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Orissa Review # February-March - 2005

Sarasvati : The of Learning

Pradeep Kumar Gan Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar Mohanty

Sarasvati, the Goddess of Learning occupies a takes the three forms of Mahalakshmi, distinct position among the Sakta and Mahasarasvati. In her manifestation as of Hindu . Due to the wide prevalence Mahasarasvati, she is of representing of the of or the female energy Sattoguna. She is associated with the in from a very early period among almost destruction of the demons Sumbha and all the different ethnological elements Nisumbha.6 She is the colour of white and the comprising the vast mass of Indian population, most beautiful of all beauties. As indicated in goddess Sarasvati became more popular the Pradhanika-rahasya, She is four arm among the followers of . According holding a rosary, a goad, a vina, and a to David Kinsley, goddess Sarasvati is one of manuscript. In the Vaikritika-rahasya, where the few important goddesses in the who She is said to have been born from Gauri with has remained significant in later , eight armed and holds an arrow, , , 7 though today she is in particular, worshipped ,bell, plowshare, and a bow. A similar by children and students as the patron Goddess description appears in the Sritattvanidhi, where She is described as the slayer of of Learning throughout India.1 She is popular Sumbha, with the eight ayudha.8 not only as a Hindu goddess, but also popular with the Jains and the Buddhists.2 The word Regarding the origin and development Sarasvati is derived from the words Sarah and of Sarasvati, interesting accounts are recorded Vati which means 'one possessing a vast sheet in different . The Mahatmya9 of '.3 Goddess Sarasvati is known to us section of the Purana refers three in various names like Vani, Vagdevi, Vac, principal forms of female principle, i.e. Sarada, Bharati, Pusti, Vagisvari, Vinapani etc.4 Mahalakshmi, Mahakali and Mahasarasvati. According to the Brahmavaivartta Purana,10 In the Rig Veda the earliest reference the Brhadaranyaka Upanisad,11 the about the goddess Sarasvati is to be found as Purana,12 the Devi Bhagabat Purana,13 the manifestation of a river, on the bank of goddess Sarasvati is stated to have been born which most of the Vedic hymns were composed from the mouth of Paramaatma, Krisna as his and the Vedic culture developed. The river thus Shakti. The Matsya Purana14 and the appears to have played an important role in Purana15 describe Sarasvati as Visvarupa and the formation of her concept. About the origin created her. In the Matsya Purana She of the goddess Sarasvati, in the Pradhanika- is conceived as wife of Brahma, while in the rahasya, as summarized by J.N. Banerjea,5 it Vayu Purana, She is described as the daughter is stated that the unmanifested Mahalakshmi of Brahma.

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According to T.A. Gopinath Rao,16 the is called the 'impeller of true and sweet speech three forms of Mahalakshmi, Mahakali, and and awakener of happy and noble thoughts'.22 Mahasarasvati divided their bodies into two As evident in the , where Sarasvati halves, i.e., one male and the other female. has more dhyanas, in compare to other Accordingly, Mahalakshmi created Brahma and goddesses. Her name is Varnesvari, which , Mahakali created Siva and Sarasvati, means 'goddess of letters'. She is also and Mahasarasvati produced and described as Varnajanani, the meaning of . All came into action forming their 'mother of letters'.23 The other epithets of union with their male counterparts. Sarasvati married to Brahma, Laksmi married to Vishnu Sarasvati included in different literature as and Parvati married to Siva and they were Jihvagravasini (dwelling in the front of the engaged for creation of the , tongue) and Kavijihvagravasini (She who preservation of the universe, and destruction dwells on the tongues of poets), etc.24 of the universe respectively. 17 Trigunamayee Mahalakshmi Mahakali Mahalakshmi Mahasarasvati () () () Siva Sarasvati Brahma Lakshmi Vishnu Parvati married to married to married to In the ,18 Sarasvati came to be identified with the Vedic goddess Like Lakshmi, Sarasvati is also Vac (speech personified), who appears in the associated with many male . As an Rig Veda as the vehicle of knowledge, while individual goddess She is closely associated in the Aitreya Aranyaka19 She is called the with Brahma. The Brahmavaivartta Purana mother of the Vedas. In the Rig Veda Sarasvati states that Visnu has three wives, who is very often invoked with Ida and Bharati. Ida, constantly quarrel with each other, so that Bharati and Sarasvati are the three eventually he keeps only Lakshmi, giving manifestations of and are known as to Siva and Sarasvati to Brahma.25 Yajnuagni (sacrificial ). On account of their In the early stage of evolution, Sarasvati close intimacy, these three goddesses are was associated with different Vedic , such 20 called three Sarasvatis. Goddess Sarasvati as , Maruta, Asvinis, etc. In the Veda is also depicted as the annihilator of demons. Sarasvati was the goddess of rain and the She destroyed Vrtra and other demons. counterpart of Indra. She was believed to be Utasya nah Sarasvati ghora in charge of rain.26 Goddess Sarasvati's Hiranyavartanih / Vrtraghni vasti sustuition//21 association with is clear from the fact With the passage of Sarasvati's that, they are often juxtaposed, one next to the association with a river and fertility gradually other in Orissan sculptural art particularly in decreases and She increasingly becomes a motifs involving teaching. According to goddess associated with speech, learning, Sarada- and other texts, as Pusti, and culture. Even in the Rig Veda, She She is the consort of Ganesha.27

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Goddess Sarasvati is also regarded as References : the Shakti of Siva as in the Tantrasara, where 1. David Kinsley, Hindu Goddesses, Vision of the She is coupled with Siva. In the Suta Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition, , 1986, p.55. of the Purana, Sarasvati is associated 2. T.E.; Donaldson, Tantra and Sakta Art of Orissa, with Siva and is described as having a blue Vol.I, New Delhi, 2002, p.286. neck like Siva.28 In the Devi 3. Bhagwant Sahai, of Minor Hindu Purana,29 She is the spouse of in and , New Delhi, 1975, p.141. 4. T.E. Donaldson, op.cit. Manidvipa, the celestial residence of the Devi. 5. J.N. Banerjea, The Development of Hindu She is also associated with music as is apparent Iconography, Calcutta, 1956, pp.496-7. by the vina that is prescribed for her in various 6. T.E. Donaldson, op.cit, p.192. texts. In the Brahamavaivartta Purana, where 7. Ibid. 30 8. Balaram Srivastava, Iconography of Shakti : A she is prescribed a book and the vina. Study Based on Sritattvanidhi, 1978, p.21. As the goddess of learning She has 9. Devi-Mahatmya, Cantos, 81-93. various names such as Vagisvari, Sarada, 10. Brahmavaivartta Purana, Chapter - 2.2.55-61. 11. Brhadaranyaka Upanisad, Chapter-1.4.3-4. Sarasvati and Bharati, etc., having different 13. Devi Bhagabat Purana, Chapter-IX.1.1.40 associated on different situations. 14. Matsya Purana, Chapter - III. V-VIII; II-IV. Goddess Sarasvati is associated with 15. Vayu Purana, Chapter - IX. 71. 7-8. (), the lotus, the ram, and . According 16. T.A. Gopinath Rao, Elements of Hindu to the Puranic texts, Sarasvati inheritated her Iconography, Vol.I, Madras, 1914, pp.334-7. 17. Ibid. swan (hamsa) from her father or 18. Yajurveda, Chapter-I.1.77. 31 husband Brahma, who has swan vahana. 19. Aitareya , Chapter-3.1.6. According to the Satapatha Brahamana, ram 20. R.C. Dutta, Rig Veder Banganubad, Calcutta, is the mount of Sarasvati from the . 1895, pp.27-28. 21. Rig Veda, quoted by H.N. Bhattacharya in Hindu Sarasvati is also described as vahana. Devadevi, Vol.III, p.22. It is probably to symbolize her philosophical 22. David Kinsley, op.cit, p.59. relation with Agni that She holds the peacock 23. T.E. Donaldson, op.cit., p.287. the symbol of Agni, as her vehicle. According 24. Ibid, p.288. to Krisna Yajurveda, the lion is her mount and 25. Brahmavaivaratta Purana, Chapter-2.6.13-95. 26. H.C. Das, Iconography of Sakta Divinities, Vol.I, She was invoked in the form of a lioness to Delhi, 1997, p.151. destroy the demons. 27. T.E. Donaldson, op.cit., p.288. Today, Sarasvati is worshipped 28. T.A. Gopinath Rao, op.cit, p.378. 29. Devi Bhagabat Purana, Chapter-12.11.90. primarily as a goddess of speech, learning and 30. Brahmavaivartta Purana, Chapter-2.1.31-7. the fine arts. Her early associations with water, 31. H.C.Das, op.cit, p.105. fertility, as a goddess of healing, as goddess of prosperity are mostly forgotten. In the present Indian society, every year, She is worshipped on the day of commencement of knowledge and Pradeep Kumar Gan is a Scholar in History, Culture & on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar Archaeology and works at Fakir Mohan University, month of (January-February), while her Vihar, Balasore, Orissa. basic is the same with which the Dr. S.K. Mohanty works at Fakir Mohan University, first imparts instructions to his students. Vyasa Vihar, Balasore, Orissa.

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