dakSha-yAga

Source: TW

interesting to note that the Vayu Purana account of the episode also has this feature of Devi not being there as Sati, but instead with Shiva the whole time and similar sentiments to the above

GhorAngirasa analysis

The Mbh version is indeed similar to Vāyupurāṇa version. The fact that the story occurs with both Sati & Pārvati kind of lends support to the notion that the story is not about FIL-SIL dynamics but really goes back to the archaic Vedic meme of the Devas ostracising Rudra. Also, Dakṣa’s pointed reference to the sufficiency of the august presence of the 11 Rudras & express move to not recognize the Rudra is interesting. He also refers to the 11 Rudras’ tridents & Jaṭa (matted locks). Given that, it was not that Dakṣa had a problem with the “Raudra” class per se but only the great Rudra. One wonders if Dakṣa is representative of certain misled ritualists’ reluctance to give importance to the Rudra in favour of the 11-set.

MT analysis

I think the origin of this myth brings together many older ones. We know that the gods excluded the offering to rudra in the TS 2.6.8.3 which results in damage to them like in dakSha’s ritual. They pacify him with the sviShTakR^ita & bR^ihaspati consumes the part of the sacrifice pierced by rudra using the little offering on the prashitra spoon.

The exclusion of the rudrian deities goes back in the IE tradition in form of no place on earth giving space for Leto to give birth to Apollo & Artemis except the wild island of Delos. Apollo had to be pacified by his parents lest he storm Olympos. Also the hymn:

λίην γάρ τινά φασιν ατασθαλον Απόλλωνα έσσεσθαι, μέγα δε πρυτανευσέμεν αθανάτοισιν και θνητοίσι βροτοίσιν επί ζείδωρον άρουραν. (Αpoll. 67-9)
They say that Apollo will be someone exceedingly reckless
and will lord it greatly over immortals
and mortal men along the life-sustaining field.

“reckless” here might be rendered are furious.

In the dakSha myth this old myth of the wrath of the rudra-class deity upon being excluded was melded with his killing of prajApati also an old motif. In some medically important retellings (kaiThaba-poison) of the same myth we also find the origin of toxins being merged into it.