Daksha- Hindu GodDeity"Lord of Creation"
Also known as: दक्ष and Dakṣa
Titles & Epithets
Domains
Symbols
Description
He invited every god to his great sacrifice except one — his own son-in-law Shiva. His daughter Sati walked into the sacrificial fire in shame. Shiva's rage destroyed the ritual, scattered the gods, and took Daksha's head, which Shiva later replaced with a goat's.
Mythology & Lore
The Sacrifice
One of the Prajapatis, Daksha fathered daughters who became mothers of the world's creatures through the sage Kashyapa: Aditi bore the Devas, Kadru the Nagas.
Daksha performed a grand yajna and invited every god except Shiva, his own son-in-law. He had never approved of Sati's marriage to the ash-smeared ascetic. Sati attended uninvited. Finding her husband publicly humiliated by her father's contempt, she walked into the sacrificial fire.
Shiva's Wrath
Shiva tore a lock from his matted hair and created the fearsome warrior Virabhadra. Virabhadra descended on the assembly with hordes of ganas, broke Pushan's teeth, and beheaded Daksha. The sacrificial grounds were laid waste.
The terrified gods appealed to Shiva for mercy. His anger cooled into sorrow. He restored the wounded and revived Daksha, but since his head had been thrown into the fire, Shiva replaced it with a goat's. Daksha completed his sacrifice with proper worship of Shiva.
Relationships
- Family
- Prajapati· Parent⚠ Disputed
- Enemy of
- Slain by