Text 13]
Frustration of the Sacrifice of Dakṣa
159
PURPORT
In this verse Dakṣa has been described as  mahātmā . The word  mahātmā  has been commented upon by different commentators in various manners. Vīrarāghavācārya has indicated that this word  mahātmā  means steady in heart. That is to say that Dakṣa was so stronghearted that even when his beloved daughter was prepared to lay down her life, he was steady and unshaken. But in spite of his being so stronghearted, he was perturbed when he saw the various disturbances created by the gigantic black demon. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Thākur remarks in this connection that even if one is called  mahātmā , a great soul, unless he exhibits the symptoms of a  mahātmā , he should be considered a  durātmā , or a degraded soul. In  Bhagavad-gītā  the word  mahātmā  describes the pure devotee of the Lord:  mahātmānas tu mām pārtha daivīm prakṛtim āśritāḥ  (Bg. 9.13). A  mahātmā  is always under the guidance of the internal energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus how could such a misbehaved person as Dakṣa be a  mahātmā ? A  mahātmā  is supposed to have all the good qualities of the demigods, and thus Dakṣa, lacking those qualities, could not be called a  mahātmā ; he should instead be called  durātmā , a degraded soul. The word  mahātmā  to describe the qualifications of Dakṣa is used sarcastically.
TEXT 13
तावत्स रुद्रानुचरैर्महामखो
नानायुधैर्वामनकैरुदायुधैः
पिङ्गैः पिशङ्गैर्मकरोदराननैः
पर्याद्रवद्भिर्विदुरान्वरुध्यत
॥१३॥
tāvat sa rudrānucarair mahā-makho
nānāyudhair vāmanakair udāyudhaiḥ
pingaiḥ piśangair makarodarānanaiḥ
paryādravadbhir vidurānvarudhyata
tāvat—very quickly; saḥ—that; rudra-anucaraiḥ—by the followers of Lord Śiva; mahā-makhaḥ—the arena of the great sacrifice; nānā—various kinds; āyudhaiḥ—with weapons; vāmanakaiḥ—of short stature; udāyudhaiḥ—upraised; pingaiḥ—blackish; piśangaiḥ—yellowish; makara-udara-ānanaiḥ—with bellies and faces like sharks; paryādravadbhiḥ—running all around; vidura—O Vidura; anvarudhyata—was surrounded.