Daksha
Daksha ( Sanskrit दक्ष Dakṣa the capable , the skillful , m.) Is a god figure in Hindu mythology, which, however, plays no role in the life of faith. In mythology he appears as the goat-headed son of Brahma and he is the father of the Sati , Vinata , Aditi , Diti and Kadru . He is the father-in-law of Shiva and Soma . Daksha is now considered a Maharishi and was particularly important in pre-Vedic times as a creator god, god of cattle and Aditya . Sometimes he is also considered the son of Aditi.
myth
When Daksha invites all the gods to make a sacrifice one day, all appear except the god Shiva, who is meditating on Mount Kailash again . Outraged by his behavior, he then excludes him from the victim. His daughter Sati, Shiva's first wife, then complains to her father for his disrespect for her husband. Since Daksha pays no attention to his daughter or son-in-law, Sati burns herself from within out of shame and to restore the honor of her husband Shiva (with her energetic third eye). This makes her a role model for the widow burning, which is named after her. Shiva hears about the incident and is angry with Daksha. He then creates Virabhadra out of his energetic third eye , which he instructs to destroy Daksha's victims with a bow and arrow and to behead the god. However, since the rishi ask for forgiveness from Shiva, the god is no longer angry, restores the sacrifice and brings his father-in-law back to life. Since he can no longer find the head, he replaces it with that of a goat.
Another famous myth about Daksha tells that his 27 daughters married the moon god Soma. Soma loves the Rohini more than Daksha's other daughters and prefers them. Daksha's other daughters complain to their father about her husband's behavior. Daksha is enraged and cast a curse on Soma, so that he is emaciated. At the request of his daughters, however, Daksha converts the curse into a periodic draining of the moon, as he cannot completely remove the curse. This popular myth is said to provide an explanation for the different phases of the moon.
literature
- Gerhard J. Bellinger: Daksha . In: Ders .: Lexicon of Mythology. Over 3000 key words on the myths of all peoples . Nikol, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-86820-138-3 (former title: Knaurs Lexikon der Mythologie ).
- Rachel Storm: Encyclopedia of Eastern Mythology. Legends of the East . Edition XXL, Reichelsheim 2000, ISBN 3-89736-305-4 .
- Veronica Ions: Indian Mythology. Hamlyn, London 1988, ISBN 0-600-34285-9 , p. 45.