Sati (, , , ), also known as Dakshayani (Sanskrit: दाक्षायणी, IAST: Dākṣāyaṇī, lit. 'daughter of Daksha'), is the Hindu goddess of marital felicity and longevity, and is worshipped as an aspect of the mother goddess Shakti. Sati was the first wife of Shiva, the other being Parvati, who was Sati's reincarnation after her death. The earliest mentions of Sati are found in the time of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata, but details of her story appear in the Puranas. Legends describe Sati as the favourite child of Daksha, who marries Shiva against her father's wishes. After Daksha humiliates her and her husband, Sati kills herself in the yajna (Fire-Sacrifice) to protest against him, and uphold the honour of her husband. In Hinduism, both Sati and Parvati, successively play the role of bringing Shiva away from ascetic isolation into creative participation with the world. Sati's story plays an important part in shaping the traditions of two of the most prominent sects of Hinduism Shaivism and Shaktism. It is believed that after Sati's death, Shiva came and picked up her deep sacred mortal self remains and roam around the whole world and then, parts of Sati's mortal remains fell on fifty-one places and formed the Shakti Peethas. Etymology The word "Satī" means "truthful", "virtuous" or "noble". The word is derived from the "Satya" which means "truth". She is known by various patronymics, though these names can be used for any of the daughters of Daksha. Some of these names include Dakshayani, Dakshakanya and Dakshja. History and textual background According to scholars William J. Winkins and David R. Kinsley, the Vedic scriptures (2nd millennium BCE) do not mention Sati-Parvati but hint to two goddesses associated with Rudra Rudrani and Ambika. In the Kena Upanishad, a goddess called Uma-Hemavati appears as a mediator between the gods and the Supreme Brahman. Both the archeological and the textual sources indicate that the first major appearances of Sati-Parvati were during the period of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata (1st millennium BCE). The Mahabharata mentions the destruction of Daksha yajna, the birth of Kartikeya, defeat the Asura Taraka as well as some plays between Shiva and Uma (Parvati). Scholars believe that by the time of the Puranas (c. 4th - 13th century), legends of Sati and Parvati rose to prominence and these were adapted by Kalidasa in his epic poem Kumarasambhavam (c. 5th - 6th century). Some