Goddess Saraswati

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SARASWATHI /SARASWATI/SARASVATI (The Goddess of Learning/Knowledge)

 

Description of Goddess Saraswati

(What does she represent? How is Goddess Saraswati?)

 

Ø Sarasvati is the Shakti, the power and the consort of Brahma the creator.

Hence, she is the procreatrix, the mother of entire creation.

 

Ø Literally Sarasvati means the ‘flowing one’. In the Rigveda, She

represents a river and the deity presiding over at. Hence, she is connected with

fertility and purification. The ‘flowing one’ can also represent speech also if

taken in an allegorical sense. Hence, Sarasvati represents power and

intelligence from which organized creation proceeds.

 

Ø She is considered as the personification of all knowledge- arts, sciences,

crafts, and skills. Knowledge is the antithesis of darkness or ignorance. Hence,

she is depicted as pure white in colour. Since she is the representation of all

sciences, arts, crafts and skills she has to be extraordinarily beautiful and

graceful. Clad in a spotless white apparel and seated on a lotus seat, she holds

in her four hands a Vina (lute), Aksmala (rosary) and Pustaka(book). Though

these are the most common, there are several variations.

 

Ø Though no separate carrier is mentioned, Hamsa or swan, the vehicle of

Brahma, her spouse, usually associated with her also. In popular mythological

literature and pictures, a peacock is also shown as her carrier vehicle.

 

Symbolic meaning of theGoddess Saraswati

(Why is a Saraswati idol/photo depicted with a book, japamala, swan? What do

they really symbolize?)

 

1. Being the consort of Brahma the creator, she represents his power and

intelligence, without which organized creation is impossible. To show that this

intelligent power is stupendous and absolutely pure, she is pictured as white

and dazzling.

 

2. As usual, the four arms show her unimpeded power in all directions or her

all-pervasiveness.

 

3. Being the goddess of learning, it is but proper that Sarasvati is shown

holding a book in her left hand. The book represents all areas of secular

sciences.

 

4. Mere intellectual learning, without a heart tempered by higher feelings,

sentiments and emotions, is as dry as saw-dust. So she holds a Vina(lute) on

which she actually plays,to show the need for the cultivation of fine arts.

 

5. Then there is the Aksmala(rosary) held in her right hand. This symbolizes

all spiritual sciences or Yoga including Tapas(austerities), meditation and

Japa(repetition of the divine name).

 

6. By holding the book in the left hand and rosary in the right hand she is

obviously teaching us that spiritual sciences are more important than secular

sciences.

 

7. The peacock with its beautiful plumage stands for this world in all its

glory. Since the attractions of this world lead the spiritual aspirant astray,

the peacock can actually symbolize Avidya(ignorance or nescience). On other hand

the swan, which is supposed to possess the peculiar power of separating milk

from water, stands for Viveka(wisdom, discrimination) and hence stands for

Vidya(knowledge). Though it is true that Vidya or Paravidya(spiritual

illumination) alone can give us Moksa . Avidya signifying secular knowledge –

the sciences and arts of the world – need not and should not be neglected. As

the Isavasya Upanishad puts it, ”We transcend hunger and thirst through secular

sciences.” It is to teach this great truth to us that Mother Sarasvati has

chosen the two carrier vehicles, the swan and the peacock.

 

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