Chapter 54: Daksha Prajapati – Sati Devi, Maha Deva and ‘Shakti Peethas’

Maha Muni Durvasa performed Tapasya of high quality to Devi Bhagavati and She was pleased with him and gifted a flower garland which was worn on his head. From there the Muni met Daksha Prajapati who asked for the gifted garland for worship; however he kept it in his bedchamber where he was intoxicated with the fragrance, got provoked by his animal instinct to sleep with his wife and worse still he abused Maha Deva .

The Garland was also an extension of  Bhagavati in whom the form of Sati Devi was present too and  as a ready witness of Sati Devi’s silent protest against Her father whose remarks on Her husband were unjust, she had no alternative but to quit a body which was not worthy of Her father’s ancestry and thus sacrificed Her life by installing Yoga Fire. On learning of this, Lord Siva grew furious and created Vira Bhadra with several Bhadra Kalis, being ready to destroy the three Worlds. He picked up Sati’s dead body and performed furious Siva Dance to release His  pent up emotions and intense feelings of love for Sati Devi and heightened anger for Daksha. Lord Vishnu cut off Sati’s body with arrows which were thrown away into hundred and eight places that were later known as  Shakti Peethas. If Vishnu did not do likewise, Lord Siva might not cool down soon enough. Lord Siva’s followers  destroyed the Sacrifice that was in the process already, but being an Ocean of Kindness, He installed the Sacrificed goat-head fixed on Daksha’s severed head, appeared at all the places wherever the body parts of Sati fell and blessed humanity to worship the Places as Holy Temples.