IVaLe VeeNa PaaNi

Posted by: whitephosphorous on: May 10, 2007

• In: Art & Culture | Hinduism | Relegion
• 14 Comments

Saraswathi Namastubhyam

 Varade KaamaruupiNi

Vidyaarambham Karishyaami

Siddhirbhavatume Sadaa 

Our Saints and Poets have sung eons in her praise and we continue to follow that tradition. No academic activity begins without a prayer to Goddess Saraswathi. 

It was a practice during my school and college days to have a Saraswathi Pooja every year in school just before the examinations. It was during some time off while at work today, that my colleagues and I went back to those lovely days and remembered the Saraswathi Pujas.

 Since I was just aware of very basic details about this Goddess, decided to do some research, and the result of that research is what I am sharing with my readers today.

Goddess Saraswati is the presiding deity of the spoken word. She is considered to be Lord Brahma’s ‘maanasa putrika’ though later events led to their marriage and they began to be worshipped as the primordial couple.

Mounting on her divine vehicle Swan, she plays on Kachchapi, her Veena and is worshipped as the presiding deity of all knowledge. She resides in Satyaloka along with her consort Lord Brahma. Narada, the celestial saint is their ‘maanasa putra’.The legend has it, that once Lord Brahma utters a lie of having sighted the nether portion of Shiva Linga and Lord Shiva, who, angered by the false claim curses Brahma that his speech (Saraswati) be converted to a river. It is believed that the dry parched region of the present day Thar Desert is at one time a stretch of River Saraswati. To this day, scientists believe that the river still flows underneath the Thar and attempts are onto trace the river. At any confluence of two rivers, Saraswati is deemed to be hidden underneath and thus the place assumes the nomenclature TRIVENI. A very famous example is of the confluence of the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswathi as “Guptagaamini” in Prayaag, India.

Uniqueness of Saraswati:The term Saraswati envelops a vast expanse of meaning ranging from Vaagdevi, river, Veda Mata and to the giver of knowledge. The celestial mother Aadishakti manifested herself as Lakshmi, Parvati and Saraswati. Hence Goddess Saraswati is considered to be the very epitome of Sakthi or Cosmic Power.Not only mortals, but also even the celestial beings in Heaven are said to be the beneficiaries of Saraswati’s benevolence. Her shower of mercy empowers speech and all other fine arts.

 ETYMOLOGY:The word Saraswati means a string of rivers. The goddess is also known by synonyms like Braahmi, Bharati, Bhaasha, Geeh, Vaak, Vaani, Saarada, Saraswati, Maha Sookta, Kaadambari to name a few. All the letters in the alphabet are considered to be the different forms of the goddess.

APPEARANCE: Saraswati beams a very benevolent smile. She is often seated on a pristine white swan. Dressed in white she wears a garland of white pearls. She plays on the divine veena with a lace of beads in one hand a book in the other. She also adorns parrot in one hand and a lotus in the other.