Saraswati

This article is about the Hindu goddess. For the Vedic river, see Sarasvati River. For other uses, see Saraswati (disambiguation).

Sarasvati
Mother Goddess
Goddess of knowledge, education, learning, speech, arts, music, poetry, purification, language and culture[1][2]
Personification of the Sarasvati River
Member of Tridevi and Pancha Prakriti
Painting of Sarasvati by Raja Ravi Varma
Other names
  • Vagdevi
  • Sharada
  • Savitri
  • Brahmi
  • Bharati
  • Vani
Sanskrit transliterationSarasvatī
Devanagariसरस्वती
Affiliation
Abode
Mantra
Symbols
  • Veena
  • books
  • rosary
  • white lotus
DayFriday
ColourWhite
Mount
FestivalsVasant Panchami, Sarasvati Puja and seventh day of Navaratri
ConsortBrahma

Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, IAST: Sarasvatī), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, purification, language and culture.[1][2] She is one of the prominent goddesses in the Vedic tradition who retains her significance in later Hinduism.[1] Together with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati, she forms the trinity, known as the Tridevi.[4][5][6] Sarasvati is a pan-Indian deity, venerated not only in Hinduism but also in Jainism and Buddhism.[7][6]

In the Vedas, her characteristics and attributes are closely connected with the Sarasvati River, making her one of the earliest examples of a river goddess in Indian tradition. As a deity associated with a river, Sarasvati is revered for her dual abilities to purify and to nurture fertility. In later Vedic literature, particularly the Brahmanas, Sarasvati is increasingly identified with the Vedic goddess of speech, Vac, and eventually, the two merge into the singular goddess known in later tradition. Over time, her connection to the river diminishes, while her association with speech, poetry, music, and culture becomes more prominent. In classical and medieval Hinduism, Sarasvati is primarily recognized as the goddess of learning, arts and poetic inspiration, and as the inventor of the Sanskrit language.[2][1] She is linked to the creator god Brahma, either as his creative power (shakti) or consort. In this role, she represents the creative force of sound, giving reality a unique and distinctly human quality. She becomes linked with the dimension of reality characterized by clarity and intellectual order.[1] Within the goddess oriented Shaktism tradition, Sarasvati is a key figure and venerated as the creative aspect of the Supreme Goddess.[8][9] She is also significant in certain Vaishnava traditions, where she serves as one of Vishnu's consorts and assists him in his divine functions.[10][1]

She is portrayed as a serene woman with a radiant white complexion, dressed in white attire. She has four arms, each holding a symbolic object: a book, a rosary, a water pot, and a musical instrument known as the veena. Beside her is her mount, either a hamsa (white goose or swan) or a peacock.[1] Hindu temples dedicated to Sarasvati can be found worldwide, with one of the earliest known shrines being Sharada Peeth (6th–12th centuries CE) in Kashmir.[11] Sarasvati continues to be widely worshipped across India, particularly on her designated festival day, Vasant Panchami (the fifth day of spring, and also known as Sarasvati Puja and Sarasvati Jayanti in many regions of India), when students honor her as the patron goddess of knowledge and education.[1][12] Traditionally, the day is marked by helping young children learn how to write the letters of the alphabet.[13]

In Buddhism, she is venerated in many forms, including the East Asian Benzaiten (辯才天, "Eloquence Talent Deity").[14][15] In Jainism, Sarasvati is revered as the deity responsible for the dissemination of the Tirthankaras' teachings and sermons.[16]

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h Kinsley, David (1988). Hindu Goddesses: Vision of the divine feminine in the Hindu religious traditions. University of California Press. pp. 55–64. ISBN 0-520063392.
  2. ^ a b c "Sarasvati | Definition, Depictions, Worship, & River | Britannica". www.britannica.com. 12 August 2024. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  3. ^ Shivakumar, K. N. (14 January 2021). Shlokas and Bhajans: with general knowledge and subhashitams. Sangeet Bharati. p. 9.
  4. ^ Encyclopaedia of Hinduism. Sarup & Sons. 1999. p. 1214. ISBN 978-81-7625-064-1.
  5. ^ "Female Hindu deities – the Tridevi - Nature of Ultimate Reality in Hinduism - GCSE Religious Studies Revision - Edexcel". BBC Bitesize. Retrieved 23 March 2022.
  6. ^ a b Ludvik (2007), pp. 1, 11.
  7. ^ Guide to the collection. Birmingham Museum of Art. Birmingham, Alabama: Birmingham Museum of Art. 2010. p. 55. ISBN 978-1-904832-77-5. Archived from the original on 14 May 1998.
  8. ^ Pintchman, Tracy (14 June 2001). Seeking Mahādevī: Constructing the Identities of the Hindu Great Goddess. State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-9049-5.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference :4 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cartwright, Mark. "Saraswati". World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved 20 September 2024.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference :8 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Vasant Panchami Saraswati Puja". Know India – Odisha Fairs and Festivals. Archived from the original on 23 September 2014.
  13. ^ "The festival of Vasant Panchami: A new beginning". United Kingdom: Alan Barker. Archived from the original on 4 October 2015.
  14. ^ "5th Annual A World in Trance Festival Jayanthi Kumaresh: Invoking The Goddess Sarawati | TeRra Magazine". 30 March 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2021. Retrieved 6 March 2021.
  15. ^ Donaldson, Thomas (2001). Iconography of the Buddhist Sculpture of Orissa. pp. 274–275. ISBN 978-81-7017-406-6.
  16. ^ Prasad 2017, p. 192.


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