One of the deity Brahma's sons and the father of the goddess Sati, according to Hindu mythology.
Sati was married to the deity Shiva, and Daksha's most renowned legendary narrative revolves on this holy couple.
When Daksha believes Shiva has not paid him sufficient respect, legend has it that he wishes to put Shiva in his place—despite the fact that Shiva is plainly identified as the supreme god in this epic narrative.
Daksha, enraged by his own arrogance, organizes a grand sacrifice to which he invites all the other gods, but deliberately excludes Shiva as an insult.
Sati is adamant on attending the sacrifice despite Shiva's advice that it is bad to go without an invitation.
When Daksha arrives at the sacrifice area and inquires as to why her husband has been excluded, Shiva is denounced as worthless and disgusting.
Sati, humiliated by these public insults, commits herself—in some accounts, by jumping into the sacrificial fire, in others, by retiring into a yogic trance and committing suicide.
When Shiva learns of Sati's death, he gets enraged and creates the ferocious deities Virabhadra and Bhadrakali.
He storms the sacrificial field with his henchmen (gana), ruins the sacrifice, and slashes Daksha's head off.
Daksha is finally brought back to life, but with a goat's head instead of a human's.
He repents of his avarice and worships Shiva as the most powerful deity.
Daksha is a symbol in this narrative for the arrogant pride that leads to one's demise.
Daksha is presented in a more sympathetic manner in another mythological narrative.
Chandra (the moon) had married Daksha's twenty-seven daughters, but he was only interested in Rohini, one of them.
Daksha chastises Chandra for not allocating equal attention to each of his wives, and when Chandra refuses, Daksha curses him to lose his shine.
As Chandra's power fades, the other gods intervene with Daksha, pleading with him to change the curse.
Daksha, in response to their urgent request, decides that Chandra would only wane for half of the month and then wax for the remaining half.
He then instructs Chandra to bathe in the Somnath temple in Gujarat, where he will be healed of the original curse.
Daksha is still strong and demanding in this scene, but his actions are motivated by a desire to protect his daughters.
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