Daksha

See also: Daughters of Daksha

Daksha was angry with Inter galactic traveller Narada, just because he taught good things to his sons. Narada travels to different galaxies with his thought power

According to Vishnu Purana and Padma Purana, Daksha and his wife Prasuti had 24 daughters. The names of these 24 daughters are:

1. Sraddha (Respect)
2. Bhakti (Worship)
3. Dhriti (Steadiness)
4. Thushti (Resignation)
5. Pushti (Thriving)
6. Medha (Intelligence)
7. Kriya (Action, Devotion)
8. Buddhika (Intellect)
9. Lajja Gauri (Modesty)
10. Vapu (Body)
11. Santi (Expiation)
12. Siddhika (Perfection)
13. Kirtti (Fame)
14. Khyati (Celebrity)
15. Sati (Truth)
16. Sambhuti (Fitness)
17. Smriti (Memory)
18. Priti (Affection)
19. Kshama (Forgiveness)
20. Sannati (Humility)
21. Anasuya (lit. without jealousy)
22. Urjja (Energy)
23. Swaha (Offering)
24. Swadha (Oblation)[3]

Of these, the 13 married to Dharma are:

1. Sraddha
2. Bhakti
3. Dhriti
4. Thushti
5. Pushti
6. Medha
7. Kriya
8. Buddhi
9. Lajja
10. Vapu
11. Santi
12. Siddhi
13. Kirtti

Of the remaining 11,

1. Khyati is married to Bhrigu
2. Sati is married to Shiva
3. Sambhuti is married to Marichi
4. Smriti is married to Angiras
5. Priti is married to Pulastya
6. Kshama is married to Pulaha
7. Sannati is married to Kratu
8. Anasuya is married to Atri
9. Urjja is married to Vasishtha
10. Swaha is married to Agni
11. Swadha is married to Pitris[4]

According to Matsya Purana, Daksha and his wife Panchajani (Virani) had 62 daughters, not one of whom resembled their father:

1. 10 of those daughters were married to Dharma,
2. 13 to sage Kashyapa,
3. 27 to Chandra,
4. 4 to Arishtanemi,
5. 1 to Kama,
6. 1 to lord Shiva,
7. 2 to sons of sage Bhrigu,
8. 2 to sage Angiras,
9. 2 to Krisasva.[5][6]

According to Padma Purana, when Daksha felt the number of women are still not sufficient, he decided to have 60 more daughters. Sati was the daughter married to Shiva.[7]

The 10 daughters married to Dharma are:

1. Maruvati,
2. Vasu,
3. Jami
4. Lamba,
5. Bhanu,
6. Urjja,
7. Sankalp,
8. Mahurath,
9. Sadhya, and
10. Vishva.[5][8]

The 13 daughters married to sage Kashyapa are:

1. Aditi,
2. Diti,
3. Danu
4. Arishta,
5. Surasa,
6. Surabhi,
7. Vinata,
8. Tamra,
9. Krodhavasha,
10. Ira,
11. Kadru,
12. Vishva,
13. Muni.[9][10]

The 27 daughters married to Chandra are:

1. Ashvinī,
2. Bharanī,
3. Kṛttikā (the Pleiades),
4. Rohinī,
5. Mrigashīra,
6. Ārdrā,
7. Punarvasu,
8. Pushya,
9. Ashlesha,
10. Maghā,
11. Pūrvaphalgunī,
12. Uttaraphalgunī,
13. Hasta,
14. Chitrā (Spica),
15. Svātī (Arcturus),
16. Vishākhā,
17. Anurādhā or Rādha,
18. Jyeshtha,
19. Mūla,
20. Purbashādha or Pūrvashādhā,
21. Uttarashara,
22. Shravana, Abhijit,
23. Dhanistha,
24. Shatabhisha,
25. Pūrva Bhādrapadā,
26. Uttarbhadrapada,
27. Revatī.

The twenty-seven wives of Chandra are the twenty-seven Nakshatras or Constellations on the Moon's orbit.

Of his 27 wives, Chandra was only interested in his wife, Rohini.

One of the daughters of Daksha (often said to be the youngest) was Sati (Dakshayani), who had always wished to marry Shiva. Daksha forbade it, but later reluctantly allowed her and she married Shiva. She found in Shiva a doting and loving husband.

Daksha Yagna

Main article: Daksha yajna

Daksha criticizing Rudra for insulting him in the Satrayaga

Daksha Yagna was an important turning point in the creation and development of sects in Hinduism. It is the story behind the 'Stala Purana' (Origin story of Temples) of Shakti Peethas. There are 51 (some say 108) Shakti Peethas shrines all over South Asia. The story replaced Goddess Sati by Shree Parvati as Shiva's consort and lead to the story of Lord Ganesha and Lord Kartikeya.

Shiva carrying the corpse of his consort Sati

Daksha organised a huge Yajna and intentionally avoided Shiva and Sati. Even though discouraged by Shiva, who told her not to go to a ceremony performed by Daksha where she and her husband were not invited; the parental bond made Sati ignore social etiquette and her husband's wishes. Sati went to the ceremony alone. She was snubbed by Daksha and insulted by him in front of the guests. Sati, unable to bear further insult, ran into the Sacrificial fire and immolated herself. Shiva, upon learning about the terrible incident, in his wrath invoked Virabhadra and Bhadrakali by plucking a lock of hair and thrashing it on the ground. Virabhadra and the Bhoota ganas marched south and destroyed all the premises. Daksha was decapitated, and the Yagna shaala was devastated during the rampage. The Bhutaganas' celebrated victory by plucking the beard of 'Presiding Master' of the Yajna, Sage Bhrigu, as a war souvenir.

Daksha was later forgiven and brought to life by Shiva, by attaching a goat's head. The Yajna was completed with all the divinities present.

Vishnu attempted to pacify Shiva, who was in deep grief upon seeing the half-burned corpse of his beloved wife. However, Shiva, unable to part with Sati, carried her corpse on his shoulder and wandered about the world. Vishnu restored calm and rid of Shiva's attachment by severing Sati's body into multiple pieces with his divine discus, the Sudarshan Chakra. Sati's severed body parts fell in various places where Shiva had traveled. The places where Sati Devi's body parts fell came to be known as Shakti Peethas.[11][12]

• Prajapati
• Kottiyoor, Kankhal, Draksharama
• Dakshayagnam (film)

• Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (ISBN 0-500-51088-1) by Anna Dhallapiccola

• Lineage of Daksha, The Mahabharata/Book 1: Adi Parva/Section LXV