There are many mythological stories of Goddess Saraswati who embodies Learning, Knowledge, Arts, Music and Speech. One story goes like this.
Brahma was in need of a source of intellectual inspiration and power to create the Universe. So a beautiful woman was born out of Brahma’s mind. She was called Saraswati.
While Brahma created the Universe, Saraswati gave the Universe its form and order. Like a mother she made the Universe a place where all the creation could live peacefully and call it a home. She grouped the mountains together to form a range, she grouped the trees together to form a forest, she joined the rivers together to form the sea, she joined the seas together to form an ocean, she grouped the clouds together to form the rain. She came down from her abode Brahmaloka and became the River Saraswati as a life giver, purifier, enriching the lives of all the creation.
Saraswati organised the system of planets and stars to manage the order of day and night. She made Earth artistic by adding unique colours, contrasts, textures to creation that appeals to the eyes. She made Earth pleasing by adding music that appeals to the ears. She gave speech and language so all the creation could communicate and live in harmony. Do you agree that by doing all this Saraswati gave power to learning? And that she demonstrated that knowledge is a true power? A big yes and a truly sensational and an inspiring yes for us!
In Sanskrit language Saras means “to flow” or “fluid like water” or “pooling water”, and vati means “one who possesses”. Together the meaning becomes, one who possesses the flowing or pooling water. In this context it means possessor and giver of continuous flow of learning, flow of speech, flow of thought, flow of music, flow of arts and hence accumulation of knowledge leading to wisdom.
Saraswati, seated on a White Lotus or Brahma Kamala (in Sanskrit) is always dressed in white to symbolise purity of thought. White Lotus or Brahma Kamala is also a symbol of transformation. It symbolises ones journey from ignorance to knowledge. She holds Vedas to symbolise the Power of Knowledge. She holds the musical instrument Veena to symbolise her gift of music to us. It is said that the 4 main strings of Veena represents the 4 Vedas. Saraswati is also represented with a Peacock or Mayura (in Sanskrit) around her. This symbolises that she is a patron of art and dance.
She holds Japa Mala to symbolise the limited Time or Kaala (in Sanskrit) of the creation. She is sometimes shown holding a water pot or Kamandalu to symbolise as a life giver or a purifier. Her vahana is Hamsa (in Sanskrit) which is a white Goose or a Swan, a symbol of wisdom. This is the only animal that has the magical ability to separate milk from a mixture of water and milk. This symbolizes the wisdom to differentiate between the good and the bad.
My takeaway from Saraswati symbolism is about the importance and power of continuous learning and knowledge. It is emphasizing that knowledge is a thought purifier in one’s life and hence a trait extremely worthy of pursuit everyday. Knowledge alone has the power to create and transform. The name Saraswati is telling us that learning has to be continuous and flowing like a river and not stagnant and only then knowledge will accumulate like a pond or lake or an ocean. Her symbolisms are telling us that the learning can be in anything like music, art, dance, speech, language or reading books.
