Reading Notes: Week 12 Reading Part A

Sati and Shiva: Perfection Rewarded [Comic on Reserve]
Sati and Shiva Comic Cover Page. Source: Indian Epics Blog
POV: Third person
Summary:
  • Brahma and Vishnu discuss getting Shiva a husband; Vishnu advises Brahma to ask Uma to reborn on earth and she is reborn as Sati to Brahma's son, Daksha
  • Even from young Sati is strongly devoted to Shiva, such that when she is old enough, she performs seven deep penances to woo Shiva; so deep that she does not realise Brahma and Vishnu, along with their eternal consorts (Saraswati and Lakshmi) have visited her
  • Back where Shiva is meditating, they convince the ascetic Shiva to go to Sati and he grants her a boon; before she can even wish for him, he asks her to be his consort; she requests he asks the blessings of her father (who from this and henceforth, must have thought he had thus had power over Lord Shiva, this incident seems to be what stirred the later disrespect)
  • They are married and spend their days very happy together; later there is a grand yagna where all the gods are invited in Prayag (where her father resides) and they attend
  • Shiva 'offends' Daksha by not standing when he enters the ceremony, even though him bowing would bring about a bad fate on Daksha
  • Daksha is so angered by this that he holds another, 'greatest' yagna without inviting Shiva or his daughter
  • Sati begs Shiva to let her go even though he knows it will not end well; when Sati reaches the ceremony, her father ignores her and blatantly disrespects Shiva in her presence; feeling disgraced and ashamed by her father, she invokes the yogic flames to engulf her body in a sacrifice, to come back in the next life to a more worthy father and be Sita's queen consort
  • The attendants that came with her try to fight on her behalf (yelling 'fie on evil Prajapati') but they are defeated by sage's demons
  • Those that return to Shiva tell him of what has occurred; enraged, Shiva pulls out some of his hair and it splits into two, changing into two beings: Virabhadra and Mahakali (Kali!); he sends them to kill Daksha
  • After a great fight, whereby the gods, Indra (who hurts Nandi, Shiva's mount) and Vishnu, participate in the battle but are also defeated; Virabhadra pulls off Daksha's head and throws it to the fire
  • Brahma requests that Shiva restores his son, and by placing the head of a goat onto him, he is revived. 
  • Back on his mountain, Shiva waits in meditation and silence, for the reincarnation of his consort, Sati. 
*Sati is also the ritual of a wife throwing herself to the pyre after she is widowed (like what Madri did)
Sati, engulfed by the yogi fire. Source: Pinterest

Reference: Shiva and Sati: Perfection Rewarded, Amar Chitra Katha. [Printed Comic]

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