Text 13] The Sacrifice Performed by Daksa 221

TEXT 13
Ga TWF

WIAIE Fal AIT HI A
ASTM Aly Yat Tels ABH: |
qAUTTY FT ATAATM
OF ELA FT OT FIAT 123i

dak sa uvaca
bhityan anugraha aho bhavata krto me
dandas tvaya mayi bhrto yad api pralabdhah
na brahma-bandhusu ca vam bhagavann avajna
tubhyam hares ca kuta eva dhrta-vratesu

daksah—King Daksa; uvaca—said; bhityan—very great; anugrahah—favor;
aho—alas; bhavata—by you; krtah—done; me—upon me; dandah—
punishment; tvaya—by you; mayi—unto me; bhrtah—done; yat api—
although; pralabdhah—defeated; na—neither; brahma-bandhusu—unto an
unqualified brahmana; ca—also; vam—both of you; bhagavan—my lord;
avajiiad—negligence; tubhyam—of you; hareh ca—of Lord Visnu; kutah—
where; eva—certainly; dhrta-vratesu—one who is engaged in the
performance of sacrifice.

TRANSLATION

King Dakga said: My dear Lord Siva, | committed a great offense
against you, but you are so kind that instead of withdrawing your mercy,
you have done me a great favor by punishing me. Both yourself and
Lord Visnu do not neglect even useless unqualified brahmanas. Why, then,
should you neglect me, who am engaged in performing sacrifices?

PURPORT

Although Daksa felt that he was defeated, he knew that his punishment
was simply the great mercy of Lord Siva. He remembered that Lord Siva
and Lord Visnu are never neglectful of the brahmanas, even though they
are sometimes unqualified. According to Vedic civilization, a person who
is a descendant of a brahmana family should never be heavily punished.
This was exemplified in Arjuna’s treatment of Asvatthama. Asvatthama
was the son of a great brahmana, Dronacarya, and in spite of his commit-
ting the great offense of killing all the sleeping sons of the Pandavas, for
