Shri Lalitha Sahasranamam: Namam 600: Shri Daksa yajna vinasini (ōṃ dakṣayajJṇavināśinyai namaḥ)

The Goddess Divine Mother destroyed Dakshan’s yagam (fire sacrifice). He was Her father. 

The Divine Mother as Dakshan’s daughter destroyed the Yagam as he had insulted Her spouse, Lord Shiva. In universal beings, unacceptable arrogance can be called Daksha yajnam. Daksha performed the yaga without inviting Lord Shiva.The Divine Mother, as Daksayani, Dakshan’s daughter was married to Lord Shiva. She went to Dakshan’s yaga against the advice of Lord Shiva. Dakshan humiliated Dakshayani. She left Her physical body to reach Lord Shiva. On learning what happened to Dakshayani, Lord Shiva created Veerabhadran to destroy Dakshan’s yoga. 

Daksa had become proud of being the leader of all creations. So, he started thinking that he is big, strong, and incomparable and due to his arrogance, he started changing the procedures in the Vedas according to his own wish. This was due to his ignorance. 

The Gita also warns that arrogance leads to destruction. Chapter, sixteen verses (16-15 to 20) talk about asuric attributes leading to destruction. Here Daksha’s yaga was destroyed by Lord Shiva on the Divine Mother’s initiative.  Even after re-birth, Daksha’s yaga was for second time destroyed by Lord Shiva.  

(There were two Dakshas. Daksha Prajapati, the father of Daksayani, and a king named Daksha, the incarnation of the original Daksha Parjapati. The second Dakshan lived during the age of Chaksusha manu. This story is related in both Brahmanda and Vayu Puranas. Due to Her Kindness, She was born the daughter of Daksha but when the asura actions were evident, She initiated and destroyed the yaga done by Her own father The Divine Mother ‘s actions were further beautifully covered in series of these three Namas: Daksayani, Daitya Hantri and Daksa Yajna Vinasini (598 to 600.)

The Divine Mother kills asuras to safeguard Her devotees. 

C N Nachiappun        

Singapore, 16 September 2021.

References:

1.      The Thousand Names of the Divine Mother published in English by Mata Amritanandamayi Center, San Ramon, California, USA, with Commentary by T. V Narayana Menon

2.      Shri Lalitha Sahasranama Stostram published in Tamil by N. Ramaswami Iyer charities’ societies, Trichirapalli, India, with Commentary by C. V. Radhakrishna Sastry.

3.      The Lalitha Sahasranamam published in Tamil by Shri Ramakrishna Thapovanam, Thiruipparaithurai, Trichy District, Tamilnadu, India with commentary by Shrimath Swami Sithbavandar