Sati (Hindu goddess)

Sati is also called Dakshayani. She is the Hindu goddess of power, marriage and longevity . People worship her as a form of the mother goddess Shakti. Sati was the first wife of Shiva.Later,  She took birth as Parvati. 

Sati's legend is mentioned in the books  Ramayana and Mahabharata. Sati was  Daksha’s favourite daughter. She later married lord Shiva against her father, but her father didn't agree with this. Later, Daksha holds a big fire-ritual called yajna but doesn't invite Sati and Shiva. Sati still went there. Her father insulted her husband Shiva. To defend her husband’s honour, Sati burns herself in  fire.

According to Hindu beliefs, both Sati and Parvati are beloved consorts of Shiva,.the Hindu god of destruction.

Sati is a significant goddess in  Shaivism and Shaktism.People believe that after Sati died, Shiva carried her body across the world. Her body parts fell in 51 places, and these places are now called Shakta pithas.

 History and textual background 
Scholars William J. Winkins and David R. Kinsley say that the Vedic scriptures (from the 2nd millennium BCE) do not talk about Sati-Parvati but mention two goddesses linked to Rudra — Rudrani and Ambika. In the Kena Upanishad, there is a goddess named Uma-Hemavati who acts as a guide between the gods and the Supreme Brahman.

Both old writings and objects show that Sati-Parvati first became important during the time of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (1st millennium BCE).

The Mahabharata tells about Daksha’s yajna being destroyed, Kartikeya’s birth, the defeat of the Asura Taraka, and some playful moments between Shiva and Uma (Parvati). Scholars think that by the time of the Puranas (around the 4th to 13th century), stories of Sati and Parvati became very important. Kalidasa included these stories in his famous poem Kumarasambhavam (about the 5th to 6th century).

The Puranas that tell Sati’s story are the Vayu Purana, Skanda Purana, Bhagavata Purana, Kurma Purana, Padma Purana, Linga Purana, Shiva Purana, and Matsya Purana.

 References 

 Citations 

Category:Hindu goddesses
Category:Marriage goddesses