yajna, but she and Shiva had not gotten any invitation. When Shiva tried to repeatedly stop her, she felt he was taking revenge for the Rameshwaram incident and forbade him from stopping her as it was her father's house. She didn't feel the need to recieve a invitation. She also made him promise that if something happened in the yajna , it was her responsibility and he was supposed to come only after the end of the incident. She then left for the yajna with all pomp and show. Reaching the yajnasthali, however she realised everyone was there yet there was no space for her and Shiva. Her parents didn't welcome her either, and on her questioning, Daksh started to insult her and Shiva. He humiliated his own daughter over her choice for a husband, convsniently forgetting it was Brahma and Naarayan who arranged the match. He ridiculed Shiva to such an extent that Sati appealed to assembled gods, yet non except Brahma and Vishnu dared say a word against Daksh. Her anger reaching a peak Sati realised why Shiva had tried to stop her. She was angry at always ignoring Daksh's ego and always disobeying her lord. She decided to self immolate herself but the yajna's fire didn't have enough strength to immolate the avtar of devi adishakti. Angry she used her yogic energy to immolate herself, addressing Shiva and the assembled god one final time." I am Adishakti, born to Daksh as a result of lot of tapasya, for the betterment of the world and union with my lord. However born in this world, I got afflicted by the traits of this world namely ego at being Daksh's daughter, lack of patience and disobedience towards my lord due to the superiority complex I developed being his daughter. In this body with these traits I am a dissapointment to my lord, so this body needs to be destroyed so that I can become one with my lord completely. Know this Daksha, my children won't be born now, who would have guided the world to a better future, nor would the arts emerge from my lord till I am again reunited with him. Your actions have prolonged the sufferings odpf this world. You have also insulted Shiva and me. For all this you will pay. I could have destroyed you this very moment but chose not to do so as it would create unnecessary karma on me. But you will pay the price, each and every person sitting here will pay as they didin't protest your actioms.I give my last greeting to all my other relatives. My lord i promise you I will come back to you again. Hey Naarayan I saw how distraught you were when Sita left you in your Rama avtar. Please ensure to support my lord so that he doesn't face a similar sadness and loneliness. He has no one with him. Om namah Shivaya. I will come back to you my lord, remember this."