Text 4] Talks Between Lord Siva and Sati 83
istva sa vajapeyena
brahmisthan abhibhuya ca
brhaspati-savam nama
samarebhe kratuttamam

istva—after performing; sah—he (Daksa); vajapeyena—with a Vajapeya
sacrifice; brahmisthan—Siva and his followers; abhibhuya—neglecting; ca—
and; brhaspati-savam— the Brhaspati-sava; nama— called; samarebhe— began;
kratu-uttamam-—the best of sacrifices.

TRANSLATION

Daksa began a sacrifice named Vajapeya, and he became excessively
confident of his support by Lord Brahma. He then performed another
great sacrifice named Brhaspati-sava.

PURPORT

In the Vedas it is prescribed that before performing a Brhaspati-sava
sacrifice, one should perform the sacrifice named Vajapeya. While perform-
ing these sacrifices, however, Daksa neglected great devotees like Lord
Siva. According to Vedic scriptures, the demigods are eligible to participate
in yajfias and share the oblations, but he wanted to avoid them. All
sacrifices are intended to pacify Lord Visnu, but Lord Visnu includes all
His devotees. Brahma, Lord Siva and the other demigods are all obedient
servants of Lord Visnu; therefore Lord Visnu is never satisfied without
them. But Daksa, being puffed up with his power, wanted to deprive Lord
Brahma and Lord Siva of participation in the sacrifice, understanding that
if one satisfies Visnu, it is not necessary to satisfy His followers. But that
is not the process. Visnu wants His followers to be satisfied first. Lord
Krsna says, mad-bhakta-pujabhyadhika: “The worship of My devotees is
better than worship of Myself.” Similarly, in the Siva Purana, it is stated
that the best mode of worship is to offer oblations to Visnu, but better
than that is to worship the devotees of Krsna. Thus Daksa’s determination
to neglect Lord Siva in the sacrifices was not fitting.

TEXT 4
~e
afay wait: at zafiftazam: |
MT STATA TTA TATTLE: UN II
