Description of Goddess Saraswati

July 9, 2005

(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.

Pictures of Goddess Saraswati

Extracted from the net