From the Skanda Purana comes a lesson about not going to a gathering if not invited by the host. Sati was Lord Shiva’s wife. Her father, Daksha, did not like Lord Shiva, but he still married his daughter to him as he was advised by Lord Brahma to do so. Once, when Daksha arrived at the Naimisha Forest, he was honoured by everyone present there. Only Shiva did not get up or offer any salutations to him. This angered Daksha, and he berated Shiva for associating with vampires and goblins, and residing in cremation grounds. He also declared that since Shiva had disrespected a Brahmana, he had violated the varna system, and should be banned from all yagyas. When Shiva’s follower Nandi protested, Lord Shiva calmed him down, but Daksha remained angry.
Once Daksha organised a great sacrifice. He invited Suras, Asuras, Gandharvas, Kinnaras, Apsaras, Vidyadharas and renowned sages. He did not invite Shiva or Sati. Rishi Dadhichi was the only one to point out that Lord Shiva should have been invited. On being rebuffed by Daksha, Dadhichi walked out of the ceremony. On the Gandhamadana mountain, word reached Sati that her father had organised a great sacrifice. Surprised that she or Shiva had not been invited, Sati went to Shiva and suggested going to the sacrifice. Lord Shiva advised her not to go saying that those who go uninvited to another’s house have to face insult which is more painful than even death. Sati wished to confront her father and insisted on going. Lord Shiva relented.
Devi Sati went to her father’s house. She praised Lord Shiva and questioned her father as to why he had not invited him. In response, Daksha called Shiva the king of goblins, ghosts and vampires, and berated Sati for coming there uninvited. Sati was greatly enraged at Daksha’s words. She decided that she could not go back to Shiva. She declared that she did not wish to live after hearing such insulting words for Shiva. Chanting Shiva’s name, she jumped into the sacrificial fire and immolated herself.
Sati had thought that there was nothing wrong in her going uninvited to her father’s place but this act did not turn out well for any of the parties. Sati gave up her life. The yagya that Daksha had organised with great fanfare and where many important persons were present as guests was ruined. Sati’s death provoked Shiva’s anger and he summoned the Veerbhadra form of himself who destroyed Daksha’s sacrifice and beheaded him. Thus, Sati’s simple act of going uninvited led to her and her father’s death and caused Lord Shiva to enter a long meditation out of grief. All these might have been avoided if she had given greater thought to whether to go uninvited.
YouTube: @Mahabalak.English