# SB 4.5.12 > बह्वेवमुद्विग्नदृशोच्यमाने जनेन दक्षस्य मुहुर्महात्मनः । > उत्पेतुरुत्पाततमाः सहस्रशो भयावहा दिवि भूमौ च पर्यक् ॥१२॥ ## Text > bahv evam udvigna-dṛśocyamāne > janena dakṣasya muhur mahātmanaḥ > utpetur utpātatamāḥ sahasraśo > bhayāvahā divi bhūmau ca paryak ## Synonyms *bahu*—much; *evam*—in this manner; *udvigna-dṛśā*—with nervous glances; *ucyamāne*—while this was being said; *janena*—by the persons (assembled at the sacrifice); *dakṣasya*—of Dakṣa; *muhuḥ*—again and again; *mahā-ātmanaḥ*—stronghearted; *utpetuḥ*—appeared; *utpāta-tamāḥ*—very powerful symptoms; *sahasraśaḥ*—by the thousands; *bhaya-āvahāḥ*—producing fear; *divi*—in the sky; *bhūmau*—on the earth; *ca*—and; *paryak*—from all sides. ## Translation **While all the people talked amongst themselves, Dakṣa saw dangerous omens from all sides, from the earth and from the sky.** ## Purport In this verse Dakṣa has been described as *mahātmā.* The word *mahātmā* has been commented upon by different commentators in various manners. Vīrarāghava Ācārya has indicated that this word *mahātmā* means "steady in heart." That is to say that Dakṣa was so stronghearted that even when his beloved daughter was prepared to lay down her life, he was steady and unshaken. But in spite of his being so stronghearted, he was perturbed when he saw the various disturbances created by the gigantic black demon. Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura remarks in this connection that even if one is called *mahātmā,* a great soul, unless he exhibits the symptoms of a *mahātmā,* he should be considered a *durātmā,* or a degraded soul. In *Bhagavad-gītā* [[bg/9/13|(Bg. 9.13)]] the word *mahātmā* describes the pure devotee of the Lord: *mahātmānas tu māṁ pārtha daivīṁ prakṛtim āśritāḥ.* A *mahātmā* is always under the guidance of the internal energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and thus how could such a misbehaved person as Dakṣa be a *mahātmā*? A *mahātmā* is supposed to have all the good qualities of the demigods, and thus Dakṣa, lacking those qualities, could not be called a *mahātmā;* he should instead be called *durātmā,* a degraded soul. The word *mahātmā* to describe the qualifications of Dakṣa is used sarcastically.