suhrd-didrksa-pratighata-durmanah

snehad rudaty asru-kalativihvala

bhavam bhavany apratipurusam rusa

pradhaksyativaiksata jata-vepathuh

 

Translation by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

Sati felt very sorry at being forbidden to go see her relatives at her father’s house, and due to affection for them, tears fell from her eyes. Shaking and very much afflicted, she looked at her uncommon husband, Lord Siva, as if she were going to blast him with her vision.

 

Purport by His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Srila Prabhupada: 

 

The word apratipurusam, used in this verse, means “one who has no equal.” Lord Siva has no equal in the material world in regard to equality towards everyone. His wife, Sati, knew that her husband was equal towards everyone, so why in this case was he so unkind to his wife that he did not allow her to go to her father’s house? This distressed her more than she could tolerate, and she looked at her husband as if she were ready to blast him with her vision. In other words, since Lord Siva is the atma (siva also means atma), it is indicated here that Sati was prepared to commit suicide. Another meaning of the word apratipurusa is “the personality who has no rival.” Since Lord Siva could not be persuaded to give her permission, Sati took shelter of a woman’s last weapon, weeping, which forces a husband to agree to the proposal of his wife.