ORIENTAL SERIES.

DAKSHA, 77
were given in marriage to Soma, the moon, and these became
the twenty-seven Itfakshatras or lunar mansions. One of the
daughters, named Sati, married $iva, and killed herself in consequence
of a quarrel "between her husband and father. The
Kasl Khaftda represents that she became a sati and burnt
herself.
Another legend of the Maha-bharata and Purams represents
Daksha as being born a second time, in another Manwantara,
as son of the Prachetasas and Marisha, and that he had
seven sons, "the allegorical persons Krodha, Tamas, Dania,
Viknta, Angiras, Kardama, and Aswa," This second birth is
said to have happened through his having been cursed to it by
his son-in-law /Siva, Daksha was in a certain way, by his
mother Marisha, an emanation of Soma, the moon j and as
twenty-seven of his daughters were married to that luminary,
Daksha is sometimes referred to as being both the father and
the offspring of the moon, thus reiterating the duality of his
nature.
In the Hari-vansa Daksha appears in another variety of his
character. According to this authority, Vishrai himself became
Daksha, and formed numerous creatures, or, in other words, he
became the creator. Daksha, the first of males, by virtue of
yoga, himself took the form, of a beautiful woman, by whom
he had many fair daughters, whom he disposed of in marriage
in the manner related by Maim and above stated.
An important event in the life of Dakslia 3 and very fre-
quently referred to, is " Daksha's sacrifice," which was violently
interrupted and broken up by $iva. The germ of this story
is found in the Taittiriya Sanhita, where it is related that the
gods, having excluded Kudra from a sacrifice, he pierced the
sacrifice with an arrow, and that Pushan, attempting to eat
a portion of the oblation, broke his teeth. The story is found
both in the Karnayami and Maha-bLarata, According
to the
latter, Daksha was engaged in sacrifice, when $iva in a rage,
and shouting loudly, pierced the offering with an arrow. The
gods and Asuras were alarmed and the whole universe quaked.
The JSzshis endeavoured to appease the angry god, but in vain.
" He ran up to the gods, and in his rage knocked out the eyes
of Bhaga with a blow, and, incensed, assaulted Pushan with
his foot and knocked out his teeth as he was eating the offer-