in the old image that seals an interior
cavity. He then transfers a mysterious
substance called the “life substance” to
a corresponding cavity in the new
image, which is sealed with another
wooden plug. The Daita chosen to make
this transfer is blindfolded and has his
hands wrapped in layers of cloth, so he
is unable to tell exactly what is trans-
ferred, and this “life substance” is con-
sidered so sacred that the person who
makes this transfer reportedly dies soon
afterward. After the “life substance” has
been removed, the old image is consid-
ered a “corpse.” The Daitas bury it,
observe a ten-day period of ritual death
impurity (maranashaucha), and the
heirs of the deceased claim his “belong-
ings”—primarily clothes and resin,
which they sell to pilgrims. Jagannath’s
continuing relations with the Daitas
point to his origins as a local, tribal god,
and this relationship gives the Daitas
continuing special privileges.
Daiva Marriage
One of the eight ways to perform a mar-
riage recognized in the dharma litera-
ture, the treatises on religious duty
(dharma). In a Daiva marriage the
father of the bride gives away his
daughterwith her ornaments to a brah-
min(priest). The priest then officiates
at a sacrificesponsored by the father.
According to some interpretations, the
girl is given as the dakshina, or fee for
these sacrificial services. This form of
marriage was named after the gods
(devas), and was one of the four
approved (prashasta) forms of mar-
riage. Even though a daiva marriage was
considered an approved form, it fell out
of favor because of the hint that the
bride had been given as a payment for
services, rather than without any condi-
tions whatsoever. See also Marriage,
eight classical forms.
Daksha
In Hindu mythology, one of the sonsof
the god Brahma, and the father of the
goddess Sati. Sati has been given in
marriage to the god Shiva, and Daksha’s
most famous mythic story has to do with
this divine pair. According to legend,
when Daksha feels that Shiva has not
shown him proper respect, he wants to
put Shiva in his place—even though in
this mythic story Shiva is clearly identi-
fied as the supreme deity. Inflated with
pride, Daksha plans a great sacrificeto
which he invites all the other gods, but
as an insult purposely excludes Shiva.
When Sati learns about the sacrifice, she
insists on going to it, despite Shiva’s
warning that it is unwise to go without
an invitation. When she arrives at the
sacrificial ground, and asks why her
husband has been excluded, Daksha
responds with a stream of abuse
denouncing Shiva as worthless and
despicable. Humiliated by these public
insults, Sati commits suicide—in some
versions, by leaping into the sacrificial
fire, in others by withdrawing into a
yogic trance and giving up her life. Shiva
becomes furious when he hears of Sati’s
death, and in his rage creates the fierce
deities Virabhadraand Bhadrakali. He
comes storming with his minions (gana)
to the sacrificial ground, destroys theDakshaImage of the Hindu god Daksha. His head was
replaced with the head of a goat as the result of a
conflict with the god Shiva.