The legend of Sati in the Kalika purana

Abstract

Sati is a daughter of Daksa and a wife of Siva. Daksa celebrated a festival of sacrifice, but did not invite Sati or Siva. Hence, she was racked with grief and perished by throwing herself into a fire. The gods hacked to pieces her dead body. The fragments of her dead body fell down everywhere. Those places, in which many goddesses were born, have been called Sakta-pltha. The legend of Sati is an important myth that explains the origin of Sakta-pithas. Moreover the legend is related to the custom of widow suicide in Hindu society.
How is Sati described in the Kalika-purana which was composed to spread Sakti's worship? In this paper I address two points, the birth and the death of Sati.