FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 4.3.5-7

तदुपश्रुत्य नभसि खेचराणां प्रजल्पताम् । सती दाक्षायणी देवी पितृयज्ञमहोत्सवम् ॥ ५ ॥ व्रजन्ती: सर्वतो दिग्भ्य उपदेववरस्त्रिय: । विमानयाना: सप्रेष्ठा निष्ककण्ठी: सुवासस: ॥ ६ ॥ दृष्ट्वा स्वनिलयाभ्याशे लोलाक्षीर्मृष्टकुण्डला: । पतिं भूतपतिं देवमौत्सुक्यादभ्यभाषत ॥ ७ ॥
tad upaśrutya nabhasi
[tad upashrutya nabhasi]
khe-carāṇāṁ prajalpatām
[khe-charaanaam prajalpataam]
satī dākṣāyaṇī devī
[satee daakshaayanee devee]
pitṛ-yajña-mahotsavam
[pitri-yajna-mahotsavam]
vrajantīḥ sarvato digbhya
[vrajanteeh sarvato digbhya]
upadeva-vara-striyaḥ
[upadeva-vara-striyah]
vimāna-yānāḥ sa-preṣṭhā
[vimaana-yaanaah sa-preshthaa]
niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ suvāsasaḥ
[nishka-kantheeh suvaasasah]
dṛṣṭvā sva-nilayābhyāśe
[drishtvaa sva-nilayaabhyaashe]
lolākṣīr mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ
[lolaaksheer mrishta-kundalaah]
patiṁ bhūta-patiṁ devam
[patim bhoota-patim devam]
autsukyād abhyabhāṣata
[autsukyaad abhyabhaashata]
tat — then upaśrutya — hearing nabhasi — in the sky khe-carāṇām — of those who were flying in the air (the Gandharvas) prajalpatām — the conversation satī — Satī dākṣāyaṇī — the daughter of Dakṣa devī — the wife of Śiva pitṛ-yajña-mahā-utsavam — the great festival of sacrifice performed by her father vrajantīḥ — were going sarvataḥ — from all digbhyaḥ — directions upadeva-vara-striyaḥ — the beautiful wives of the demigods vimāna-yānāḥ — flying in their airplanes sa-preṣṭhāḥ — along with their husbands niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ — having nice necklaces with lockets su-vāsasaḥ — dressed in fine clothing dṛṣṭvā — seeing sva-nilaya-abhyāśe — near her residence lola-akṣīḥ — having beautiful glittering eyes mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ — nice earrings patim — her husband bhūta-patim — the master of the bhūtas devam — the demigod autsukyāt — from great anxiety abhyabhāṣata — she spoke.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
tad upaśrutya nabhasi
tat
then
upaśrutya
hearing
nabhasi
in the sky
khe-carāṇāṁ prajalpatām
khe-carāṇām
of those who were flying in the air (the Gandharvas)
prajalpatām
the conversation
satī dākṣāyaṇī devī
satī
Satī
dākṣāyaṇī
the daughter of Dakṣa
devī
the wife of Śiva
pitṛ-yajña-mahotsavam
pitṛ-yajña-mahā-utsavam
the great festival of sacrifice performed by her father
vrajantīḥ sarvato digbhya
vrajantīḥ
were going
sarvataḥ
from all
digbhyaḥ
directions
upadeva-vara-striyaḥ
upadeva-vara-striyaḥ
the beautiful wives of the demigods
vimāna-yānāḥ sa-preṣṭhā
vimāna-yānāḥ
flying in their airplanes
sa-preṣṭhāḥ
along with their husbands
niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ suvāsasaḥ
niṣka-kaṇṭhīḥ
having nice necklaces with lockets
su-vāsasaḥ
dressed in fine clothing
dṛṣṭvā sva-nilayābhyāśe
dṛṣṭvā
seeing
sva-nilaya-abhyāśe
near her residence
lolākṣīr mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ
lola-akṣīḥ
having beautiful glittering eyes
mṛṣṭa-kuṇḍalāḥ
nice earrings
patiṁ bhūta-patiṁ devam
patim
her husband
bhūta-patim
the master of the bhūtas
devam
the demigod
autsukyād abhyabhāṣata
autsukyāt
from great anxiety
abhyabhāṣata
she spoke.
The chaste lady Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa, heard the heavenly denizens flying in the sky conversing about the great sacrifice being performed by her father. When she saw that from all directions the beautiful wives of the heavenly denizens, their eyes very beautifully glittering, were near her residence and were going to the sacrifice dressed in fine clothing and ornamented with earrings and necklaces with lockets, she approached her husband, the master of the bhūtas, in great anxiety, and spoke as follows.

It appears that the residence of Lord Śiva was not on this planet but somewhere in outer space; otherwise how could Satī have seen the airplanes coming from different directions towards this planet and heard the passengers talking about the great sacrifice being performed by Dakṣa? Satī is described here as Dākṣāyaṇī because she was the daughter of Dakṣa. The mention of upadeva-vara refers to inferior demigods like the Gandharvas, Kinnaras and Uragas, who are not exactly demigods but between the demigods and human beings. They were also coming in planes. The word sva-nilayābhyāśe indicates that they were passing right near her residential quarters. The dress and bodily features of the wives of the heavenly denizens are very nicely described here. Their eyes moved, their earrings and other ornaments glittered and glared, their dresses were the nicest possible, and all of them had special lockets on their necklaces. Each woman was accompanied by her husband. Thus they looked so beautiful that Satī, Dākṣāyaṇī, was impelled to dress similarly and go to the sacrifice with her husband. That is the natural inclination of a woman.

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Hearing from the mouth of the gossiping Khecaras in the sky about the great sacrifice being held by her father, and seeing near her house the wives of the upadevas, with darting eyes, fine cloth, attractive earrings and niṣkas on their throats, mounted on their airplanes, going there from all directions along with their husbands, she spoke with longing to her husband, lord of the ghosts. Hearing from the mouth of the gossiping Khecaras about the great sacrifice being held by her father, and seeing the wives of the upadevas going, she spoke to her husband.
Satī saw the heavenly wives flying past and felt the pull to attend her father's sacrifice — even great devotees feel family longing. Such longings are natural, but they must be tested against deeper allegiance. Don't pretend you're above feeling.
Reflection Questions
  • What natural family longing am I either suppressing or indulging without examining?
  • Where does my longing need to be tested against a deeper commitment?
📝 My note

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