ON this day of Saraswati puja- greetings to one and all!

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Greetings to all bengalees on this day of *Saraswati Puja* . On this

auspicious day, bengaleees all over the world pay tribute to Mother

Goddess Saraswati by worshipping her.

 

Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of learning and speech (Vak). She

represents the union of power and intelligence from which organized

creation arises. Saraswati possesses all the learnings of the Vedas,

scriptures, dances, musical power and poetry. She revealed language

and writing to man. Her origin is traced to the lost Vedic river

Saraswati. This is the source of her profound connection to fluidity

in every aspect. She embodies wisdom, fortune, intelligence,

nourishment, brilliance, contentment, splendor and devotion.

 

Sara means 'essence' and wati means one who possesses 'it.' in this

sense, saraswati means one who knows the 'essence' or substance and

meaning of everything. She is a goddess of wisdom, arts, and music

and learning . in her iconography, she is represented with four

hands representing four aspects of human personality - n learning:

mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred scriptures in one

hand (representing the vedas) and a lotus - the symbol of purity and

true knowledge - in the second. With her other two hands she plays

the music of love and life on a string instrument called the Veena.

(lute)She is dressed in white - the symbol of purity - and rides on a

white swan - symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity and discrimination.

(viveka) Her riding the swan also means she has overcome pride and

passion. a IN some pictures, she is seen holding a rosary (

representing meditation). She is always shown wearing a white saree

(representing purity) and a real pearl necklace ( represennting her

divine origin)

 

In the rig vedas, saraswati was represented as the FIRST river

goddess. lATER ON the goddesses parvati and lakshmi appeared as Ganga

and Yamuna.

 

Slowly over time, Saraswati's importance as a river goddess faded -

instead she gained the status as the Mother of all knowledge, wisdom

learning and fine arts.

 

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Goddess Saraswati manifested herself from the mouth-or tongue to be

precise—of Lord Brahma. IT IS BELIEVED that brahma was so n bewitched

by her beauty and grace, and impressed by her divine attributes, that

all his five heads used to turn in whichever direction goddess

sarswati moved. Brahma wanted Saraswati to be his consort and

provide him assistance in his task of creation. Since Brahma was

responsible for the creation of Saraswati, he was by logic her

father. His act of marrying Goddess Saraswati was, therefore,

regarded as a transgression of accepted norms of behavior and so

Vishnu and Shiva uttered a curse that henceforth Brahma would cease

to be worshipped as a God by faithfuls. that is why there are very

few temples dedicated to the worship of brahma. (there is also

another legend associated with why brahma is not worshipped- more on

this in another post.) in fact, shiva even punished brahma by

cutting of one of his five heads.

 

Thus, one will see that goddess saraswatiacquired the status of

an 'independent' goddess and in all temples the idols of goddess

sarswati are installed in her individual capacity. For all those

single women out there, goddess sarswati has come to stand for

independence, freedom and self-reliance. She is a goddess who is

worshipped in her own right- therefore she is not a handmaiden to her

consort brahma. Feminists, please note!

 

Before the start of any cultural programmes like dance, music or

opening of painting exhibitions, a hymn or prayer to goddess

 

Goddess Saraswati is specially popular with students, scholars and

men of leaning. In fact, it is said the mooka kavi (the dumb poet

Kalidasa ) when rejected by his arrogant wife was so desolate that

he went and prayed to Goddess Matangi (another form of this goddess)

that she blessed him woth eloquence- out of this , the

famous 'shymals dandakam' was composed. Kalidasa, the shakespeare of

india, composed many famous poetic works of great excellance.

 

In some traditions, gurus have 'saraswati' at the end of their name

to suggest their great learning faculties- like Swami Dayananda

saraswati , swami vittananda saraswati etc. just like in ramakrishna

order some disciples have 'ananda' after their name like swami

vivekanand, swami brahmananda etc... just a title...

 

please join me in offering saltations to goddess sarswati !

 

Om matangayaii namaha!

 

Amala-kamalaadhivasini

 

maanaso vaimalyadaayini manoine i

 

sundara-gaatri susheele

 

tava charanaambhoruham

 

narnaami sadaa ii

 

O Goddess, You live in the lotus of purity,

 

You make the mind pure, and You are known by the inner mind.

 

You are beautiful as well as virtuous. I offer my salutation at Your

lotus feet at all times.)

 

This hymn on Goddess Saraswati, was composed by Sri Shankaracharya.

 

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p.s. please see posts by blueblackeyes and adi_shakthi16 in our

archives on a description of sarswati puja and its association with

the spring festival of basant panchami.

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i dedicate this post to all devotees of goddess sarswati- specially

to the founder of this great shrine devi_bhakta, who worshps is this

goddess in the form of MATAANGI.

 

LOVE