Mas India Posting Page
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Om, Let me meditate on the goddess of speech,
Oh, wife of Lord Brahma, give me higher intellect,
And let Goddess Vani (Saraswati) illuminate my mind. 
This is the mantra of the great Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of learning and knowledge. She is the one to call upon if you need help in your studies or completion of them. Saraswati is that Goddess to whom you might address your prayers. This Sterling Silver Mantra Bracelet in Ma’s India is ever reminiscent of this mantra.
Saraswati is the companion of Lord Brahma, the creator. She represents speech and without whom Brahma could not impart his knowledge. Saraswati is the divine energy through which Brahma is able to confer his wisdom upon humanity and the mechanism through which he creates the universe. In short, Saraswati, which means “easily flowing energy,” is a vehicle for Brahma.
Saraswati is always depicted as a consort of beauty personified. No mere personification of intellect for mere adornment, This Statue of Saraswati epitomizes a female manifestation that can be powerful, beautiful and intelligent.
Clad sometimes in white or yellow, reflecting purity and intellect, with her front two hands Saraswati is seen playing a lute, a stringed instrument upon which she plays about life and love. In her back hands, she has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus, the symbol of true knowledge, in the other. Thus, Saraswati always sings of God.
One or two swans are depicted on the left side of the Goddess Saraswati. A swan is said to have a sensitive beak that enables it to distinguish pure milk from an ersatz mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, the ability to discriminate between right and wrong or good and bad. Saraswati is shown seated on and using 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 only destroy the world.
There is a peacock by her side gazing at her. A peacock has unpredictable behavior; its moods influenced by the gunas or the weather. That is why Saraswati uses the swan as her vehicle and not the peacock. This symbolizes that one must overcome fear, indecision and variableness to acquire true knowledge. Other depictions of Saraswati show her wielding in her hands a bell, trident, ploughshare, conch, pestle, discus, bow and arrow. Thus we see that Saraswati is not a one-dimensional goddess, but a fierce and able goddess, communing with humanity through the ploughshare and showing her fierceness through the bow and arrow. Saraswati is prepared for any eventuality. 
In fact, wisdom would not be known without the manifestation of Saraswati. A wonderful saying of Saraswati is that “she sits in the mind of the intellectual, dances on the tongue of the wise and resides in the heart of the devoted.” Thus, Saraswati is worshipped by persons interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, scholars and scientists Of course, those interested in the musical arts are also drawn to Saraswati. In addition, Saraswati is revered as the dispeller of chaos and confusion. In the Vedas, Saraswati is primarily a river, but in the hymns she is celebrated both as a river and a deity. As a river, Saraswati is lauded for the fertilizing and purifying power of her waters. The Rig Veda does not specifically mention her as the goddess of speech, but she is clearly given this status in the Mahabarata. When one makes an offering to this great Goddess Saraswati, it is believed that she will endow one with the power of speech, wisdom and learning, three great gifts. Om Sri Saraswati, Swaha!
Find more statues and other images of the Goddess Saraswati at Ma’s India Spiritual Giftstore.
by: Mas India 
