Sati was nonplussed. How could her father have a celebration and not invite Shiva and his own daughter? Perhaps her husband could explain. The assembly of ganas was in session, but she decided to interrupt the proceedings. Seeing her obvious agitation, Shiva sat her on his lap and soothed her.

She went straight to the point, and he was equally direct. 'He is your father and you love him. But he is my enemy, he replied. He reminded her of their last meeting. Shiva was attending a sacrificial session at Prayaga. Daksha happened to drop by and the whole gathering rose to greet him. Shiva disapproved of Daksha's arrogant and patronising manner. He neither rose nor greeted him. Daksha was incensed. He launched into an angry tirade directed at Shiva, commenting on his ghastly appearance, his weird habits, his unorthodox and revolting practices. He went so far as to say that he regretted having given his daughter in marriage to such an uncouth fellow under pressure from his father, Brahma. He also proclaimed that Shiva should be ostracised and denied both a share and a place at these sanctified sessions of Vedic ritual-he was unholy and inauspicious.

Nandi lashed back. He cursed Daksha and his kind, so called brahmins, and foretold that they would turn into money grubbing ritualists selling their half-backed knowledge for petty gain. Daksha cursed right back. Shiva's followers would wander the burning grounds of the world, smeared with ash and wearing bones. It was an ugly exchange, an expression of pent-up animosity on birth sides and an unseemly display of ill-will.

Shiva had remained silent throughout but intervened at this point to tell his beloved Nandi that the Vedas were sacred and that brahmins, whose duty it was to master them, should not be underestimated or villified. He advised Nandi to be circumspect, discerning and restrained and not to indulge in outbursts of bad temper. Nandi calmed down immediately.