Saraswati
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| Saraswati |
Saraswati, the goddess of learning and
knowledge, is the wife of Brahma, the creator of the world.
She is represented as an extremely beautiful woman with milk-white
complexion, sitting or standing on a water Lily and playing
on a lute.
She presides over and protects arts and is credited with the
invention of writing. On the fifth day of the expanding- moon
fortnight during the month of MAGH, the worship of this goddess
is performed in front of her image or even without her image
in front of her vessel in which a pen, an inkstand and a book
are placed. These articles are supposed to form a proper substitute
for the goddess, who is also named as VAGVADINI,
the deity of eloquence. Offerings are placed with flowers
on these objects and prayers are chanted from scriptures.
Saraswati is also the goddess of speech, the power through
which knowledge expresses itself in action. In the Vedas Saraswati
is primarily a river but in the hymns she is celebrated both
as a river and a deity. This sacred river, although now dried
up, is said in the RIGVEDA as "she who goes pure from the
mountains as far as the sea ". According to Mahabharata, the
river was dried up by the curse of the sage Utathya. As a
river Saraswati is lauded for the fertilizing and purifying
powers of her waters and as the giver of fertility and wealth.
Though Rig Veda does not specifically mention her as Vach,
the goddess of speech, but she is clearly bestowed this status
in Mahabharata and Brahmans. Dr. Muir attempts to explain
the acquisition of this character by Saraswati in these words,
"When once the river Saraswati had acquired the divine character,
it was but natural that this river should be regarded as the
protector and patron of the rituals and ceremonies accompanied
by hymns performed at her banks. For this purpose the blessings
of Saraswati would have been invoked for their proper and
successful performance. This idea must have been further extended
to the very composition of these hymns. All this must have
resulted in identifying Saraswati with Vach, the goddess of
speech." |
