Prano Devi Saraswati .......................

[Guest guest]

Dear All :

 

Today is a very special day - a day dedicated to the worship of Devi

Saraswati, the Goddess of Knowledge and Wisdom.

 

There is something very 'pure' and 'sublime' about the four-armed

Goddess Saraswati Devi. She radiates 'peace' and Divine Energy. For

Advaitins. the symbolism of Devi Saraswati's vahana , the Swan (

hamsa) and the Lotus flower in her hand is of special significance .

For the Swan ( hamsa) and the lotus both stand for purity and

discrimination and detatched knowledge.

 

Adi Shankara Bhagvadapada describes the glowing image of Devi

Saraswati beautifully in verse 15 of Saundarya Lahari

 

" s'araj jyotsnaa s'uddhaam s'as'iyuta-jataajoota-makutaam

vara-traasa-traaNa-spatika-ghatikaa-pustaka-karaam |

sakrunna tvaa natvaa kathamiva sataam sanniDaDhe

madhu-ksira-draakshaa-madhurima-dhureeNaah phaNitayah ||

 

O Tripurasundari! Thy appearance is like the unblemished autumnal

moon.Thou hast the moon as crown on Thy head.Thou hast the

abhayamudra offering protection from one hand and granting boons from

another , holding the crystal beads in a third hand and the Book of

Knowledge in yet another.Who shall not receive poetic competence as

if their tongue contains milk, honey and grapes all at once , once

they have worshipped you once?

 

What a beautiful imagery ! Devi Saraswati s bhava bhaya harini ( one

who reemoves fear with her abhaya mudra) and Vara dayini ( bestower

of boons ). Maa saraswati grants us all the gpur Purusharthas

Artha , Kama , dharma and moksha . Dhyana Saraswati is holding the

crystal beads in one of her hands and carrying the book of knowledge

( vedas) in another hand - verily , she is Jnansaraswati OR

Vedavalli.

 

one of the names of Sri Saraswati devi is ''catushshaShTikalAmayI'in

Sri Lalita Sahasaranama .Saraswati devi is well versed in all the

arts and fine arts . In fact , she knows the 64 arts from Linguistics

to Music to great yogic powers!

 

However, all this knowledge is 'bhoutika' vidya (material knowledge)

but Sri Saraswati devi is also one who guides us on the path

of 'Atma' vidya .( spiritual knowledge) Adi Shankara bhagvadapada

sings in verse 31 of Saundarya lahari

 

catuShShaShTyaa tantraiH sakalamatisaMdhaaya bhuvanaM

sthitas tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH pashupatiH .

punastvannirbandhaadakhilapuruShaarthaikaghaTanaa

svatantraM te tantraM kShititalamavaatiitaradidam.h .. 31..

 

in the above sloka , the word 'tattatsiddhiprasavaparatantraiH' is

important - that is the ultimate siddhi of knowing one's true nature.

 

i would request learned members to read Professor V,K. ji's great

explanation of verse 31 at

 

http://www.geocities.com/profvk/gohitvip/DPDS51-55.html

but , i would love to recapitulate the following Para from that

explanation of Professorji which is very significant for Devi

bhaktas or Sri vidya upasaakas /upasaikas .

 

Professorji translates Paramacharya's deivatin kural as follows :

 

" It is at this point ambaaL decided to insist that they be taught the

Shri VidyA tantra. It is of course the worship of ambaaL. But instead

of Herself propagating it, She wanted this husband of Hers, this guru

of Hers, to bring it to the world. This shows three characteristics

ofthe Mother Goddess. Firstly, Her conjugal devotion to the 'pati';

secondly Her respect for Her guru; and thirdly Her infinite

compassion on Her children, the people of the world. It need not be

emphasized it is the third quality, the motherly affection, that

shows uppermost here. "

 

Yes! She is Sree vidya ; Atma vidya and Brahma-vidya , our beloved

Vaagdevi!

 

a verse from Rig Veda reads

 

" praNo devI saraswatI vAjebhirvAjinIvatI |

dhInAmavitrayavatu || "

 

May devI sarasvatI, who protects those who worship her, protect and

sharpen our intellect .

 

Om Gynanaika-tatparayai namah