Lord Vishnu cutting off Sati's body in pieces and the subsequent creation of the Shakti Pithas is described in book 7,chapter XXX of the Devi Bhagavatam.
He, the Ocean of Mercy, destroyed the sacrifice of Daksa, cut off his
head and instead placed the head of a goat, brought him back to life
and thus made the Gods free from all fears. He, the Deva of the Devas,
then became very much distressed and going to the place of sacrifice,
began to weep in great sorrow. He saw that the body of the Intelligent
Satî was being burnt in the fire of the Chitâ. He cried aloud :– Oh my
Satî! Oh My Satî! And taking Her body on His neck, began to roam in
different countries, like a mad man. Seeing that, Brahmâ and the other
Devas became very anxious and Bhagavân Visnu cut off the body to
pieces by His arrows. Wherever the parts fell, S’ankara remained there
in so many different forms.
King Janamejaya enquired:
51-52. Janamejaya said :– Where, in what places the several parts of
the Satî fell? What are the names of those Siddhapîthas? And what is
their number? Kindly describe these in detail, O Great Muni
53-102. Vyâsa said :– O King! I will now describe those Pîthas (Sacred
places), the mere hearing of which destroys all the sins of men. Hear.
I describe duly those places where the persons desiring to get lordly
powers and to attain success ought to worship and meditate on the
Devî. O Mahârâja! The face of Gaurî fell in Kâs’î; She is well known
there by the name Vis’âlâksî; that which fell in Naimisâranya became
known by the name of Linga Dhârinî. This Mahâ Mâyâ is known in Prayâg
(Allahabad) by the name of Lalitâ Devî; in Gandha Mâdan, by the name
of Kâmukî; in the southern Mânasa, by Kumudâ; in the northern Mânasa,
by Visvakâmâ, the Yielder of all desires; in Gomanta, by Gomatî and in
the mountain of Mandara, She became known by the name of Kâmachârinî.
The Devî is known in Chaitraratha, by the name of of Madotkatâ; in
Hastinâpura, by Jayantî; in Kânyakubja by the name of Gaurî; in the
Malaya Mountain, by Rambhâ; in the Ekâmrapîtha, by Kîrtimatî, in
Vis’ve, by the name of Vis’ves’varî; in Puskara, by the name of
Puruhûtâ. She is known as Sanmârga Dâyinî in the Kedâra Pîtha; as
Mandâ, in the top of the Himâlayâs; and as Bhadrakarnikâ in Gokarna.
She is known as Bhavânî in Sthanes’vara, as Vilvapatrikâ in Vilvake;
as Mâdhavi in S’rîs’aila; as Bhadrâ in Bhadres’vara. She is known as
Jarâ in Varâha S’aila; as Kamalâ in Kamalâlaya; as Rudranî in Rudra
Kotî; as Kâlî in Kâlanjara; She is known as Mahâ Devî in S’âlagrâma,
as Jalapriyâ in S’ivalingam; as Kapilâ in Mahâlingam, as Mukutes’varî
in Mâkota. As Kumarî in Mâyâpurî, as Lalitâmbikâ in Santânâ; as
Mangalâ in Gayâ Ksetra, as Vimalâ in Purusottama. As Utpalâksî in
Sahasrâksa; as Mahotpalâ in Hiranyâksa; as Amoghâksî in the Vipâsâ
river; as Pâtalâ in Pundra Vardhana. As Nârâyanî in Supârs’va, as
Rudra Sundarî in Trikûta; as Vipulâ Devî in Vipulâ; as Kalyânî in
Malayâchala. As Ekavîrâ, in Sahyâdri; as Chandrikâ in Haris’chandra;
as Ramanâ in Râma Tîrtha; as Mrigâvatî in the Yamunâ. As Kotivî in
Kotatîrtha; as Sugandhâ in Mâdhavavana; as Trisandhyâ in the Godâvarî;
as Ratipriyâ in Gangâdvâra. As S’ubhânandâ in S’iva Kundam, as Nandinî
in Devîkâtata; as Rukminî in Dvâravatî; as Râdhâ in Brindâvana. As
Devakî in Mathurâ; as Parames’varî in Pâtâla; as Sîtâ in Chitrakuta;
as Vindhyâdhivâsinî in the Vindhyâ range. O King! As Mahâlaksmî in the
sacred place of Karavîra, as Umâ Devî in Vinâyaka; as Ârogyâ in
Vaidyânâtha; as Mahes’varî in Mahâkâla, as Abhayâ in all the Usna
tîrthas, as Nitambâ in the Vindhyâ mountain; as Mândavî in Mândavya;
as Svâhâ in Mâhes’varîpûra. As Prachandâ in Chhagalanda, as Chandikâ
in Amarakantaka; as Varârohâ in Somes’vara; as Puskarâvatî in
Prabhâsa. As Devamâtâ in Sarasvatî; as Parâvârâ in Samudrtata; as
Mahâbhâgâ in Mahâlayâ, as Pingales’varî in Payosnî. As Simhikâ in
Kritas’aucha; as Atis’ânkârî in Kârtika; as Lolâ in Utpalâvartaka; as
Subhadrâ in S’ona Sangam. As the Mother Laksmî in Siddhavana; as
Anangâ in Bhâratâs’rama; as Vis’vamukhî in Jâlandhara; as Târâ in the
Kiskindhya mountain. As Pustî in Devadâru Vana; as Medhâ in
Kâs’mîramandalam......
Not quoted all the Pithas but there are 108 of them in all.
O Janamejaya! Thus I have mentioned to you the one hundred and eight
pîthas (sacred places or seats of the Deity) and as many Devîs
