As the astonished people looked upon the ashes of 'Sati' the consort of 'Siva' the attendants who had come with her prepared to cut off the head of 'Daksa' the great prajapati and performer of yajna whose insults upon Lord Siva had caused Sati to immolate herself and relinquish her body.

 

'Daksa' was the son of Lord Brahma who was famous throughout the universe for his opulent sacrifices, indeed so expert was he that his very name means one who is 'dexterous' and even today thousands and thousands of years later we can see his name in the very word 'dexterous'.

 

Attendants who had accompanied Sati prepared to bring about the death of Daksa but the great Bhrigu Muni offered oblations and sacred mantras into the sacrificial fire and immediately thousands of powerful beings became manifest scattering the attendants of Sati in different directions.

 

Siva heard the news that Sati was now dead because of Daksa and his insult to her, and when he was told the news that the soldiers of Lord Siva had been driven away by the devas which were summoned by Bhrigu he then became greatly angered.

 

As he stood there pressing his lips against his teeth in anger he snatched from his head a strand of hair which blazed like fire and as he threw the hair to the ground a monstrous black demon appeared, as high as the sky and hair like burning fire.

 

Standing there with thousands of arms possessing thousands of deadly weapons and his monstrous head garlanded with numerous skulls he received his instructions from the great Mahadeva who ordered him to go to the sacrificial arena and kill Daksa and all of his soldiers.

 

 

As the personification of Sivas anger this monstrous warrior considered himself invincible and as he circumambulated Siva the soldiers followed him with a tumultuous uproar as he approached the sacrificial arena bearing a great trident, fearful enough to kill death itself.

 

All of the priests within the sacrificial arena and the brahmans and their wives were disturbed at the sudden appearance of darkness and after much deliberation they concluded it was a dust storm but as there was no wind nor animals, they became fearful of its cause.

 

'Prasuti' was the wife of Daksa and she quickly attributed the darkness and the inauspicious omens to the death of 'Sati' though innocent she had quit her body as her sisters looked on and now we would have to face the wrath of Siva which even the great Brahma cannot face.

 

 

'Daksa' could see the dangers coming from all sides, approaching from the earth and the sky as the followers of Lord Siva surrounded the arena of sacrifice, a frightening sight as their appearance were like that of sharks possessing various kinds of weapons.

 

As they ran around the sacrificial arena creating havoc, they pulled down the pillars supporting the pandal, they began to destroy the sacrificial arena and the kitchen and residential quarters, all hell began to break loose within each and every direction.

 

All the pots to be used within the sacrifice was smashed and the sacrificial fire was extinguished as they began to pass urine upon the sacrificial arena and as the sages and priests and devas began to flee the arena these shark faced soldiers stopped and arrested them.

 

 

'Virabhadra' who appeared from the hair of Lord Siva and whose name means one who is a hero ( vira ) to his friend ( bhadra ) arrested the great prajapati 'Daksa' and another demon by the name of 'Maniman' arrested the great 'Bhrigu Muni'.

 

All of the time in which the soldiers of Siva were destroying the sacrificial arena there was a continuous shower of stones and all of the priests and other members who had assembled at the great arena of sacrifice were put into immense misery.

 

Virabhadra tore off the moustache of Bhrigu who was offering the sacrificial oblations into the fire and then he caught the great Bhaga who had been moving his eyebrows during the cursing of Lord Siva and in great anger he thrust him to the ground and took out both his eyes.

 

 

Virabhadra then attacked 'Daksa' the great performer of Vedic sacrifices and knocked out all of his teeth as it was these white and shiny teeth which Daksa exhibited as he cursed the great Siva and caused the pure hearted Sati to relinquish the body she had been given to her by her father Daksa.

 

Virabhadra, the personification of Lord Sivas anger then sat upon the chest of Daksa and set about trying to cut his head off with sharp weapons, but was unsuccessful, and then upon seeing the wooden device by which the animals were to be killed he attached it to Daksa and chopped off his head.

 

Virabhadra then took the head of Daksa and threw it into the sacrificial fire to the joys and triumphant cries of all the bhutas and ghosts and demons which accompany Lord Siva and leaving behind a sacrificial arena completely destroyed they made their way back to 'Kailasa' the abode of Lord Siva.