[Advaita-l] Any references in the Veda for Shakti Peethas?

[Venkata sriram P]

Namaste,

Though not about shakti peetas, but there is a mention of an AkhyAyika in rg veda about the birth of "puSan" and the reason for offering only the pAyasAnna for him.  The prajApati performs a yajna without inviting rudra.  The rudra got furious and breaks the tooth of a devata who tries to protect the prajApati.  That devata without teeth is said to be none other than puSan.  Since, he doesn't have the teeth to bite and chew all those edible things, he was offered pAyasAnna which can be
gulped down easily without much difficulty.

As regards the emergence of shAkta-peetas, it is a puranic story which has tantric significance. 

It signifies the vAk (sabda-brahman) emerging as mAtrikas in the form of vaikhari.

The "daksha" signifies "agni" and his duhita (daughter) in the form of sati signifies "vAk" which is 
"daksha-duhita".   The "shiva" signifies the "artha" tattva. So, sati-shiva signify the principle of 
"vAk-artha".  Both are inter-dependent with each other.   As a part of creation, this vAk got split itself into vaikhari which consists of 50 mAtrika varNamAla.

This esoteric principle is suggested here with the purANic story of severing of sati's body by vishnu
and subsequently Her body getting separated into 50 parts and subsequently Her limbs fell down
at 50 different places in bhArata.   

These 50 limbs and internally contemplated during "antar-mAtrika-nyAsa".

regs,
sriram