Text 18] Sati Quits Her Body 129

should not give up his body because by doing so he would be responsible
for killing a brahmana; therefore a brahmana should leave the place or
block his ears so that he will not hear the blasphemy. If one happens to be
a ksatriya he has the power to punish any man; therefore a ksatriya should
at once cut out the tongue of the vilifier and kill him. But as far as the
vaisyas and siidras are concerned, they should immediately give up their
bodies. Sati decided to give up her body because she thought herself to be
among the siidras and vaisyas. As stated in Bhagavad-gita, striyo vaisyas
tatha sudrah (Bg. 9.32). Women, laborers and the mercantile class are on
the same level. Thus since it is recommended that vaigyas and sidras
should immediately give up their bodies upon hearing blasphemy of an
exalted person like Lord Siva, she decided to give up her life.

TEXT 18
aaaaeraae =8=8=|—|- aT
a antasy fafravontir: |
Were Aes Fafa
wafaaatact = waa Rll

atas tavotpannam idam kalevaram
na dharayisye Siti-kantha-garhinah
jagdhasya mohdadd hi visuddhim andhaso
jugupsitasyoddharanam pracaksate

atah—therefore; tava—from you; utpannam-received; idam—this; kale-
varam—body; na dharayisye—I shall not bear; siti-kantha-garhinah—who
have blasphemed Lord Siva; jagdhasya—which has been eaten; mohat—by
mistake; hi—because; visuddhim—the purification; andhasah—of food;
jJugupsitasya— poisonous; uddharanam— vomiting; pracaksate—declare.

TRANSLATION

Therefore 1 shall no longer bear this unworthy body, which has been
received from you, who have blasphemed Lord Siva. If someone has taken
food which is poisonous, the best treatment is to vomit.

PURPORT

Since Sati was the representation of the external potency of the Lord, it
was in her power to vanquish many universes, including many Daksas, but
