Goddess Saraswati
Goddess Saraswati (सरस्वती)
is the Goddess of wisdom and learning. Saraswati is the one who gives the
essence (sara) of our own self (swa). She is considered as the personification
of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and other skills. She has a
beautiful and elegant presence, is pure white in colour, clad in a white sari,
seated on a white lotus, representing purity and brilliance. She has four hands
representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind, intellect,
alertness and ego. She has the sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus (a
symbol of true knowledge) in the second. With her other two hands she plays the
music of love and life on the veena.
Goddess Saraswati is the consort of Brahma, the Hindu god of
creation. Scripture says that when Brahma resolved to create this world, he
went into deep thought. In the course of his contemplation, there appear a
hollowed mark on his forehead. After a few moments there is a girl emerged from
that celestial sign. Lord Brahma asked: "Who are you?" The girl
replied: "My birth has been from your contemplation. Pease give me
work." Lord Brahma asked her to live on the tongue of people and
regulate their speech as "Vageshwari", the goddess of speech. While
Brhma is the lord of creation, Saraswati is the goddess of creativity. She is
the personification of wisdom, learning, intelligence, music and art. As the
incarnation of speech, she presides over knowledge.
The Rigvedic hymns dedicated to Saraswati mention her as a mighty river
with creative, purifying, and nourishing properties. Veda says that the path of
knowledge has the power to dispel ignorance of what is permanent and what is
passing. Celebrating Saraswati is a call to the higher mind, the beginning of a
deep desire to understand the purpose and meaning of life.
Goddess Saraswati Puja this year on February 15, 2013
Iconography
Goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful, white -skinned
goddess, dressed in pure white often seated on a swan (carrier) or
on a white lotus. She is mainly associated with the color white, which
signifies the purity of true knowledge.She is not adorned heavily with
jewels and gold, dressed modestly - representing her preference of knowledge
over worldly material things.
Saraswati depicted wearing white cloths. because the colour white is a
symbol of the purity of true knowledge which she bestows on the seeker.
Similarly, her association with the swan and the peacock too stress the wisdom
aspect. The swan is said to have the ability to separate milk from water
and drink milk only, which is a metaphor of the way a seeker has to continually
discriminate between what is real and permanent and what is transient.
Goddess
Saraswati (सरस्वती)
the Goddess of wisdom and learning.
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु सरस्वतीरुपेण संस्थिता |
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो नमः ||
The
peacock's vanity at its own beautiful plumage is a reminder of how a true
seeker of knowledge has to learn to detach himself from the body by
understanding the transitory nature of physical appearance. She is
generally shown to have four arms, which represent the four aspects of
human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness, and ego.
Alternatively, these four arms also represent the 4 vedas, the sacred
books of Hindus. She is shown to hold the following in her four hands:
1
In First hand a pustaka (sacred Vedas) , representing the universal,
divine, eternal, and true knowledge as well as her perfection of the sciences
and the scriptures.
2. In Second hand a akshamala (garland of crystals to meditate),
representing the power of meditation and spirituality.
3. In Third hand a kamandalu (pot of sacred water), representing creative
and purificatory powers, or the smooth flow of knowledge, like water, stored in
a pot.
4. In Fourth hand , a musical instrument (Veena) that represents her
perfection of all arts and sciences.
The vahana (carrier) is a white swan is often located next to her
feet. Swan, in Sanskrit, is called "Hamsa", hence Goddess Saraswati
is also referred to as Hamsa-vahini,. It is said that if the sacred
swan offered a mixture of milk and water, he will drink the only milk.
Thus swan symbolizes discrimination between the good and the bad or the eternal
and the evanescent. The swan and her association with the lotus flower also
point to her ancient origin. Sometimes a peacock is shown beside the goddess.
The peacock represents arrogance and pride over its beauty, and by having a
peacock as her mount, the Goddess teaches not to be concerned with external
appearance and to be wise regarding the eternal truth.
Saraswati's different forms
MahaSaraswati
MahaSaraswati is the presiding Goddess of the Final episode of Devi
Mahatmya. Here she is a part of the trinity of MahaKali, MahaLakshmi and
MahaSaraswati. She is depicted as eight armed. MahaSaraswati destroyed
Sumbha and other asuras.
MahaNeel Saraswati (Mahavidya Neel Saraswati)
Mahaneel Saraswati, or NeelSaraswati, is another form of Mahavidya
Tara or UgraTara, or Ugrajataa. This form is mainly associated and has a
mixture of the Mahaayana and the Vajraayana sects of Buddhism. Goddess Tara is
said to be Vaak-siddhi-pradayini (bestower of the different mystic powers of
speech).
Matangi (Mahavidya)
Matangi or Mahavidya or Rajasyamala has a dark emerald complexion and has three eyes,
holding the veena, and is the another (Tantric) form of the Goddess Saraswati.
The Goddess Meenakshi at Madurai is worshipped as Matangi.
Saraswati's
mythological stories
In the Rig-Veda (6,61,7), Saraswati is credited, in association
with Indra, with killing the serpentine being Vritraasura, a demon which
hoarded all of the earth's water and so represents drought, darkness, and
chaos. She is often seen as equivalent to other Vedic goddesses such as Vak,
Savitri, and Gayatri. Saraswati represents intelligence, consciousness, cosmic
knowledge, creativity, education, enlightenment, music, the arts, and power.
She is not only worshipped for secular knowledge, but for the true divine
knowledge essential to achieve moksha. She is also referred to as Shonapunya, a
Sanskrit word meaning ‘one purified of blood’. In some Puranas (like Skanda
Purana) she is associated with Shiva and in some Tantras with Ganesha.
According to Brahma Vaivarta Purana 2.6.13-95 Vishnu has three
wives, who constantly quarrel with each other, so that eventually, he keeps
only Lakshmi, giving Ganga to Shiva and Saraswati to Brahma.
Brahma created the universe with the help of Saraswati. Brahma was
the guardian of the cosmos. He too needed Saraswati’s support to sustain the
cosmos. Using her knowledge he instituted and maintained dharma, sacred laws
that ensure stability and growth in society. Brahma also needed the help of
Lakshmi, goddess of wealth, who gave him the wherewithal to ensure cosmic
order. The question arose: who did Brahma need more? Lakshmi or Saraswati?
Wealth or knowledge? The goddesses argued, “Knowledge does not fill an empty
stomach.” Said Saraswati. “Wealth keeps man alive but gives no meaning to life.”
Said Saraswati. “I need both knowledge and wealth to sustain the cosmos.
Without knowledge I cannot plan. Without wealth I cannot implement a plan.
Wealth sustains life; the arts give value to life. Thus both Lakshmi and
Saraswati are needed to live a full life.
Saraswati River
It is said that the Vedic Saraswati River was formed by the
present headwaters of the Yamuna River. In ancient times, after they had left
the Himalayan foothills, the waters of the Yamuna turned west. The Sutlej river
joined the Saraswati somewhere near Bahawalpur. Thus the wide river Saraswati
emptied into the Rann of Kutch, which at the time was a more integral part of
the Arabian Sea. Along the course of the Saraswati, the Harappan
Civilization developed. The earliest known examples of writing in India have
been found in the ruined cities that line the now dry riverbed of the ancient
waterway.
Between 2000 B.C. and 1700 B.C., seismic activity caused the
waters of the river's two main sources to change course. The Sutlej moved
course westward and became a tributary of the Indus River. The Yamuna moved
course eastward and became a tributary of the Ganges. The tremendous loss of
water which resulted from these movements caused the once mighty river to
become sluggish and dry up in the Thar Desert without ever reaching the sea.
Without any water for irrigation or transportation, the dense population of the
river basin soon shifted east with the waters of the Yamuna to the Ganges River
valley. Late Vedic texts record the river as disappearing at Vinasana
(literally, "the disappearing"), and as joining both the Yamuna and
Ganges as an invisible river.
Recently, archaeologists using satellite images have been able to trace
the course of the river. A small channel of water flows near Kurukshetra. A
nearby signboard denoting the former path of the once great Saraswati River can
be seen along the main highway
Saraswati Puja
(festival )
Saraswati Puja is performed on the 5th day of Magha month of Hindu
Calendar (This year on February 8,, 2011). In the eastern part of India,
Odisha,West Bengal, Bihār and Assam, Saraswati Puja is celebrated in the Magha
month. It coincides with Vasant Panchami or Shree Panchami or. the 5th day
of the bright fortnight of the lunar month of Magha. This year Vasant
Panchami on February 15, 2013
On the Saraswati Puja day, books and all musical instruments are
ceremoniously kept near the goddess early at dawn and worshipped with special
prayers. No studies or any performance of arts is carried out, as it is
considered that the Goddess herself is blessing the books and the instruments.
In major part of India Navratri is associated with Goddess Durga,
but down South is celebrated as Saraswati Puja.
The goddess's abode is mentioned as being in the state of Kashmir, among
the Himalayas. Her favorite fruit is supposed to be the apple. In hindu
mythology, great significance is attached to offering honey to this goddess, as
honey is representative of perfect knowledge.
Goddess Saraswati Vandana
Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha
Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana
Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhutibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa
English Translation:
"May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon, and
whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant
white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a
white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me. May you
fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."
या देवी सर्वभूतेषु
सरस्वतीरुपेण संस्थिता |
नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमस्तस्यै नमो
नमः ||
Goddess Saraswati and Yoga
Saraswati gives the essence of one’s self. She provides us with the
mundane and spiritual knowledge of our lives. She is a representation of the
science of life, or the Vedanta, which attempts to unravel the essentials of
human existence and the universe concealed within. She points to the ultimate
aim of human life which is to realize the true nature of the self even if it
requires an enormous amount of determination, perseverance and patience. The
knowledge that Saraswati renders through continual worship, devotion and
discipline is one of an integral vision in which both temporal and spiritual
levels of study are meditated upon, practiced and developed. She is the
impeller of true, sweet speech, she is the creative process with the syllable,
‘OM.’ She is the potent quality of sound.
There is a Triveni-Sangam (confluence of three) within our subtle-body (
Sukshma- Sharira ). There is a Triveni at the spot between our eyebrows,
the ajna-chakra, which is the actual prayaga. He whose mind passes
through this Chakra, becomes one with the Absolute. The three vital Nadis
concur at this point - Ida, Pingala and Sushumna . Normally people breathe
through Ida or Pingala , the left or the right nostril but the perfect
yogins breath through the Sushumna which cannot be perceived by others.
Sushumna is Saraswati,who is antah-Salila whereas the other two are Yamuna and
Ganga respectively.
Goddess
Saraswati in other Religions
Jainism: In Jainism, Sarawati has been given many titles, a
Dispeller of Darkness and Ignorance, The Remover of Infatuations, The
Destroyer of Miseries and The Bestower of Knowledge. In Janism, she also
stands as a symbol of purity.Ancient Tamil works such as the Manimekalai and
Tiruvachakam, as well as Jain literary texts like the Bhagavati Sutra and
Saraswati Kalpa extol her as the guiding deity of learning.
Buddhism: In early Buddhist mandalas, various divinities were depicted
of Mahayana Buddhism. In those early Buddhist mandalas, Saraswati is located in
the south-west of the innermost circle, between Brahma and Vishnu, symbolizing
her close connection with these two deities. In Buddhism, Sarasvati is the
Bestower of Knowledge, Intelligence & Memory; and she confers wisdom and
learning upon her worshippers. She possesses many forms within Buddhism,
including Vajra-Saraswati, Vajrana-Saraswati, Vajra-Sarada and Mahasaraswati.
During a period of Tantric dominance within Buddhism, many of the Mahayana
Buddhist texts were transmitted through the Himalayan passes to Nepal, Tibet,
Java, China and eventually Japan.
Goddess
Saraswati temples
Goddess Saraswati Key shrines in India are at Kootanur in Tamilnadu,
Shringeri and Gadag in Karnataka and Basara in Andhra Pradesh. An ancient
temple, referred to as the Sarvajna Peetha, is believed to have existed in
Kashmir atop the Takht-i-Sulaiman hill.
Source: http://www.gits4u.com/religion/sarswati.htm
