Vasant Panchami/Saraswati Puja

[Guest guest]

Spirit of Saraswati

Beyond rituals lies a young, organising force

The Indian Express

http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=87335

 

GAUTAM CHIKERMANE

Posted online: Monday, February 06, 2006 at 0052 hours IST

 

Today we covered our books with paper — it's Saraswati's day,

you know. That's my seven-year-old nephew talking about how

his class celebrated Saraswati Puja. What does covering your

books with paper have to do with Saraswati, I ask him. "Oh, you

don't know? See, this is the day when we pay respects to the

goddess of knowledge. When we cover our books, we protect

knowledge from dust," he says, his big eyes turning bigger as

though he wanted to express something more. He was

completely taken in by Saraswati.

 

As we grown-ups know so well, Saraswati, the consort of

Brahma (and thus also called Brahmi), the creator, is the goddess

of knowledge and wisdom. Arts, sciences, skills, crafts, music,

she personifies them all. Calendar art shows her sitting on white

or pink lotuses wearing a white sari, playing the veena with two

hands and holding a rosary and a book in another two. Literally

speaking, Saraswati means `the flowing one' and in the Rig

Veda she represents a river by that name. She's also known as

Veena Vandini (veena player), Vani Dayani (recipient of

speech), Sharda (giver of essence), Mahavidya (knowledge

supreme). Mythology says so aspirational were her powers that

she was worshipped by Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Munis and

Rishis alike. And why not — she personifies or symbolises

`universal knowledge', without which all actions are futile.

 

 

But let's leave the rituals and the myths aside. What really is

Saraswati or, to rephrase that question, what is the spirit behind

Saraswati? Like all other Hindu gods and goddesses, Saraswati

has a deeper, spiritual aspect to her personality. A personality

that is really a reflection of an aspect of the One Spirit that sits

in different ways in differently evolving Souls. The wise say that

of the four major forces — compassion, strength, harmony and

organisation — she is the most skilful in execution of the divine

will. She is also the youngest of the four. Logical, since

organisational power is a complex force, something that can

only follow and put in order other forces. Saraswati is the power

within us that builds, organises, administers and classifies

information, knowledge, materials and ideas.

 

She resides within us and on Saraswati Puja day, we invoke her

blessings. Children cover their books. Grown-ups visit temples,

offer marigold flowers. I spent the day in sublime ignorance.