Goddess Sarawati
Saraswati
is the Goddess of leaning, knowledge, and wisdom. The Sanskrit word sara means
"essence" and swa means "self." Thus Saraswati means
"the essence of the self." Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology
as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the Creator of the universe. Since
knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of
Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshipped by all persons interested in knowledge,
especially students, teachers, scholars, and scientists.
The Saraswati Form
In Her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted
with four arms (some pictures may show only two arms), wearing a white sari and
seated on a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in Her rear two hands,
while the front two hands are engaged in the playing of a lute (veena). Her
right leg is shown slightly pushing against Her left leg. She uses a swan as Her
vehicle. There is a peacock by Her side gazing at Her. This symbolism
illustrates the following spiritual ideas:
The
lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme
knowledge. By sitting on a lotus, Saraswati signifies that She is Herself rooted
in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color
symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing
denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.
The
four amms denote Her omnipresence and omnipotence. The two front amms indicate
Her activity in the physical world and the two back arms signify Her presence in
the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner
personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the front right hand, the
intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta)
by the rear left hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the rear right hand.
The
left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and the right side
symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book in the rear left hand
signifies that knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote
prosperity of mankind.
The
rosary signifies concentration, meditation, and contemplation, leading to
samadhi, or union with God. A rosary in the rear right hand representing ego
conveys that true knowledge acquired with love and devotion melts the ego and
results in liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bondage to the physical
world.
The
Goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that is held in Her front hands,
which denote mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune
his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such
harmonious living enables the individual to utilize acquired knowledge for the
welfare of all mankind.
Two
swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess. A swan is said to have a
sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk
and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the
ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati uses
the swan as Her carrier. This indicates that one must acquire and apply
knowledge with discrimination for the good of mankind. Knowledge that is
dominated by ego can destroy the world.
A
peacock is sitting next to Saraswati and is anxiously waiting to serve as Her
vehicle. A peacock depicts unpredictable behavior as its moods can be influenced
by the changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not
the peacock. This signifies that one should overcome fear, indecision, and
fickleness in order to acquire true knowledge.
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