Nagpur: Shri Guru Gobind Singh Ji Maharaj described twenty-four incarnations in the Dasam Granth, in which Lord Shiva is mentioned as the eleventh incarnation. During a discourse organized by Shri Kalgidhar Satsang Mandal on the occasion of Mahashivratri, convener Advocate Madhavdas Mamtani (Vakil Sahib) addressed thousands of devotees. He referenced the Dasam Granth, narrating the story of King Daksha Prajapati, who had ten thousand daughters.
King Daksha arranged a swayamvar (self-choice marriage ceremony) for his daughters, instructing them to marry suitable partners without any bias regarding social status. Following his command, all daughters married according to their preferences — some chose Sage Kashyap, others married the Moon God (Chandra), and some wed princes from other kingdoms. However, Goddess Gauri (Parvati) chose to marry Lord Shiva (Rudra).
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Later, King Daksha organized a grand yajna (sacrificial ritual) and invited all his daughters and their husbands, except Shiva and Gauri, because he considered Shiva’s appearance and way of life unconventional. When Gauri learned about this through Sage Narada, she was deeply distressed and went to her father’s house uninvited. Overwhelmed with emotions, she leaped into the yajna fire, but due to her divine energy, the flames extinguished. She then invoked yogic fire within herself, which led to her physical body being destroyed.
When Sage Narada informed Shiva, who was meditating, that Gauri had sacrificed herself, he was overcome with rage. Upon arriving at the site, Shiva saw Gauri’s burned body in the yajna fire and, in immense grief and fury, took up his bow and destroyed many warriors. Using his trident (Trishul), he annihilated numerous kings, reducing them to pieces. Anyone struck by his trident perished instantly.
Guru Gobind Singh Ji described this terrifying battle in the Dasam Granth. As the battle raged, Shiva’s drum (damaru) resounded across all directions, ghosts and spirits roared, swords clashed, and beheaded bodies danced in the battlefield. War drums echoed, mighty warriors fell, and the entire universe trembled before Shiva’s wrath. Despite gathering their armies, no one could withstand Rudra’s (Shiva’s) rage. Eventually, all of King Daksha’s allies were slain, leaving him alone. Rudra beheaded Daksha with his trident, and his body collapsed like an uprooted tree.
In the end, realizing their mistake, the assembled sages and warriors bowed before Rudra, saying: “We did not recognize your divine power, you are a great ascetic and mighty.”
Hearing this, Rudra was moved and meditated upon the Supreme Being (Akal Purakh), which brought Daksha and the fallen warriors back to life. Witnessing this divine act, all sages and saints rejoiced.
The Mahashivratri event began at 6 am with collective recitations of Sri Japji Sahib and Sri Sukhmani Sahib. Thousands of devotees from different parts of Nagpur participated, celebrating Mahashivratri with great enthusiasm. The program concluded with Aarti, Anand Sahib, Ardas, and Prasad distribution.
