Salutations to Saraswati and Hayagriva

[Guest guest]

Dear Members,

 

This time of year we pray to Saraswati Devi and Lord Hayagriva

to bless us with wisdom and knowledge. Aside from the festive

aspects of Navaratri, such as assembling various dolls and

figures and constructing elaborate facades for the Navaratri golu

and inviting sumangalis over, we primarily celebrate the active presence

of Lakshmi Thaayaar during this festival, culminating with the honoring

of Her in the form of Saraswati Devi, the Goddess of all learning and

speech.

 

Sri Sadagopan has written quite elaborately about the

Vedic concept of Saraswati in previous years:

 

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/feb96/0033.html

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/aug98/0078.html

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/aug98/0154.html

http://www.ramanuja.org/sv/bhakti/archives/aug98/0169.html

 

According to the understanding of some acharyas, as the

presiding deity of all speech, Saraswati is appropriately

the consort of Lord Hayagriva, and is not to be confused with the later

Puranic notion of a Saraswati being the wife of Brahma

(sarojAsana-dharma-patnI). Accordingly, She is Lakshmi Herself;

if Hayagriva represents the essence of the Vedas, She is the

sound of this essence, related inseparably to it.

 

Some take the following paasuram from Tirumazhisai Alvar's

Naanmukan Thiruvantaati to be a reference to this aspect

of Lakshmi-Saraswati:

 

veRpenRu vEngadam paadinEn, vIdaakki

niRkinREn ninRu ninaikkinREn, - kaRkinRa

noolvalaiyil pattirundha noolaatti kELvanaar,

kaalvalaiyil pattirundhEn kaaN. (40)

 

Here "noolaatti", the lady of the books, is taken to be

a reference to the Goddess. (Alternatively, it also

means the lady spoken of by the books, i.e., Vedas).

Since noolaatti kELvanaar is identified with the Lord

of Venkatam, Saraswati is none other than a form of

Lakshmi.

 

 

On the ninth day of Navaratri, known as Mahanavami, there

is also what is known is "Ayudha pUja". I don't know if it

is universally celebrated -- members are requested to

clarify -- but on this day, all animals, equipment, etc.,

used in one's profession are ceremonially prayed for and

blessed.

 

I ask others to elaborate on how they celebrate these

festive days.

 

praNo devi sarasvatI vAjebhir vajinIvatI |

dhInAm avitRyavatu |

 

adiyEn raamaanuja daasan,

Mani

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear Sri Mani,

 

Thanks for a beautiful, crisp short write up on Saraswati Pooja.

You had asked as to how we celebrate at our respective homes.

>From my grand father's days (as far as I remember), we celebrate by

keeping our respective books, (be it school books, or sthOthra books)

on a wooden plank, (along with other kolu pommai), and recite (all of us)

Swamy Desikan's Hayagriva sthOthram. When we are about to finish,

with the recitation of ..vyaakhyaa mudraam... camphor is lit and offered.

This is after Thiruvaaraadhanam and there is a "sakkarai pongal" offering

to Saraswati/Hayagrivan.

 

Evening on the same day, again a recitation of Hayagriva sthOthram

(after sandyavandhanam) and milk is offered. This is called "punar pooja" by

my father.

 

On Vijayadasami day (the next day after Saraswati pooja), the recitation of

Sri Hayagriva sthOthram, vyaakhyaa mudram and kadalai paruppu suNdal (being

Hayagrivan) is offered.

 

All of us at home read or respective books immediately after pooja, (just a

paragraph

from each book), so that we get to start with His blessings.

 

The same day, we go to our teacher (be in school teacher or Veda teacher)

and

prostrate (sevvicchufy) with fruits and little money (as dakshinai). We

follow this even

today at our homes.

 

The same day, we begin to learn a new Swamy Desikan sthOthram or any other

sthOthram

or Pancha sookthams or whatever from our grandfather. At our homes, the kids

were

admitted to school on this day.

 

(Incidentally, Sri Poundarikapuram Andavan

has instructed my father(who has been doing Veda parayanam at ashramam

both in mornings and evenings for an hour) to start teaching small boys (who

have

had their upanayanam) Purusha sooktham from today being Vijaya dasami.)

 

Regards

 

Sri Lakshmi Hayagriva ParabrahmaNE Namah:

 

Narayana Narayana

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> Mani Varadarajan [sMTP:mani]

> Wednesday, October 20, 1999 6:23 AM

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> Salutations to Saraswati and Hayagriva

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