Text 35]
Dakṣa Curses Lord Śiva
79
principle. All the assembled sages performed sacrifices for one thousand years.
TEXT 35
आप्लुत्यावभृथं यत्र गङ्गा यमुनयान्विता । विरजेनात्मना सर्वे स्वं स्वं धाम ययुस्ततः ॥३५॥
āplutyāvabhṛtham yatra gaṅgā yamunayānvitā virajenātmanā sarve svam svam dhāma yayus tataḥ
āplutya—taking a bath; avabhṛtham—the bath which is taken after performing sacrifices; yatra—where; gaṅgā—the River Ganges; yamunayā—by the River Yamunā; anvitā—mixed; virajena—without infection; ātmanā—by the mind; sarve—all; svam svam—their respective; dhāma—abodes; yayuḥ—went; tataḥ—from there.
TRANSLATION
My dear Vidura, carrier of bows and arrows, all the demigods who were performing the sacrifice took their bath at the confluence of the Ganges and the Yamunā after completing the yajña performance. Such a bath is called avabhṛtha-snāna. Thus becoming purified in heart, they departed for their respective abodes.
PURPORT
After Lord Śiva and, previously, Dakṣa, left the arena of sacrifice, the sacrifice was not stopped; the sages went on for many years in order to satisfy the Supreme Lord. The sacrifice was not destroyed for want of Śiva and Dakṣa, and the sages went on with their activities. In other words, it may be assumed that if one does not worship the demigods, even up to Lord Śiva and Brahmā, one can nevertheless satisfy the Supreme Personality of Godhead. This is also confirmed in  Bhagavad-gītā .  Kāmais tais tair hṛta-jñānāḥ prapadyante'nya-devatāḥ . Persons who are impelled by lust and desire go to the demigods to derive some material benefit.  Bhagavad-gītā  uses the very specific words  nāsti buddhiḥ , meaning persons who have lost their sense or intelligence. Only such persons care for demigods and want to derive material benefit from them. Of course, this does not mean that one should not show respect to the demigods, but there is no need to worship them. One who is honest may be faithful to the government, but he does not need to bribe the government servants. Bribery is illegal; one does not bribe a government servant, but that does