Sati and Shakti peeths

Sati and Shakti Peeths have a significant importance in India. Sati is consort of Lord Shiva and there is a story behind the origin of Shakti peeths. Please read on for details on this interesting mythological story about Sati.

Sati and Shiva
Sati and Shiva

Sati’s Penance

Sati was daughter of Daksh Prajapati who was a ruler. When Sati grew old she performed intense penance to attain Shiva as her husband. She married Lord Shiva against the wish of her father.When Daksha was performing a Yagna, he invited all the deities except Shivji and Sati. Sati was very sad after not receiving an invitation for the yagna. She insisted on attending the function, despite of the disapproval of Lord Shiva.

Daksh insults Shiva and Sati

When Sati entered the palace, king Daksha insulted her. He said that his other daughters were more distinguished and worthy of honour than Shivji and Sati. Sati was unable to bear her father’s disrespect for her husband. Then Goddess Sati approached the sadas (the area of the site of sacrifice where the main priest sits). She thundered: “My husband, the Lord of Lords has been insulted for no good reason. No fault exists in Him. It is claimed in the Scriptures that those who steal knowledge, those who betray a teacher and those who defile the Lord are great sinners and ought to be punished”.After saying these words, Goddess Sati threw herself in glowing sacred fire. Daksha yagna was desecrated.

Shiva and Sati
Shiva and Sati

All the invitees were scared of being avenged, hence disappeared. When Lord Shiva heard this he was enraged. He created a creature Veerbhadra from lock of his hair.Veerbhadra tore off king Daksha head and tossed it in the same sacrificial fire. However it was proclaimed that the yagna should not be left incomplete, so head of goat was placed on Daksha to restore his life.

Lord Vishnu comes to rescue to stop Lord Shiva

Sad Lord Shiva began to wander carrying the dead body of Sati in his arms. He started dance of destruction of universe. In order to save universe and break this attachment of Lord Shiva, Vishnu with his sudarshan chakra and cut Sati’s body into pieces. Sati’s body pieces fell at different places and these are called Shakti Peeths.There are 52 shakti peeths and it is believed that if you worship these places with devotion all desires are fulfilled.
A list of Shakti Peeths as taken from Tantra Chudamani is provided below:

No:Place:Part of the body:Bhirava:Shakti:
1.Hingula (Pakistan)Brahma randhraBhima lochanaKottari
2.Sharkarara (Maha rashtra)TrinetraKrodheeshaMahisha mardini
3.Sugandha (Bangla desh)NasikaTriambakaSunanda
4.Kashmira (Jammu&Kashmir)Kantha deshaTri sandhyeshwaraMaha maya
5.Jwala mukhi (Himachal pradesh)JihwaUnmatta/ VatukeshwaraSiddhida/ Ambica
6.Jalandhara (Punjab)Vama stanaBhishanaTripura malini/ Tripura nashini
7.Vidya natha (Bihar)HridayaVidya nathaJaya durga
8.Nepala (Nepal)Janu dwayaKapaliMaha maya
9.Manasa (Tibet)Dakshina hastaAmara/ HaraDakshaini
10.Utkala/ Viraja (Orissa)NabhiJagannathaVimala/ Vijaya
11.Gandaki (Nepal)Dakshina gandaChakra paniGandaki chandi
12.Bahula (West bebgal)Vama bahuBhiruka/ TivrakaBahula
13.Ujjaini (Madhya pradesh)KurparaKapilambaraMangala chandi
14.Chattala (Bangla desh)Dakshina bahuChandra sekharaBhavani
15.Tripura (Tripura)Dakshina padaTripureshaTripura
16.Trisrota (West bengal)Vama padaAmbara/ EshwaraBhramari
17.Kama giri/ Kama rupa desha (Assam)Maha mudra/ YoniUmanandaKamakhya/ Dasha maha vidya
18.Yugadya/ Ksheera grama (West bengal)Dakshina padangushtaKsheera kantakaBhoota dhatri
19.Kali peetha (West bengal)Dakshina padanguliNakuleeshaKali
20.Prayaga (Uttar pradesh)HastanguliBhavaLalitha
21.Jayanti (Bangladesh)Vama janghaKramadeeshwaraJayanti
22.Kireeta/ Kireeta kona (West bengal)KireetaSamvarta/ Siddha rupaVimala/ Bhuvaneshi
23.Manikarnika/ Varanasi (Uttar pradesh)Karna kundalaKala bhiravaVishalakshi
24.Kanyashrama (Tamil nadu)PrishtaNimishaSharvani
25.Kurukshetra (Haryana)Dakshina gulphaSthanuSavitri
26.Manivedika (Rajasthan)Mani bandhaSarvananda/ SharvanandaGayatri
27.Srisaila/ Sri hatta (Andhra pradesh)GreevaSamvarananda/ ShambaranandaMaha lakshmi
28.Kanchi (Tamil nadu)KankalaRuruDeva garbha/ Veda garbha
29.Kala madhava (Uttar pradesh)Vama nitambaAsitangaKali
30.Shona (Madhya pradesh)Dakshina nitambaBhadra senaNarmada
31.Rama giri/ Raja giri (Uttar pradesh)Dakshina stanaChandaShivani
32.Brindavana (Uttar pradesh)Kesha jalaBhootesha/ Krishna nathaUma/ Katyaini
33.Shuchi/ Anala (Tamil nadu)Oordhwa danta panktiSamhara/ SamkruraNarayani
34.Pancha sagara (Maharashtra)Adho danta panktiMaha rudraVarahi
35.Kara toya tata (Bangladesh)Vama talpaVamanaAparna
36.Sri parvata (Andhra pradesh)Dakshina talpaSundaranandaSundari
37.Vibhasa (West bengal)Vama gulphaSarvanandaKapali/ Bhima rupa
38.Prabhasa (Gujarat)UdaraVakra tundaChandra bhaga
39.Bhirava parvata (Madhya pradesh)OordhvoshtaLamba karnaAvanti
40.Jana sthana (Maharashtra)ChibukaVikritakshaBhramari
41.Godavari teetra (Andhra pradesh)Vama gandaDanda pani/ Vatsa nabhaVishwa matrika/ Rakini
42.Ratnavali (West bengal)Dakshina skandhaShivaKumari
43.Mithila (Nepal)Vama skandhaMahodaraUma devi/ Maha devi
44.Nalahati (West bengal)NalaYogeeshwaraKali
45.Karnata (Karnataka)KaranaAbhiruJaya durga
46.Vakreshwara (West bengal)ManasVakra nathaMahisha mardini
47.Yashora (Bangla desh)Vama hastaChandaYashoreshwari
48.Attahasa (West bengal)AdharoshtaVishweshwaraPullara
49.Nandi pura (West bengal)Kantha haraNandikeshwaraNandini
50.Lanka (Sri lanka)NupuraRakshaseshwaraIndrakshi
51.Virata (Rajasthan)Vama padanguliAmritaAmbika
52.Magadha (Bihar)Dakshina janghaVyoma keshaSarvanandakari

Jai Sati Maa.
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Laxmi Saraswati
12 years ago

Very good article on the story of Sati. Never knew that Shakti peeths are formed like this.

anonymous
anonymous
11 years ago

Have you ever thought about including a little bit more than just your articles? I mean, what you say is important and all. Nevertheless imagine if you added some great pictures or videos to give your posts more, “pop”! Your content is excellent but with pics and videos, this website could undeniably be one of the very best in its field. Very good blog!

Ishwer Dutta
11 years ago

best

Rakesh Parihar
11 years ago

one shakti peeth is j@k distt.kishtwar.

Laxmi Saraswati
11 years ago
Reply to  Rakesh Parihar

this is the same as no 4 in the list, Kashmira?

Ritz Rana
11 years ago

want to see all these shakti peeth..

Shilpi Shukla
Shilpi Shukla
11 years ago

one is there in m.p. ujjain harsidhhi mata mandir where the elbow threw.

Laxmi Saraswati
11 years ago
Reply to  Shilpi Shukla

i think number 13, ujjaini is the one you are talking about.

Arvind Singh
11 years ago

I lv these shakti peeth.

Pankaj Chandran
Pankaj Chandran
10 years ago

want to visit all these shakti peetas atleast once in a life time with gods help.

Ukkadamkrishnamurthy Krishnamurthy

Sati. Created. VEERA. BALI. (YAGHNA). JA (born ). BALIJA. Warriors. To. Fight. With. DAKSHA. Along. With. VEERA. BHADRA. RYDRA. GANAS

Ukkadamkrishnamurthy Krishnamurthy

Extra ordinary ART

vajradharmurthy
vajradharmurthy
8 years ago

Nice article. Its quite amazing to know that there are so many stories of Shiva that many are not aware of. These stories are a perfect example. Adding one more story of God Shiva and Consort. The story of GOddess Sati’s immolation and her rebirth as Goddess Parvati.