Text 7] Sati Quits Her Body 115

souls, and to test their realization an old animal was offered in the fire and
again rejuvenated. That was the test of a Vedic mantra. The animals
gathered were not meant to be killed and eaten. The real purpose of a
sacrifice was not to replace a slaughterhouse but to test a Vedic mantra by
giving an animal new life. Animals were used to test the power of Vedic
mantras, not for meat.

TEXT 7

TAMA aa a HaafRas

faafaat agaat Ae: |
ara aad Haat A MT!

tanya: — afragdat |! oll

tam agatam tatra na kascanddriyad
vimanitam yajia-krto bhayaj janah

rte svasfr vai jananim ca sadarah
premasru-kanthyah parisasvajur muda

tam—her (Sati); dgatdm—having arrived; tatra—there; na—not; kascana—
anyone; ddriyat—received; vimanitam—not receiving respect; yajiia-krtah—
of the performer of the sacrifice (Daksa); bhayat—from fear; janah—person;
rte—except; svasrh—her own sister; vai—indeed ; jananim—mother; ca—and;
sadarah—with respect; prema-asru-kanthyah—whose throats were filled
with tears of affection; parisasvajuh—embraced; muda—with glad faces.

TRANSLATION

When Sati, with her followers, reached the arena, because all the people
assembled were afraid of Daksa, none of them received her well. No one
welcomed her but her mother and sisters, who, with tears in their eyes
and with glad faces, welcomed her and talked with her very pleasingly.

PURPORT

The mother and sisters of Sati could not follow the others, who did not
receive Sati very well. Due to natural affection, they immediately
embraced her with tears in their eyes and with loving feelings. This shows
that women as a class are very softhearted; their natural affection and
love cannot be checked by artificial means. Although the men present
were very learned brihmanas and demigods, they were afraid of their
