Canto 4: Creation of the Fourth OrderChapter 2: Dakṣa Curses Lord Śiva

Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 4.2.18

ayaḿ tu deva-yajana

indropendrādibhir bhavaḥ

saha bhāgaḿ na labhatāḿ

devair deva-gaṇādhamaḥ

SYNONYMS

ayam — that; tu — but; deva-yajanein the sacrifice of the demigods; indra-upendra-ādibhiḥ — with Indra, Upendra and the others; bhavaḥŚiva; saha — along with; bhāgama portion; na — not; labhatām — should obtain; devaiḥ — with the demigods; deva-gaṇa-adhamaḥ — the lowest of all the demigods.

TRANSLATION

The demigods are eligible to share in the oblations of sacrifice, but Lord Śiva, who is the lowest of all the demigods, should not have a share.

PURPORT

Because of this curse, Śiva was deprived of his share in the oblations of Vedic sacrifices. It was due to the curse of Dakṣa, Śrī Viśvanātha Cakravartī comments in this connection, that Lord Śiva was saved from the calamity of taking part with other demigods, who were all materialistic. Lord Śiva is the greatest devotee of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and it is not fitting for him to eat or sit with materialistic persons like the demigods. Thus the curse of Dakṣa was indirectly a blessing, for Śiva would not have to eat or sit with other demigods, who were too materialistic. There is a practical example set for us by Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja, who used to sit on the side of a latrine to chant Hare Kṛṣṇa. Many materialistic persons used to come and bother him and disturb his daily routine of chanting, so to avoid their company he used to sit by the side of a latrine, where materialistic persons would not go because of the filth and the obnoxious smell. However, Gaurakiśora dāsa Bābājī Mahārāja was so great that he was accepted as the spiritual master of such a great personality as His Divine Grace Oḿ Viṣṇupāda Śrī Śrīmad Bhaktisiddhānta Sarasvatī Gosvāmī Mahārāja. The conclusion is that Lord Śiva behaved in his own way to avoid materialistic persons who might disturb him in his prosecution of devotional service.

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