Devanagari
विदुर उवाच
भवे शीलवतां श्रेष्ठे दक्षो दुहितृवत्सल: ।
विद्वेषमकरोत्कस्मादनादृत्यात्मजां सतीम् ॥ १ ॥
Verse text
vidura uvāca
bhave śīlavatāṁ śreṣṭhe
dakṣo duhitṛ-vatsalaḥ
vidveṣam akarot kasmād
anādṛtyātmajāṁ satīm
Synonyms
viduraḥ uvāca
—
Vidura said
;
bhave
—
towards Lord Śiva
;
śīlavatām
—
among the gentle
;
śreṣṭhe
—
the best
;
dakṣaḥ
—
Dakṣa
;
duhitṛ
—
vatsalaḥ — being affectionate towards his daughter
;
vidveṣam
—
enmity
;
akarot
—
did exhibit
;
kasmāt
—
why
;
anādṛtya
—
neglecting
;
ātmajām
—
his own daughter
;
satīm
—
Satī .
Translation
Vidura inquired: Why was Dakṣa, who was so affectionate towards his daughter, envious of Lord Śiva, who is the best among the gentle? Why did he neglect his daughter Satī?
Translation (Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura)
Vidura said: Why did Dakṣa, affectionate towards his daughter, neglect her and show hatred to Lord Śiva, who is the best among the gentle?
In the Second Chapter, when Dakṣa departs in anger after heavily criticizing Śiva, Nandīśvara and Bhṛgu fight with curses as weapons. Because Śiva was well behaved, and, even though Dakṣa did not have affection for him, because Dakṣa had affection for his daughter, he should not have shown hatred to Śiva.
Purport
In the Second Chapter of the Fourth Canto, the cause of the dissension between Lord Śiva and Dakṣa, which was due to a great sacrifice arranged by Dakṣa for the pacification of the entire universe, is explained. Lord Śiva is described here as the best of the gentle because he is not envious of anyone, he is equal to all living entities, and all other good qualities are present in his personality. The word
śiva
means “all-auspicious.” No one can be an enemy of Lord Śiva’s, for he is so peaceful and renounced that he does not even construct a house for his residence, but lives underneath a tree, always detached from all worldly things. The personality of Lord Śiva symbolizes the best of gentleness. Then why was Dakṣa, who offered his beloved daughter to such a gentle personality, inimical towards Lord Śiva so intensely that Satī, the daughter of Dakṣa and wife of Lord Śiva, gave up her body?