Text 18]
Satī Quits Her Body
129
should not give up his body because by doing so he would be responsible for killing a  brāhmaṇa ; therefore a  brāhmaṇa  should leave the place or block his ears so that he will not hear the blasphemy. If one happens to be a  kṣatriya  he has the power to punish any man; therefore a  kṣatriya  should at once cut out the tongue of the vilifier and kill him. But as far as the  vaiśyas  and  śūdras  are concerned, they should immediately give up their bodies. Satī decided to give up her body because she thought herself to be among the  śūdras  and  vaiśyas . As stated in  Bhagavad-gītā ,  striyo vaiśyās tathā śudrāḥ  (Bg. 9.32). Women, laborers and the mercantile class are on the same level. Thus since it is recommended that  vaiśyas  and  śūdras  should immediately give up their bodies upon hearing blasphemy of an exalted person like Lord Śiva, she decided to give up her life.
TEXT 18
अतस्तवोत्पन्नमिदं कलेवरं 
  न धारयिष्ये शितिकण्ठगर्हिणः । 
  जग्धस्य मोहाद्धि विशुद्धिमन्धसो 
  जुगुप्सितस्योद्धरणं प्रचक्षते ॥१८॥
atas tavotpannam idam kalevaram 
  na dhārayiṣye śiti-kaṇṭha-garhiṇaḥ 
  jagdhasya mohādd hi viśuddhim andhaso 
  jugupsitasyoddharaṇam pracakṣate
ataḥ—therefore; tava—from you; utpannam—received; idam—this; kalevaram—body; na dhārayiṣye—I shall not bear; śiti-kaṇṭha-garhiṇaḥ—who have blasphemed Lord Śiva; jagdhasya—which has been eaten; mohāt—by mistake; hi—because; viśuddhim—the purification; andhasaḥ—of food; jugupsitasya—poisonous; uddharaṇam—vomiting; pracakṣate—declare.
TRANSLATION
Therefore I shall no longer bear this unworthy body, which has been received from you, who have blasphemed Lord Śiva. If someone has taken food which is poisonous, the best treatment is to vomit.
PURPORT
Since Satī was the representation of the external potency of the Lord, it was in her power to vanquish many universes, including many Dakṣas, but