Guest guest Posted February 5, 2002 Report Share Posted February 5, 2002 Mon, 4 Feb 2002 "Eve _69" <eve__69 wrote >Please tell me why Saraswati is called, "Nilatari Saraswati?" Very interesting question. I have in front of me a passage containing the name I think you have in mine. It's a passage from the Nila Tantra, translated in Sir John Woodroffe's book _Hymns to the Goddess_. This particular hymn is addressed to "Mother Devi Nilasarasvati Tara". Woodroffe says: "She is called Nila-sarasvati, because She playfully gives the power of speech. She is called Tara on account of her being deliver or saviour." He translates Nilasarasvati as "blue Sarasvati". Dictionary meanings of "nila" include "dark blue" or "black", which also happen to be meanings of the name "Kali". As described in the passage I'm talking about, Nilasarasvati Tara has both beautiful and formidible attributes. She holds a knife, sword and skull, yet also a lotus flower. She stands on Shiva and is garlanded with demons heads. Her form is described as "amorous and charmful". Her worshippers are blessed with literary inspiration, knowledge of scriptures, prosperity, popularity, fulfilment of desires, and spiritual liberation. There are several ways of looking at a hymn such as this. People who see the Hindu tradition as essentially polytheistic would probably say that two different goddesses, Sarasvati and Tara, are being confused or "conflated" in the hymn. Personally, I think Woodroffe's view is wiser, as well as simpler. It's a hymn to _the Goddess_. Om Shantih, Colin Robinson (colinr) _________________________ To find out about Ferment, the journal about Kali as Great Goddess, go to www.yogamagik.com/ferment Find out about topics of recent issues, what people say about Ferment, how to , Kali worship in Sydney. _________________________ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 5, 2002 Report Share Posted February 5, 2002 THANKS collin for your response to our beloved member eve69's question on 'nilatri saraswati' ! This inspired me to add a picture of 'nila saraswati' to our photo album under the title 'saraswati' ! i hope you and other members like it! yes , nila saraswati's colr is 'blue' - blue is the colr of the 'ocean'and the 'sky' - both are infinite and vast- our goddess nila saraswati is ;infinite' -hence the blue color... also, your description of nila saraswati is very apt- the picture i have posted testifies to this.. she is holding a knife (sword), lotus , and is wearing a garland of skulls and standing on the corpse of shiva! nila-saraswati is like tara in the sense that she ferries us across the ocean of samsara - She is our 'saviour' -hence the 'blue' imagery... representing the blue ocean she also represents 'vak' or speech as wisdom goddess 'matangi' i am sure our beloved devi bhakta, nora and other members will have a lot to add to this imagery of nila saraswati! my humble thoughts... regards and love , colinr@z... wrote: > Mon, 4 Feb 2002 "Eve _69" <eve__69@h...> wrote > > >Please tell me why Saraswati is called, "Nilatari Saraswati?" > > Very interesting question. > > I have in front of me a passage containing the name I think you have in > mine. It's a passage from the Nila Tantra, translated in Sir John > Woodroffe's book _Hymns to the Goddess_. This particular hymn is addressed > to "Mother Devi Nilasarasvati Tara". > > Woodroffe says: "She is called Nila-sarasvati, because She playfully gives > the power of speech. She is called Tara on account of her being deliver or > saviour." > > He translates Nilasarasvati as "blue Sarasvati". > > Dictionary meanings of "nila" include "dark blue" or "black", which also > happen to be meanings of the name "Kali". > > As described in the passage I'm talking about, Nilasarasvati Tara has both > beautiful and formidible attributes. She holds a knife, sword and skull, > yet also a lotus flower. She stands on Shiva and is garlanded with demons > heads. Her form is described as "amorous and charmful". Her worshippers are > blessed with literary inspiration, knowledge of scriptures, prosperity, > popularity, fulfilment of desires, and spiritual liberation. > > There are several ways of looking at a hymn such as this. > > People who see the Hindu tradition as essentially polytheistic would > probably say that two different goddesses, Sarasvati and Tara, are being > confused or "conflated" in the hymn. > > Personally, I think Woodroffe's view is wiser, as well as simpler. It's a > hymn to _the Goddess_. > > Om Shantih, > > Colin Robinson > (colinr@z...) > ____________________ _____ > To find out about Ferment, the journal about Kali as Great Goddess, go to > www.yogamagik.com/ferment Find out about topics of recent issues, what > people say about Ferment, how to , Kali worship in Sydney. > ____________________ _____ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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