sarasvatI navaratnamaalikaa - 1.3

[Guest guest]

catushshaShTi kalAtmikayA samasta varNAtmikayA .

shR^itajana pAlakayA sevaka bhUpAlakayA ..

 

‘catushshaShTi kalAtmikayA shrI sarasvatyA sa.mrakshitoham’

 

‘The embodiment of the sixty-four fine arts, shrI sarasvatI devI has

sheltered me.’

 

The supreme mother is saluted in sahasranama as ‘catushshaShTikalAmayI’.

bhAskararAya furnishes a list of these sixty-four art forms with reference

to books like gadAkosham and laxmIpITikA.

 

aShTAdashalipibodhastallekhanashiighravAchane chitram.

bahuvidhabhAShAGYAna.m tatkavitA shR^itanigaditA dyUtam ..

vedA upavedAshchatvAraH shAstrAN^gaShaTke dve.

tantrapurANasmR^itika.m kAvyAlaN^kAra nATakAdi dve..

shAntirvashyAkarShaNavidveShochchATanamAraNAni cha ShaT.

gatijaladR^iShTyAgnayAyudhavAgretaH stambhasaptaka.m shilpam..

gajahayarathanarashixAH sAmudrikamallasUdagAruDakAH.

tattatsuShirAddhaghanendrajAlanR^ittAni gatitarasavAdaiH..

ratnaparIxA chaurya.m dhAtuparIxApyadR^ishyatvam.

itibhAskarasudhiyoktA niShkR^iShya kalAshchatuH ShaShTiH..

 

To know the linguistics of 18 languages (1), their script (2), to be able to

read fast (3), Drawing (4) Knowledge in various other languages (5)

capability to write poetry in them (7) fluent oration (8) gambling (9)

Mastery in, the four Vedas (9-12) upavedas (13-16) twelve shastra-s (17-28)

tantra, puraaNa & smR^iti (29) kAvya, alaN^kAra & nATaka (30) shAnti, vashya

AkarShaNa, vidveShaNa, uchchATana & maraNa prayoga-s (31-36), To be able to

control the course of jala, dR^iShTi, agni, Ayudha, vAk and retas (37-43)

sculpture (44) To instruct elephant, horse, chariot and men (45-48)

sAmudrikA shAstra (49) Wrestling (50) Cooking (51)garuda prayoga (viSha

prayoga) (52) To play string instruments (53) Wind instruments (54) Drums

(55) Metallic instruments (like tALa) (56) indrajAla (magic) (57) Dance (58)

Singing (59) rasavAda (60) ratna parIxA (gemology)(61) Robbery (62)

Medicine (63) adR^ishyatvam-to be able to vanish (yogic powers) (64).

 

For a true seeker the list would barely provide a thing to entertain. The

beauty is, adhyAtma vidhyA is not included in the 64. After the knowledge of

which nothing is to be known, that knowledge ‘adhyAtma vidhyA’ stands apart

from this laukIka vidhyA. ShrI bagavatpAdAcharya says; ‘to obtain true

knowledge one needs to know the supreme mother who is beyond the sixty four

art forms’.

 

catuShShaShTyaa tantraiH sakalamatisaMdhaaya bhuvanaM

sthitas tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH pashupatiH .

punastvannirbandhaadakhilapuruShaarthaikaghaTanaa

svatantraM te tantraM kShititalamavaatiitaradidam.h .. 31..

 

As the embodiment of pure knowledge, Sarasvati is ‘Atma vidhyA svarUpiNI’.

She is also ‘prapancha vidhyA’ and hence shines in the form of the

sixty-four fine arts.

 

 

‘samasta varNAtmikayA shrI sarasvatyA sa.mrakshitoham’ – ‘shrI sarasvatI who

is of the form of all alphabets has sheltered me’.

 

Devi is saluted as ‘varNa rUpiNI’ and ‘mAtukA varNa rUpiNI’ in sahasranAma.

‘akArAdi-xakAranta varNa’ are all Sarasvati herself. Alphabets coin to form

words; that are inspirable from their meaning. They constitute the entire

Vedic lore. From the very alphabets that form the Vedas to the subject

matter of Vedas ‘brahman’, is all Sarasvati herself.

 

‘veda svarUpiNI, veda AdhAra varNa svarUpiNI, sakala veda shabdha svarUpiNI,

veda pratipAdyamAna brahma svarUpiNI’.

 

There is a profound mantra in Rig Veda 10.071.01 saluting Sarasvati for her

compassion to reveal the Vedas.

 

bR^ihaspate prathamaM vAco agraM yat prairata nAmadheyandadhAnAH .

yadeSAM shreSThaM yadaripramAsItpreNA tadeSAM nihitaM guhAviH..

 

bR^ihaspati uttered the first speech that gave a name to objects. That

non-blemish word (‘tat’) is the best of all words. (Sarasvati) reveals this

secretly imparted through affection.

 

In any language the elementary components that facilitate exchange of

thoughts and revelation of knowledge are alphabets. Sarasvati facilitates

this communication in the form of ‘vAk’ that gives intellect.

 

Cont..

 

_______________

Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com