Maitreya continued: In this manner the tension between the father-in-law and son-in law, Dakṣa and Lord Śiva, continued for a con siderably long period (1).When Lord Brahmā appointed Dakṣa the chief of all the Prajāpatis, the progenitors of population, Dakṣa became very much puffed up (2).Dakṣa began a sacri fice named vājapeya, and he became exces sively confident of his support by Lord Brahmā. He then performed another great sac rifice, named bṛhaspati-sava (3).While the sac rifice was being performed, many brahmarṣis, great sages, ancestral demigods and other dem igods, their wives all very nicely decorated with ornaments, attended from different parts of the universe (4).

The chaste lady Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, heard the heavenly denizens flying in the sky conversing about the great sacrifice being per formed by her father. When she saw that from all directions the beautiful wives of the heav enly denizens, their eyes very beautifully glit tering, were near her residence and were going to the sacrifice dressed in fine clothing and or namented with earrings and necklaces with lockets, she approached her husband, the mas ter of the bhūtas, in great anxiety, and spoke as follows (5-7). Satī said: My dear Lord Śiva, your father in-law is now executing great sacrifices, and all the demigods, having been invited by him, are going there. If you desire, we may also go (8).

I think that all my sisters must have gone to this great sacrificial ceremony with their husbands just to see their relatives. I also desire to deco rate myself with the ornaments given to me by my father and go there with you to participate in that assembly (9).My sisters, my mother’s sisters and their husbands, and other affection ate relatives must be assembled there, so if I go I shall be able to see them, and I shall be able to see the flapping flags and the performance of the sacrifice by the great sages. For these rea sons, my dear husband, I am very much anxious to go (10).This manifested cosmos is a wonder ful creation of the interaction of the three mate rial modes, or the external energy of the Su preme Lord. This truth is fully known to you. Yet I am but a poor woman, and, as you know, I am not conversant with the truth. Therefore I wish to see my birthplace once more (11).

O never-born, O blue-throated one, not only my relatives but also other women, dressed in nice clothes and decorated with ornaments, are go ing there with their husbands and friends. Just see how their flocks of white airplanes have made the entire sky very beautiful (12). O best of the demigods, how can the body of a daugh ter remain undisturbed when she hears that some festive event is taking place in her fa ther’s house? Even though you may be consid ering that I have not been invited, there is no harm if one goes to the house of one’s friend, husband, spiritual master or father without in vitation (13).O immortal Śiva, please be kind towards me and fulfill my desire. You have ac cepted me as half of your body; therefore please show kindness towards me and accept my re quest (14). The great sage Maitreya said: Lord Śiva, the deliverer of the hill Kailāsa, having thus been addressed by his dear wife, replied smil ingly, although at the same time he remem bered the malicious, heart-piercing speeches delivered by Dakṣa before the guardians of the universal affairs (15).

The great Lord replied: My dear beautiful wife, you have said that one may go to a friend’s house without being invited, and this is true, provided such a friend does not find fault with the guest because of bodily identification and thereby become angry towards him (16).Although the six qualities education, aus terity, wealth, beauty, youth and heritage are for the highly elevated, one who is proud of possessing them becomes blind, and thus he loses his good sense and cannot appreciate the glories of great personalities (17).One should not go to anyone’s house, even on the consid eration of his being a relative or a friend, when the man is disturbed in his mind and looks upon the guest with raised eyebrows and angry eyes (18).

Lord Śiva continued: If one is hurt by the arrows of an enemy, one is not as aggrieved as when cut by the unkind words of a relative, for such grief continues to rend one’s heart day and night (19). My dear white-complexioned wife, it is clear that of the many daughters of Dakṣa you are the pet, yet you will not be honored at his house because of your being my wife. Rather, you will be sorry that you are connected with me (20).One who is conducted by false ego and thus always distressed, both mentally and sen sually, cannot tolerate the opulence of self-re alized persons. Being unable to rise to the standard of self-realization, he envies such per sons as much as demons envy the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead (21). My dear young wife, certainly friends and relatives offer mutual greetings by standing up, welcoming one another and offering obei sances. But those who are elevated to the tran scendental platform, being intelligent, offer such respects to the Supersoul, who is sitting within the body, not to the person who identi fies with the body (22).

I am always engaged in offering obeisances to Lord Vāsudeva in pure Kṛṣṇa consciousness. Kṛṣṇa consciousness is always pure consciousness, in which the Su preme Personality of Godhead, known as Vāsudeva, is revealed without any covering (23).Therefore you should not see your father, although he is the giver of your body, because he and his followers are envious of me. Be cause of his envy, O most worshipful one, he has insulted me with cruel words although I am innocent (24).If in spite of this instruction you decide to go, neglecting my words, the future will not be good for you. You are most respect able, and when you are insulted by your rela tive, this insult will immediately be equal to death (25).

Vidura inquired: Why was Dakṣa, who was so affectionate towards his daughter, envi ous of Lord Śiva, who is the best among the gentle? Why did he neglect his daughter Satī? (1) Lord Śiva, the spiritual master of the entire world, is free from enmity, is a peaceful per sonality, and is always satisfied in himself. He is the greatest among the demigods. How is it possible that Dakṣa could be inimical towards such an auspicious personality? (2) My dear Maitreya, to part with one’s life is very difficult. Would you kindly explain to me how such a son-in-law and father-in-law could quarrel so bitterly that the great goddess Satī could give up her life? (3)

The sage Maitreya said: In a former time, the leaders of the universal creation performed a great sacrifice in which all the great sages, philosophers, demigods and fire-gods assem bled with their followers (4). When Dakṣa, the leader of the Prajāpatis, entered that assembly, his personal bodily luster as bright as the efful gence of the sun, the entire assembly was illu minated, and all the assembled personalities be came insignificant in his presence (5). Influ enced by his personal bodily luster, all the fire gods and other participants in that great assem bly, with the exceptions of Lord Brahmā and Lord Śiva, gave up their own sitting places and stood in respect for Dakṣa (6).Dakṣa was ade quately welcomed by the president of the great assembly, Lord Brahmā. After offering Lord Brahmā respect, Dakṣa, by the order of Brahmā, properly took his seat (7).

Before taking his seat, however, Dakṣa was very much offended to see Lord Śiva sitting and not showing him any respect. At that time, Dakṣa became greatly angry, and, his eyes glowing, he began to speak very strongly against Lord Śiva (8).All sages, brāhmaṇas and fire-gods present, please hear me with atten tion, for I speak about the manners of gentle persons. I do not speak out of ignorance or envy (9).Śiva has spoiled the name and fame of the governors of the universe and has polluted the path of gentle manners. Because he is shame less, he does not know how to act (10).He has already accepted himself as my subordinate by marrying my daughter in the presence of fire and brāhmaṇas. He has married my daughter, who is equal to Gāyatrī, and has pretended to be just like an honest person (11).

He has eyes like a monkey’s, yet he has married my daugh ter, whose eyes are just like those of a deer cub. Nevertheless he did not stand up to receive me, nor did he think it fit to welcome me with sweet words (12).I had no desire to give my daughter to this person, who has broken all rules of civil ity. Because of not observing the required rules and regulations, he is impure, but I was obliged to hand over my daughter to him just as one teaches the messages of the Vedas to a śūdra (13).He lives in filthy places like crematori ums, and his companions are the ghosts and de mons. Naked like a madman, sometimes laugh ing and sometimes crying, he smears cremato rium ashes all over his body. He does not bathe regularly, and he ornaments his body with a garland of skulls and bones. Therefore only in name is he śiva, or auspicious; actually, he is the most mad and inauspicious creature. Thus he is very dear to crazy beings in the gross mode of ignorance, and he is their leader (14 15).

On the request of Lord Brahmā I handed over my chaste daughter to him, although he is devoid of all cleanliness and his heart is filled with nasty things (16). The sage Maitreya continued: Thus Dakṣa, seeing Lord Śiva sitting as if against him, washed his hands and mouth and cursed him in the following words (17).The demigods are eligible to share in the oblations of sacrifice, but Lord Śiva, who is the lowest of all the dem igods, should not have a share (18).Maitreya continued: My dear Vidura, in spite of the re quests of all the members of the sacrificial as sembly, Dakṣa, in great anger, cursed Lord Śiva and then left the assembly and went back to his home (19).

Upon understanding that Lord Śiva had been cursed, Nandīśvara, one of Lord Śiva’s princi pal associates, became greatly angry. His eyes became red, and he prepared to curse Dakṣa and all the brāhmaṇas present there who had tolerated Dakṣa’s cursing Śiva in harsh words (20).Anyone who has accepted Dakṣa as the most important personality and neglected Lord Śiva because of envy is less intelligent and, be cause of visualizing in duality, will be bereft of transcendental knowledge (21).Pretentiously religious householder life, in which one is at tracted to material happiness and thus also at tracted to the superficial explanation of the Ve das, robs one of all intelligence and attaches one to fruitive activities as all in all (22).

Dakṣa has accepted the body as all in all. Therefore, since he has forgotten the viṣṇu-pāda, or viṣṇu gati, and is attached to sex life only, within a short time he will have the face of a goat (23).Those who have become as dull as matter by cultivating materialistic education and intel ligence are nesciently involved in fruitive ac tivities. Such men have purposely insulted Lord Śiva. May they continue in the cycle of re peated birth and death (24).May those who are envious of Lord Śiva, being attracted by the flowery language of the enchanting Vedic promises, and who have thus become dull, al ways remain attached to fruitive activities (25).

These brāhmaṇas take to education, aus terity and vows only for the purpose of main taining the body. They shall be devoid of dis crimination between what to eat and what not to eat. They will acquire money, begging from door to door, simply for the satisfaction of the body (26). When all the hereditary brāhmaṇas were thus cursed by Nandīśvara, the sage Bhṛgu, as a reaction, condemned the followers of Lord Śiva with this very strong brahminical curse (27).One who takes a vow to satisfy Lord Śiva or who follows such principles will certainly become an atheist and be diverted from tran scendental scriptural injunctions (28). Those who vow to worship Lord Śiva are so foolish that they imitate him by keeping long hair on their heads. When initiated into worship of Lord Śiva, they prefer to live on wine, flesh and other such things (29).Bhṛgu Muni continued: Since you blaspheme the Vedas and the brāhmaṇas, who are followers of the Vedic principles, it is understood that you have al ready taken shelter of the doctrine of atheism (30).

The Vedas give the eternal regulative prin ciples for auspicious advancement in human civilization which have been rigidly followed in the past. The strong evidence of this princi ple is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is called Janārdana, the well-wisher of all living entities (31). By blaspheming the princi ples of the Vedas, which are the pure and su preme path of the saintly persons, certainly you followers of Bhūtapati, Lord Śiva, will descend to the standard of atheism without a doubt (32). The sage Maitreya said: When such curs ing and countercursing was going on between Lord Śiva’s followers and the parties of Dakṣa and Bhṛgu, Lord Śiva became very morose. Not saying anything, he left the arena of the sacri fice, followed by his disciples (33).

The sage Maitreya continued: O Vidura, all the progeni tors of the universal population thus executed a sacrifice for thousands of years, for sacrifice is the best way to worship the Supreme Lord, Hari, the Personality of Godhead (34).My dear Vidura, carrier of bows and arrows, all the dem igods who were performing the sacrifice took their bath at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamunā after completing the yajña perfor mance. Such a bath is called avabhṛtha-snāna. After thus becoming purified in heart, they de parted for their respective abodes (35).

Śrī Maitreya said: Svāyambhuva Manu be got three daughters in his wife, Śatarūpā, and their names were Ākūti, Devahūti and Prasūti (1).Ākūti had two brothers, but in spite of her brothers, King Svāyambhuva Manu handed her over to Prajāpati Ruci on the condition that the son born of her be returned to Manu as his son. This he did in consultation with his wife, Śatarūpā (2). Ruci, who was very powerful in his brah minical qualifications and was appointed one of the progenitors of the living entities, begot one son and one daughter by his wife, Ākūti (3).

Of the two children born of Ākūti, the male child was directly an incarnation of the Su preme Personality of Godhead, and His name was Yajña, which is another name of Lord Viṣṇu. The female child was a partial incarna tion of Lakṣmī, the goddess of fortune, the eter nal consort of Lord Viṣṇu (4).Svāyambhuva Manu very gladly brought home the beautiful boy named Yajña, and Ruci, his son-in-law, kept with him the daughter, Dakṣiṇā (5).The Lord of the ritualistic performance of yajña later married Dakṣiṇā, who was anxious to have the Personality of Godhead as her husband, and in this wife the Lord was also very much pleased to beget twelve children (6).

The twelve boys born of Yajña and Dakṣiṇā were named Toṣa, Pratoṣa, Santoṣa, Bhadra, Śānti, Iḍaspati, Idhma, Kavi, Vibhu, Svahna, Sudeva and Rocana (7).During the time of Svāyambhuva Manu, these sons all became the demigods col lectively named the Tuṣitas. Marīci became the head of the seven ṛṣis, and Yajña became the king of the demigods, Indra (8). Svāyambhuva Manu’s two sons, Priyavrata and Uttānapāda, became very powerful kings, and their sons and grandsons spread all over the three worlds dur ing that period (9). My dear son, Svāyambhuva Manu handed over his very dear daughter Devahūti to Kar dama Muni. I have already spoken to you about them, and you have heard about them almost in full (10).

Svāyambhuva Manu handed over his daughter Prasūti to the son of Brahmā named Dakṣa, who was also one of the progenitors of the living entities. The descendants of Dakṣa are spread throughout the three worlds (11). You have already been informed about the nine daughters of Kardama Muni, who were handed over to nine different sages. I shall now describe the descendants of those nine daugh ters. Please hear from me (12).Kardama Muni’s daughter Kalā, who was married to Marīci, gave birth to two children, whose names were Kaśyapa and Pūrṇimā. Their descendants are spread all over the world (13).My dear Vidura, of the two sons, Kaśyapa and Pūrṇimā, Pūrṇimā begot three children, namely Viraja, Viśvaga and Devakulyā. Of these three, Devakulyā was the water which washed the lo tus feet of the Personality of Godhead and which later on transformed into the Ganges of the heavenly planets (14).

Anasūyā, the wife of Atri Muni, gave birth to three very famous sons Soma, Dattātreya and Durvāsā who were par tial representations of Lord Viṣṇu, Lord Śiva and Lord Brahmā. Soma was a partial represen tation of Lord Brahmā, Dattātreya was a partial representation of Lord Viṣṇu, and Durvāsā was a partial representation of Lord Śiva (15). After hearing this, Vidura inquired from Maitreya: My dear master, how is it that the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Śiva, who are the creator, maintainer and destroyer of the whole creation, became the offspring of the wife of Atri Muni? (16) Maitreya said: When Lord Brahmā ordered Atri Muni to create generations after marrying Anasūyā, Atri Muni and his wife went to per form severe austerities in the valley of the mountain known as Ṛkṣa (17).

In that mountain valley flows a river named Nirvindhyā. On the bank of the river are many aśoka trees and other plants full of palāśa flowers, and there is always the sweet sound of water flowing from a water fall. The husband and wife reached that beauti ful place (18).There the great sage concentrated his mind by the yogic breathing exercises, and thereby controlling all attachment, he remained standing on one leg only, eating nothing but air, and stood there on one leg for one hundred years (19).He was thinking: May the Lord of the universe, of whom I have taken shelter, kindly be pleased to offer me a son exactly like Him (20).

While Atri Muni was engaged in these se vere austerities, a blazing fire came out of his head by virtue of his breathing exercise, and that fire was seen by the three principal deities of the three worlds (21).At that time, the three deities approached the hermitage of Atri Muni, accompanied by the denizens of the heavenly planets, such as the celestial beauties, the Gandharvas, the Siddhas, the Vidyādharas and the Nāgas. Thus they entered the āśrama of the great sage, who had become famous by his aus terities (22).The sage was standing on one leg, but as soon as he saw that the three deities had appeared before him, he was so pleased to see them all together that despite great difficulty he approached them on one leg (23).

Thereafter he began to offer prayers to the three deities, who were seated on different carriers a bull, a swan and Garuḍa and who held in their hands a drum, kuśa grass and a discus. The sage offered them his respects by falling down like a stick (24).Atri Muni was greatly pleased to see that the three devas were gracious towards him. His eyes were dazzled by the effulgence of their bodies, and therefore he closed his eyes for the time being (25).But since his heart was already attracted by the deities, somehow or other he gathered his senses, and with folded hands and sweet words he began to offer prayers to the predominating deities of the universe (26).

 The great sage Atri said: O Lord Brahmā, Lord Viṣṇu and Lord Śiva, you have divided yourself into three bodies by accepting the three modes of material nature, as you do in every millennium for the creation, maintenance and dissolution of the cosmic manifestation. I offer my respectful obeisances unto all of you and beg to inquire whom of you three I have called by my prayer (27).I called for the Su preme Personality of Godhead, desiring a son like Him, and I thought of Him only. But alt hough He is far beyond the mental speculation of man, all three of you have come here. Kindly let me know how you have come, for I am greatly bewildered about this (28).

The great sage Maitreya continued: Upon hearing Atri Muni speak in that way, the three great deities smiled, and they replied in the fol lowing sweet words (29). The three deities told Atri Muni: Dear brāhmaṇa, you are perfect in your determina tion, and therefore as you have decided, so it will happen; it will not happen otherwise. We are all the same person upon whom you were meditating, and therefore we have all come to you (30).You will have sons who will represent a partial manifestation of our potency, and be cause we desire all good fortune for you, those sons will glorify your reputation throughout the world (31).Thus, while the couple looked on, the three deities Brahmā, Viṣṇu and Maheśvara disappeared from that place after bestowing upon Atri Muni the benediction (32).

 Thereaf ter, from the partial representation of Brahmā, the moon-god was born of them; from the par tial representation of Viṣṇu, the great mystic Dattātreya was born; and from the partial rep resentation of Śaṅkara [Lord Śiva], Durvāsā was born. Now you may hear from me of the many sons of Aṅgirā (33). Aṅgirā’s wife, Śraddhā, gave birth to four daughters, named Sinīvālī, Kuhū, Rākā and Anumati (34).Besides these four daughters, she also had another two sons. One of them was known as Utathya, and the other was the learned scholar Bṛhaspati (35).Pulastya begot in his wife, Havirbhū, one son of the name Agastya, who in his next birth became Dahrāgni. Besides him, Pulastya begot another very great and saintly son, whose name was Viśravā (36).

Viśravā had two wives. The first wife was Iḍaviḍā, from whom Kuvera, the mas ter of all Yakṣas, was born, and the next wife was named Keśinī, from whom three sons were born Rāvaṇa, Kumbhakarṇa and Vibhīṣaṇa (37). Gati, the wife of the sage Pulaha, gave birth to three sons, named Karmaśreṣṭha, Varīyān and Sahiṣṇu, and all of them were great sages (38).Kratu’s wife, Kriyā, gave birth to sixty thousand great sages, named the Vālakhilyas. All these sages were greatly advanced in spir itual knowledge, and their bodies were illumi nated by such knowledge (39).The great sage Vasiṣṭha begot in his wife, Ūrjā [sometimes called Arundhatī], seven spotlessly great sages, headed by the sage named Citraketu (40).

The names of these seven sages are as follows: Citraketu, Suroci, Virajā, Mitra, Ulbaṇa, Vasubhṛdyāna and Dyumān. Some other very competent sons were born from Vasiṣṭha’s other wife (41).Citti, wife of the sage Atharvā, gave birth to a son named Aśvaśirā by accept ing a great vow called Dadhyañca. Now you may hear from me about the descendants of the sage Bhṛgu (42). The sage Bhṛgu was highly fortunate. In his wife, known as Khyāti, he begot two sons, named Dhātā and Vidhātā, and one daughter, named Śrī, who was very much devoted to the Supreme Personality of Godhead (43).The sage Meru had two daughters, named Āyati and Ni yati, whom he gave in charity to Dhātā and Vidhātā. Āyati and Niyati gave birth to two sons, Mṛkaṇḍa and Prāṇa (44).

From Mṛkaṇḍa, Mārkaṇḍeya Muni was born, and from Prāṇa, the sage Vedaśirā, whose son was Uśanā [Śukrācārya], also known as Kavi. Thus Kavi also belonged to the descendants of the Bhṛgu dynasty (45).My dear Vidura, the population of the universe was thus increased by the descend ants of these sages and the daughters of Kar dama. Anyone who hears the descriptions of this dynasty with faith will be relieved from all sinful reactions (46). Another of Manu’s daughters, known as Prasūti, married the son of Brahmā named Dakṣa (47). Dakṣa begot sixteen very beautiful daugh ters with lotuslike eyes in his wife Prasūti. Of these sixteen daughters, thirteen were given in marriage to Dharma, and one daughter was given to Agni (48).

One of the remaining two daughters was given in charity to the Pitṛloka, where she resides very amicably, and the other was given to Lord Śiva, who is the deliverer of sinful persons from material entanglement. The names of the thirteen daughters of Dakṣa who were given to Dharma are Śraddhā, Maitrī, Dayā, Śānti, Tuṣṭi, Puṣṭi, Kriyā, Unnati, Bud dhi, Medhā, Titikṣā, Hrī and Mūrti. These thir teen daughters produced the following sons: Śraddhā gave birth to Śubha, Maitrī produced Prasāda, Dayā gave birth to Abhaya, Śānti gave birth to Sukha, Tuṣṭi gave birth to Muda, Puṣṭi gave birth to Smaya, Kriyā gave birth to Yoga, Unnati gave birth to Darpa, Buddhi gave birth to Artha, Medhā gave birth to Smṛti, Titikṣā gave birth to Kṣema, and Hrī gave birth to Praśraya. Mūrti, a reservoir of all respectable qualities, gave birth to Śrī Nara-Nārāyaṇa, the Supreme Personality of Godhead (49-52).

On the occasion of the appearance of Nara Nārāyaṇa, the entire world was full of joy. Eve ryone’s mind became tranquil, and thus in all directions the air, the rivers and the mountains became pleasant (53).In the heavenly planets, bands began to play, and they showered flow ers from the sky. The pacified sages chanted Vedic prayers, the denizens of heaven known as the Gandharvas and Kinnaras sang, the beau tiful damsels of the heavenly planets danced, and in this way, at the time of the appearance of Nara-Nārāyaṇa, all signs of good fortune were visible. Just at that time, great demigods like Brahmā also offered their respectful pray ers (54-55).

The demigods said: Let us offer our re spectful obeisances unto the transcendental Personality of Godhead, who created as His ex ternal energy this cosmic manifestation, which is situated in Him as the air and clouds are sit uated in space, and who has now appeared in the form of Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi in the house of Dharma (56).Let that Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is understood by truly author ized Vedic literature and who has created peace and prosperity to destroy all calamities of the created world, be kind enough to bestow His glance upon the demigods. His merciful glance can supersede the beauty of the spotless lotus flower which is the home of the goddess of for tune (57).

[Maitreya said:] O Vidura, thus the demi gods worshiped with prayers the Supreme Per sonality of Godhead appearing as the sage Nara-Nārāyaṇa. The Lord glanced upon them with mercy and then departed for Gand hamādana Hill (58).That Nara-Nārāyaṇa Ṛṣi, who is a partial expansion of Kṛṣṇa, has now appeared in the dynasties of Yadu and Kuru, in the forms of Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna respectively, to mitigate the burden of the world (59). The predominating deity of fire begot in his wife, Svāhā, three children, named Pāvaka, Pa vamāna and Śuci, who exist by eating the obla tions offered to the fire of sacrifice (60).From those three sons another forty-five descendants  were generated, who are also fire-gods. The to tal number of fire-gods is therefore forty-nine, including the fathers and the grandfather (61).These forty-nine fire-gods are the benefi ciaries of the oblations offered in the Vedic sac rificial fire by impersonalist brāhmaṇas (62).

The Agniṣvāttas, the Barhiṣadas, the Saumyas and the Ājyapas are the Pitās. They are either sāgnika or niragnika. The wife of all these Pitās is Svadhā, who is the daughter of King Dakṣa (63). Svadhā, who was offered to the Pitās, begot two daughters named Vayunā and Dhāriṇī, both of whom were impersonalists and were expert in transcendental and Vedic knowledge (64).The sixteenth daughter, whose name was Satī, was the wife of Lord Śiva. She could not produce a child, although she always faithfully engaged in the service of her husband (65).The reason is that Satī’s father, Dakṣa, used to rebuke Lord Śiva in spite of Śiva’s faultlessness. Consequently, before attaining a mature age, Satī gave up her body by dint of yogic mystic power (66).