Information AboutSaraswati |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT SARASWATI | |
| hindu goddesses | |
| knowledge goddesses | |
| arts goddesses | |
| rigvedic deities | |
| sea and river goddesses | |
| shaktism | |
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Saraswati (es of Hinduism , the other two being Lakshmi and Durga . Saraswati is the consort of Lord Brahmā , the Creator. ORIGINS AND CONTEXT IN HINDUISM Saraswati is a Goddess that was worshipped in the Vedic religion. She is the goddess of knowledge and all literary arts including music, arts, and speech. She is also worshipped as the Goddess of thoughts of truth and forgivings. She is mentioned in the Rig Veda as well as in Puranic texts. It was likely that She originated as a river Goddess because Her name in Sanskrit means "she who has lakes or pools". In the Hindu Philosophy of Vedanta , She is considered as the feminine energy and knowledge aspect ( Shakti ) of Brahman . As in ancient times, She is the Goddess of knowledge, speech, poetry and music. Vedantins believe that only through the acquisition of knowledge does one reach the final path to Moksha , or liberation from Reincarnation . Only by worshiping Saraswati and continuously seeking true knowledge with complete undeviating attention can one attain the enlightenment necessary for Moksha . She is also referred to as Shonapunya , a Sanskrit word meaning ‘one purified of blood’. SARASWATI AS A RIVER See Also: Sarasvati River The Rigvedic hymns dedicated to Saraswati mention her as a mighty River with creative, purifying, and nourishing properties. There are also many references to the Sarasvati river in other Vedic and post-Vedic texts. Late Vedic texts record the river as disappearing at ''Vinasana'' (literally, "the disappearing"), and as joining both the Yamuna and Ganga as an invisible river. The Sarasvati river is often identified with the Ghaggar-Hakra River which dries up in the Thar Desert . Before roughly 1600 BC, the both the Sutlej and the Yamuna were tributaries to the Ghaggar-Hakra, which emtied into the Rann Of Kutch . The early Rigvedic "mighty" Sarasvati is traditionally often identified with this Old Ghaggar, while some scholars consider it more likely that it corresponds to the Helmand River of Afghanistan. OTHER ASSOCIATIONS As a water goddess, She symbolises Fertility and prosperity. She is associated with purity and creativity, especially in the context of literary and verbal skills. In the post-Vedic age, She began to lose her status as a river goddess and was increasingly associated with literature, arts, music, etc. Her name literally means the one who flows, which can be applied to thoughts, words, or the flow of a river (in Sanskrit: "dhaara-pravaah"). In the Rig-Veda (6,61,7), Saraswati is credited with killing the Asura (demon) Vritra , who represents Drought , Darkness , and Chaos . She is often seen as equivalent to the other Vedic goddesses like Vāk , Savitri and Gayatri . Saraswati represents Intelligence , Consciousness and cosmic knowledge. Perhaps as the ancient river dried up or changed course, the Goddess became less related to the river. The Divine Mother Saraswati is the wife or consort of Lord Brahmā, the creator. Therefore, She stands for creativity. Goddess Saraswati stands for knowledge, education, enlightenment, music, arts, and power. She is not only worshipped for secular knowledge, but for the true divine knowledge which is essential to achieve self-realization, or " Moksha ." Saraswati Stuthi states that she is the only Goddess to be revered by all the three great gods of Hinduism, Brahmā, Vishnu , and Shiva . She is the only goddess to be worshipped equally by all the gods, the demons, the Gandharva s (the divine Musician s), and the Naga s (the divine Serpents ). APPEARANCE Goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful, fair-skinned woman dressed in pure white often seated on a white Lotus (although Her actual ''vaahan'' is believed to be swan), which symbolizes that she is founded in the experience of the Absolute Truth. Thus, she not only has the knowledge but also the experience of the Highest Reality. She is mainly associated with the colour white, which signifies the purity of true knowledge. Occasionally, however, she is also associated with the colour yellow, the colour of the flowers of the Mustard Plant that bloom at the time of her festival in the spring. She is not adorned heavily with jewels and gold like the goddess Lakshmi , but is dressed austerely--perhaps representing her preference of knowledge over worldly material things. She is generally shown to have four arms representing four aspects of human personality in learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego., holding in Her hands:-
A white Swan is often besides her feet. The sacred swan, if offered a mixture of milk and water, is said to be able to drink the milk alone. The swan thus symbolizes discrimation between the good and the bad or the eternal and the evanescent. Due to her association with the swan, Goddess Saraswati is also referred to as Hamsa-vahini, which means "she who has a swan as her vehicle". She is usually depicted near a flowing river, which may be related to her early origins as a water goddess. The swan and her association with the lotus 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 us not to be proud of external appearances and be wise to know the eternal truth. FESTIVALS FOR SARASWATI The goddess Saraswati is worshipped during Navaratri . In South India, Saraswati Puja is a very important festival. The last three days of Navarathri starting from Mahalaya Amavasya (the New Moon day) are dedicated to the goddess. On the ninth day of Navaratri ( Mahanavami ), books and all musical instruments are ceremoniously kept near the gods 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. The puja is concluded on the tenth day of Navaratri ( Vijaya Dashami ) and the goddess is worshipped again before the books and the musical instruments are removed. It is customary to study on this day, which is called Vidya-aarambham (literally, Commencement of Knowledge). During Basant Panchmi , which comes either at the end of January or the beginning of February, Prayer s and Puja s are offered to her, especially by artists, musicians, scientists, doctors, lawyers. In Pushkar in Rajasthan , a temple has been made in her name on a mountain higher than that of Lord Brahmā 's. SARASWATI IN OTHER CULTURES Besides her role in Hinduism , she was also, like the Hindu goddess Tara , absorbed from Vedic culture into the Buddhist Pantheon and came to China via the Chinese translations of the Sutra Of Golden Light , which has a section devoted to her. Now largely forgotten in China, she is still worshipped in Japan under the name Benzaiten . Other names for her include:-
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