Text 29

अहो अनात्म्यं महदस्य पश्यत प्रजापतेर्यस्य चराचरं प्रजाः ।
जहावसून्यद्विमतात्मजा सती मनस्विनी मानमभीक्ष्णमर्हति ॥२९॥

Text

aho anātmyaṁ mahad asya paśyata
prajāpater yasya carācaraṁ prajāḥ
jahāv asūn yad-vimatātmajā satī
manasvinī mānam abhīkṣṇam arhati

Synonyms

aho—oh; anātmyam—neglect; mahat—great; asya—of Dakṣa; pasyata—just see; prajāpateḥ—of the Prajāpati; yasya—of whom; cara-acaram—all living entities; prajah—offspring; jahau—gave up; asūn—her body; yat—by whom; vimatā—disrespected; atma-ja—his own daughter; sati—Satī; manasvini—voluntarily; mānam—respect; abhīkṣṇam—repeatedly; arhati—deserved. 

Translation

It was astonishing that Dakṣa, who was Prajāpati, the maintainer of all living entities, was so disrespectful to his own daughter, Satī, who was not only chaste but was also a great soul, that she gave up her body because of his neglect. 

Purport

The word anātmya is significant. Ātmya means “the life of the soul,” so this word indicates that although Dakṣa appeared to be living, actually he was a dead body, otherwise how could he neglect Satī, who was his own daughter? It was the duty of Dakṣa to look after the maintenance and comforts of all living entities because he was situated as Prajāpati, the governor of all living entities. Therefore how is it that he neglected his own daughter, who was the most exalted and chaste woman, a great soul, and who therefore deserved the most respectful treatment from her father? The death of Satī because of her being neglected by Dakṣa, her father, was most astonishing to all the great demigods of the universe. 

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