Devkanya asked:
"Father, whom did Lord Rudradev marry? And where does he reside? Why is he called Devadideva, the God of gods?"
Rishi Veda replied:
"Daughter, know this — everything in this universe is a creation of the Lord's mind. Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahadev — all three have equal roles in the creation of the world. Lord Rudra is called 'Anadi' (without beginning) and 'Ananta' (without end). He was present before creation and will remain even after destruction. His dwelling place is such that ordinary people cannot reach it. And if He is the creator of the universe, then He resides throughout the entire cosmos. Instead of asking where He stays, ask where He does not — that's easier to answer.
Now listen to the names of the deities who were manifested alongside Rudradev. They are: Surya (Sun), Jala (Water), Prithvi (Earth), Vayu (Air), Agni (Fire), Akasha (Sky), the Brahmana of the Yajna (Sacrifice), and Chandra (Moon). Their consorts are: Subachala, Usha, Vikeshi, Apara, Shiva, Swaha, Disha, Diksha, and Rohini.
Rudradev married Daksha's daughter. As I've mentioned before, Prajapati Daksha was a skilled and capable king. After his marriage to Prasuti, they had twenty-four daughters. Among them, Shraddha, Lakshmi, Dhriti, Tushti, Medha, Pushti, Kriya, Buddhi, Lajja, Bapu, Shanti, Siddhi, and Kirti were married to Dharma. The remaining eleven daughters were: Khyati, Sati, Sambhuti, Smriti, Preeti, Kshama, Santati, Anasuya, Urja, Swaha, and Svadha.
Of these, the daughter Sati became displeased with her father Daksha and gave up her body. She was later reborn as the daughter of Himavan and Menaka. Lord Shankar then married that same devoted Uma once again.
Devkanya asked:
"Father, why did Sati become displeased with her own father?"
Rishi Veda replied:
"This too was predestined, child. Otherwise, how could Prajapati, the mind-born son of the Supreme Father, fail to recognize Rudra's greatness? He spoke like a man of limited understanding, calling none other than Mahadev a beggar. Even if ordinary people don't understand who Mahadev is or what he meditates on, Daksha should have known. Instead, he entrusted the responsibility of his daughter's marriage to his father, Brahma. And Brahma had already decided that Mahadev would marry Sati.
Why? Because Rudra and Rudrani are truly one — they are Ardhanarishvara, the unified form of masculine and feminine energies. This union was necessary. But to belittle Mahadev, Daksha used many strategies.
After Mahadev and Sati were married, an event was organized at Kailash. Everyone was invited — except Daksha. Feeling insulted, he believed neither his daughter nor his son-in-law gave him the respect he deserved. Deeply hurt, he began mocking Mahadev as a cremation-dwelling ascetic.
When Sati came to know of this, she tried to reason with her father. But Mahadev, true to his name Bholanath (the innocent one), did not take offense. Daksha failed to understand that only a great yogi can remain so detached. One cannot imagine how much pain that serene and gentle yogi must have endured before rising in fury to bring about destruction. Was this Daksha's ignorance, or simply the law of nature? It's hard to tell.
Eventually, Daksha organized a grand Yajna and deliberately did not invite Shiva and Sati. He invited all his other daughters and sons-in-law. Even Brahma warned him that if Rudra were angered, it would disturb the balance of creation. But blinded by pride, Daksha ignored his advice. He had hoped to marry Sati to a god like Indra or Varuna. Since that didn't happen, he called Mahadev a beggar and claimed that inviting him would insult the other gods. Even when other deities pleaded with him, he refused to listen.
At that moment, in a soft and sweet voice, another question was asked. Guru Veda turned to look — he now noticed that not only Devkanya but two others had joined her. Through his yogic power, he already knew who they were. Smiling gently, he said,
'Do you have a question, daughters?'
One of them asked,
"Gurudev, Daksha was Brahma's son and a Prajapati — how could he have such a great misunderstanding?"
Guru Veda replied with a smile:
"Daughter, just being the son of Prajapati does not guarantee wisdom. Based on Shiva's unusual preferences, Daksha assumed he was inferior to his other sons-in-law. And yes, his preferences are unusual — wild Akanda flowers, drinking poison and yet remaining immortal — who can truly understand such a being? Not everyone is capable of understanding the Lord of all gods.
But not all the fault lies with Daksha. He, too, was under the command of the Creator. The Supreme Being had already written this story. The gods, caught in delusion, had given Daksha great status, which led to his pride. And a heart full of pride is always dangerous — it leads to destruction, not welfare. Therefore, his ego had to be separated from his soul. When that moment comes, even a wise soul forgets what is right and wrong.
The great ones say: 'Do good deeds' — not because they bring happiness, but because good deeds are happiness. They inspire more good. Evil actions, on the other hand, lead to more evil.
Now listen to what happened to that arrogant Daksha.
All the gods arrived one by one to offer blessings at the Yajna. Upon arrival, they learned that Mahadev had not been invited. Though they felt it was wrong, they said nothing before Daksha. Meanwhile, though Rudradev was aware of the Yajna, he said nothing to Sati. He knew her father's actions would cause her pain. Perhaps even the Supreme cannot stop what fate has written.
As the Yajna began, the gods sent Rishi Raj to Kailash, the abode of Adideva. Being the son of the Supreme Father, he knew all paths — even those beyond the cosmic river. Everyone knows this. That's why he is often sent as the bearer of both good and difficult news.
Following Brahma's command and the request of the gods, Rishi Raj set off for the peak of Kailash — a place so remote and perilous that without special knowledge, reaching it is impossible. Carefully chanting the Lord's name, he made his way to that sacred and challenging place."