Shakti-pithas

Shakti-pithas

Shakti-pithas (शक्ति पीठ, śakti pīṭha "place of power") are sacred places in India and Sri Lanka. According to the legend, parts of the body of Sati, the wife of Lord Shiva, fell in these places after Lord Vishnu cut her with his Sudarshana chakra. There are 51 such places. In these places there are temple complexes with various traditions of worship. All Shakti-pithas are places of pilgrimage.

According to the Nathas philosophy, the human body is a copy of the Universe, therefore, all Shakti-pithas are also in the human body. When Kundalini begins to awaken, "to open up”, she travels through these pithas, in which her various manifestations happen. After such a "detour", thanks to Kundalini, we achieve the integrity of our entire being, where everything becomes connected, closed in a state of blissful union. By this Nathas means control of the body, body becomes "yours", as it is permeated by your higher consciousness.

For yogic practice, 4 shakti-pithas are especially important: Kamarupa-pitha, Purnagiri-pitha, Jalandhara-pitha and Uddiyana-pitha. In projection onto the body, according to Gorakshanath, Jalandhara-pitha is located in the nirvana-chakra, Purnagiri-pitha – in the akasha-chakra, Uddiyana-pitha – in svadhishthana. Kamarupa is on the level of muladhara.