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SARASWATI FROM VEDAS TO

OUR ALTAR

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 SARASWATI FROM VEDAS TO OUR ALTAR

Article of the Month – Feb 2008

‘Avirvabhuva tatpashchanmukhatah
Paramatmanah’, that is, one who has her
origin direct from the mouth of God is
Saraswati. One of the aspects of
Vishwadevah – a collective name for a group
of deities with various names, their more
widely accepted number being twelve,
Saraswati manifests as Vak – speech,
wherein reveals the world of name and form
– material or abstract, present or past,
celestial or terrestrial … all that is known or
shall ever become known. The goddess of
learning and intellect ‘jyotiswarupa’ –
lustrous, Saraswati is the light within that
illuminates beyond. As the supreme light,
she imparts to the sun its power to reveal a
form, and to man, his desire to discover the
formless. Never ruthless, and hardly ever
inclining to punish, the benign one bestows
bliss and delight – always and on all, and if
at all, eliminates maladies and ignorance or
other forms of darkness. She operates as
man’s creative faculty and is thus the root-
source of literature, art, music and all – ever
thought, conceived or created. Saraswati: Goddess of Knowledge and
Arts

Far from a passive boon-conferring divinity, Saraswati has always represented

operative aspect of cosmic existence. A long course of evolution shaped her image in
the devotional mind, the purity of her being, lustre of her form, benignity of her
mind, and ability to nourish have, however, been the same as ever.

SARASWATI IN VEDIC LITERATURE

As regards her status in the Vedas, Saraswati has priority over Mahadevi and
Mahalakshmi – other two deities of the Puranic Trio manifesting Divine Female.
Saraswati apart, the two deities of the Rig-Vedic Trio were Ila and Bharti, not
Mahadevi and Mahalakshmi. Both, Ila and Bharti merged into the all-pervading
personality of Saraswati during the later Vedic period – substantially in Brahmans.
Though Vishwadevah is the primary object of the prayers that the Rig-Vedic richas –
usually four-line verses offer, at least eighty of these richas laud and pray Saraswati.
Saraswati, along with Illa and Bharti, is one of the twelve components of
Vishwadevah. These collective richas apart, three of the suktas – conceptual hymns,
are also devoted to Saraswati, which elevates her to the status of a sukta-bhak deity
– a deity of higher order with a distinct and independent identity, one that is the
subject of conceptual verses.

Its mysticism apart, the Rig-Veda seems to have a dual perception of Saraswati, one
as the sacred river, and the other, as the deity pervading all three worlds. Most
scholars assert that it is only as river that the Rig-Veda has alluded to Saraswati and
what of it seems to pervade all three worlds is its celestial character. They discover
Saraswati’s parallel in Iranian river Haraihvati, which in contemporary Iranian rituals
and literature was similarly lauded for being benign, humid, heroic, and immaculate.
They argue that the term Saraswati, a combination of ‘sara’ or ‘svara’, meaning ‘to
go’, and ‘swati’, meaning ‘tending’ or ‘inclining’, that is, one that has the tendency of
going or moving, is more characteristic of a river. They emphatically hold that like
the root ‘gam’, meaning ‘to go’, from which developed the name of river Ganga, in
the Rig-Veda ‘sara’ is another root from which developed several terms that denote
a river or an entity that has river-like moving character. They quote as examples
Sarayu, Saranyu, sarita, sansara… first two, the names of two rivers, third, a river in
general, and fourth, the transient world. They however concede that the Rig-Vedic
Saraswati, with its origin in Heaven, could have been a celestial flood, not a
terrestrial stream. Invoked by sages to redeem them from drought it descended on
the earth across vast aerial region pervading it, and hence its all-pervasive
character. In similar vein they interpret Saraswati’s other Rig-Vedic attributions. Her
long arms by which Saraswati carves her path are interpreted as her long banks
through which she had her course. To them, Saraswati’s form as the deity is a mere
apotheosis of the river of that name.

Other group of scholars is little convinced with the logic. They feel that motion that
‘sara’ or ‘svara’ denoted is the first requisite also of sound. Apart, ‘sara’ also meant
praise, and ‘svara’, utterance. So interpreted, the two terms stood for a goddess
who was possessed of sound, utterance and praise, or was one who has been
praised. They often perceive Saraswati as another form of Vak. Prayed and lauded
with Vishwadevah Saraswati is one of the Akasha-devatas – aerial deities that
commands atmosphere, thunder and lightening, i.e., sound, light, humidity, rain,
and other atmospheric elements. They assert that under the Rig-Vedic standards
two essentials defined a deity. Firstly, it had to be benign, and secondly, valorous
performing acts requiring prowess. The Rig-Veda has lauded Saraswati as being
‘pavaka’, the one who purifies and causes rainfall. ‘Pavaka’ could be the attribute of
a deity as also of the river but a valorous act – such as eliminating a demon, could
be attributed to a deity, not river. The Rig-Veda lauds Saraswati for eliminating
Vratra, or Bala – demon of drought and the son of Brasaya, something which a deity
alone could accomplish.
 Both suggestions are substantial. In
most of its verses, or in most part of
these verses, the Rig-Vedic
attribution to Saraswati as the river
is unambiguous. So interpreted, the
demon Vratra could be a Rig-Vedic
metaphor for drought – a usual Rig-
Vedic idiom. But, the emphasis with
which the Rig-Veda has personalised
Vratra – giving his father’s name and
other things, speaks of the same
super-sensibility with which the Rig-
Veda has conceived its most deities
– Indra, Varuna, Agni, Sun among
others that otherwise represented an
aspect of nature. It is difficult to say
as to when the Vedic seers – the
great mystics endowed with unique
power to see beyond material frame,
perceived a divine entity containing
an aspect of phenomenal nature,
and when to them an aspect of
phenomenal nature rose to divine
heights and deified necessitating
them to revere it as part of
Vedic Symbolism Vishwadevah and offer to it their
prayers. Thus whatever it stood for,
Vratra might not completely dilute into a mere verbal metaphor nor its elimination
might be treated just as an act of a river redeeming from drought.

The Rig-Veda does not perceive Saraswati as an aspect of Vak as claim those seeing
in her only a deity. It was rather Vak that later – in Atharva-Veda and Yajura-Veda,
merged with Saraswati. The Rig-Veda personalises Saraswati independently and also
straight, not metaphorically as it does Ushas or some other deities. When talking of
Ushas the Rig-Veda alludes to her as one who unveils herself to the sun as does a
bride before her groom. The Rig-Veda perceives in Saraswati a mother, spouse,
sister and daughter – a complete woman. Virapatni – consort of the heroic, is her
more often used epithet. The substantial part of the two of the three suktas that
laud Saraswati is devoted to her consort Saraswata. Saraswata has been identified
variedly as Vayu, Surya, Prajapati and Indra. A greater unanimity prevails in regard
to Vira as an epithet of Prajapati. Later, in Puranas, Saraswata appears as the name
of her son by sage Dadhicha – her consort. Apart that the Rig-Veda lauds and prays
Saraswati as Ambitama, Sindhumata and Mata – terms denotative of ‘mother’, her
form that it elaborates in one of its richas is essentially a mother’s : "Yas te stanah
shasayo yo mayo bhur yena vishva pushyasi varyani / Yo ratnadha vasuvid yah
sudatrah Saraswati tam iha dhatave kah" – Saraswati, may we drain that breast of
your, which is exhaustless, source of pleasure, by which you feed all choicest things,
which is wealth giver, treasure finder and free bestower. The Rig-Veda has also used
for Saraswati the term ‘kanya’ usually interpreted to mean an unmarried daughter of
tender age, and a couple of other terms interpreted variedly to mean a sister, both
of other rivers, as also of Ila and Bharti – other deities of the Rig-Vedic Trio.
SARASWATI’S ATTRIBUTES IN THE VEDAS

Not so much her physiognomy or

anthropomorphic appearance, the Rig-
Veda liberally elaborates her personality,
spiritual in particular – something it has
not sought to do in case of most other
deities. In regard to her appearance and
basic temperament the Vedic seers have
used three terms ‘suyama’, sometimes
considered to be ‘suvigraha’; ‘shubhra’;
and ‘supeshas’, which some scholars take
as ‘swarupa’, and others, as ‘supish’.
‘Suyama’ meant easily led, as by prayer
or laudation. Its identical term
‘suvigraha’ meant a beautiful figure with
an accomplished anatomy. The
repeatedly used ‘shubhra’ – meant white,
obviously denoting her costume and
adornment.

Saraswati

‘Supeshas’ could either be ‘swarupa’ meaning beautiful, or beauteous, or ‘supish’

meaning well adorned. The Rig-Veda is more elaborate in its depiction of her
benignity, prowess, vigor and spiritualism. It uses for her terms like ’dhiyavasu’ –
one who has exception wisdom and ability to act, interpreted sometimes as ‘dhinam
avitri’ meaning one who perfects or bestows ’dhi’ – wisdom; ’subhaga’, fortunate
and beautiful; ’vajinivati’, one possessed of abundant food, water, strength, vigor,
energy, wealth, power of speech…; ’pavaka’, rain-giver, purifying, fire and
lightening; ’paravataghni’, destroyer of Paravatas – a non-Aryan tribe, or mountains
falling on its way; ’chitrayuh’, unique, bright, versatile, wonderful; ’hiranyavartanih’,
one who abounds in gold; ’asurya’, one who has ceaseless life, breath, water or
spiritualism; ’dharunamayasi puh’, one who is firm as a city made of iron; and,
’akavari’, one who is liberal even to her enemies. The Rig-Veda alludes to her also as
destroyer of Vratra, and ’ghora’ – fierce, but in low tone.

SARASWATI IN POST-RIG-VEDIC LITERATURE

In the post-Rig-Vedic literature Saraswati, the deity, begins gaining prominence over
Saraswati, the river. In her merges Vak, and her two counterparts in the Rig-Vedic
Trio, Ila and Bharti, begin merging into her. At one place in the Atharva-Veda, a
‘mantra’ – divine hymn, mentions Saraswati with Ila and Bharti but at another, uses
a term ‘tisrah Saraswatih’ that early Vedic commentators like Sayan and many other
subsequent scholars interpret as three forms of Saraswati or her three aspects. In
the Mahabharata Ila reduces into a mere linguistic term denoting intellect, and
Bharti, into another name for Saraswati, or an abstraction denoting pursuit of
learning. In their use of terms like ‘Saraswati Vakam’ or ‘Vak-Saraswati’, Atharva-
Veda and Yajur-Veda perceive the synthesis of the two deities as final. Sayan holds
that it is in her synthesis with Saraswati that vak, ordinary speech, undergoes her
apotheosis into Vak, the goddess. The attribute of Vak being first born from the
mouth of Brahaspati also merges with Saraswati.

In Atharva-Veda, Yajur-Veda and their organs – Brahmans, Aranyakas and

Upanishadas, she emerges as a regular operative deity invoked for destroying a
number of diseases, bestowing offspring, affluence, money and food, and for the
attainment of other ends – winning love of a woman, or a man, harming a rival in
love, or destroying enemies. The Yajur-Veda treats her almost like a physician. First
in Yajur-Veda and then in Aitareya and Shatapatha-Brahmana Saraswati begins
assuming legendary form and role. As Vak she transforms herself into a woman and
goes to Gandharvas, who had a weakness for women, for restoring from them the
Soma – divine drink, which they had stolen. As is the legend, Gandharvas guarded
Soma – drink of Indra and other gods, in the heaven. One day, one of the
Gandharvas Vishvavasu stole it and hid it in waters where Gandharvas Svan and
Bhraji guarded it. To help gods, who were unable to win back Soma from
Gandharvas, Saraswati as Vak turned of her own into a woman, went to Gandharvas
and brought back from them the divine drink. It was from this episode that
Saraswati got her ‘Anshumati’ – full of the Soma, epithet. Saraswati in her
personalised form has been widely alluded to in different parts of the Mahabharata.
She has been alluded to in Sabha Parva (Chapter 7, Verse 19) as adding lustre to
Indra’s court by her presence, in Vana Parva (Chapter 185), as advising sages, in
Karna Parva (Chapter 34, Verse 34), as serving as a passage to enable Shiva to take
his chariot across over her and destroy Three Cities, and in Shanti Parva (Chapter
318, Verse 14), as appearing in the vision of sage Yajnavalkya the moment he
meditated on her.

SARASWATI, GODDESS OR RIVER: PURANIC SOLUTION TO THE

ENIGMA

The Puranas, too, take up the issue as to whether Saraswati was a river or a
goddess and also seek to settle it finally. As have the Puranas, Saraswati was a
goddess in Vaikuntha – Heaven, born on the earth as a river under a curse and was
thus both, a river and a goddess and in both cases alike sacred. The Devi Bhagavata
acclaims that Saraswati was one of Mahavishnu’s three wives, other two being
Lakshmi and Ganga. One day when all three and Mahavishnu were engaged in
delightful conversation, Ganga was secretly casting her lustful eyes at Mahavishnu
and as secretly Mahavishnu responded her. When unable to bear it any longer
Saraswati got up and hit Ganga. Lakshmi sought to intervene, which Saraswati did
not like and cursed her to be born on the earth. Ganga pronounced a similar curse
against Saraswati, and Saraswati against Ganga. Aggrieved by this unrestrained
behaviour of his wives Mahavishnu ordained how the curses would work and each of
them would be born on the earth. As for Saraswati, he ordained that she would be
born on the earth as a river but her divine form would ultimately return back to
Vaikuntha and then she would become Brahma’s consort.
SARASWATI IN PURANAS

The Puranic conception of Saraswati,

though extremely diversified, takes off
from where the Rig-Veda had left it. She
emerges as one of the three deities of the
Puranic Trio of the Divine Female as she
was in the Rig-Veda, though her
counterparts are now Mahadevi and
Mahalakshmi, she herself being
Mahasaraswati.

Goddess Mahasaraswati

As in the Rig-Veda where she had several attributes in common with other deities of
Vishwadevah, in Puranas too, at least initially, she had a form largely identical with
Mahadevi and Mahalakshmi. She is benign and kind-hearted but also a fierce warrior
and demon-slayer carrying same weapons as carried Mahadevi or Mahalakshmi. In
popular worship tradition this demon-slayer form of Saraswati was known as
Sharda. If anything distinguished this form of her from those of Mahadevi and
Mahalakshmi it was her ‘subhra-vasana’ – white attire, again what the Rig-Veda had
prescribed.

The Rig-Veda perceived Vak as born from the face of Brahaspati and hence his
daughter, and Saraswati, as Virapatni and hence Brahma’s spouse. Much before
Puranas Vak and Saraswati merged into one entity and so did largely Brahaspati and
Prajapati, in most contexts Brahma being their name. Thus, on one hand, Saraswati
as Vak was Brahma’s daughter and on the other, his consort. Puranas like the
Brahmanda Purana allude to her straight as Brahma’s daughter born from his face.
As the Brahmanda Purana has it, while meditating on creation before its process was
begun, ‘sattvaguna’ – sublime nature, began swelling up in Brahma’s mind. First to
be born from it was a girl. Brahma asked her who she was. She answered that she
was born of him and asked him to fix for her a seat and duties. Brahma named the
girl Saraswati and ordained that she should stay on the tip of everybody’s tongue.
He instructed her to dance especially on the tongues of learned ones. He desired
that in her another form she should descend on the earth as a river and in yet
another form reside in him.

As unanimously Puranas acclaim Saraswati to be Brahma’s consort. Usually Puranas

allude to Saraswati, Savitri and Gayatri as Brahma’s three consorts. The Matsya
Purana, however, opines that these are only the three names of one person. As the
Matsya Purana has it, Brahma created a woman out of his own effulgence. The
woman – a daughter born from him, became known by four names – Satarupa,
Savitri, Gayatri and Brahmani. Her enchanting beauty mesmerised even Brahma
who falling in love with her looked at her with lustful eyes. Noticing it she turned to
his right to evade his glance but Brahma created a face on the right side of his head
and continued to gaze at her. She likewise turned from one direction to other but
Brahma created a face on each of his four sides and kept his gaze fixed on her. The
helpless woman rose into the sky but Brahma created a fifth sky-wards looking face.
Finding escape impossible she yielded to his desire and the two were then onwards
husband and wife honeymooning for a hundred years. To them was born a son
named Swayambhuva or Virat. Thus, Puranas perceive Saraswati dually as Brahma’s
daughter and consort.

Whatever the myth in regard to duality of

relationship between Brahma and
Saraswati, the Vedic mysticism, which the
Puranas often seek to unfold using fiction,
seems to reveal a different cosmic truth.
The universe, as it is revealed to the
knowing mind, is the universe of ‘form’
and ‘name’, and it is through Vak –
speech or syllable, that it becomes
known. Brahma, the Creator, could not
reveal his creation to the knowing mind
unless he had Vak to be his medium.
Hence, he first created Vak, his medium,
and then using it rendered the universe of
form and name manifest. Saraswati who
represented speech was, thus, born of
Brahma and was hence his creation, and
by her he made the universe manifest and
hence was his partner in the act of
creation – one way his daughter and other
way, his consort. In later Puranas and
visual arts – sculpture in particular, she is
hardly ever treated as Brahma’s daughter.
She appears mostly as his consort and
quite often has her name as Brahmani, Brahma-Saraswati
though unlike Shiva and Parvati who are
often in ‘mithuna’ – an aspect of love, and invoked jointly sometimes as Uma-
Maheshvara and at other times as Shiva-Parvati, Brahma and Saraswati have very
rarely a ‘mithuna’ form and far rarely a joint name.
OTHER EXPLOITS OF SARASWATI

Puranas attribute to Saraswati

several exploits involving unique
wisdom and prowess. After great
austerities Kumbhakarana, Ravana’s
elder brother, came to Brahma for a
boon. Brahma learned by foresight
that he wanted him (Brahma) to
grant him ‘Nirdevatva’ – absence of
gods. Brahma sought Saraswati’s
help. Saraswati, already staying at
the tip of Kumbhakarana’s tongue,
made it utter ‘Nidratva’ – sleep,
which was granted. Padma Purana
credits Saraswati to have saved the
world and all from ‘Badavagni’ – fire
ensued as the result of the great
austerities of Aurva, great
Black-complexioned Saraswati with normal two grandfather of Parasurama. For
arms conducting 'badavagni' - ocean-fire, into the obtaining ability to avenge the killing
western ocean; Rajasthan, late 18th or early 19th of his ancestors by Kshatris Aurva
century; collection: National Museum, New Delhi
took to great penance. By the power
of austerities his sublime wrath
transformed into cosmic flames that began engulfing the world. The horrified gods
rushed to Brahma for rescue. They told him that Saraswati alone could save the
world by conducting ‘Badavagni’ into the western sea. On instructions from Brahma
Saraswati conducted Badavagni into the sea, with which the oceans still boil and
occasionally send back its flames. On her way to the western sea Saraswati had a
brief halt at Pushkara and redeemed people’s sins, something that waters of
Pushkara are believed to yet do.

SARASWATI’S IMAGERY

Like her personality, Saraswati’s imagery also evolved

along centuries from Vedic days to now. In Vedas,
except her large beautifully shaped breasts full of
abundant milk, details of her limbs or anatomy are
missing though those of her appearance are quite
elaborate. The Vedas conceived her as both black and
white but essentially effulgent and lustrous –
‘jyotiswarupa’, in body-colour, and as abounding in
gold – ‘hiranyavartaniya’, in her adornment. Other
attributes used for her in Vedas are ‘chitrayus’ – well
shaped and elegantly modeled like a picture,
‘suvigraha’ – having a beautiful figure, ‘swarupa’ –
endowed with great aesthetic beauty, ‘supish’ – well-
adorned, ‘subhra’ – clad in white, and several others
reflecting benignity, spiritualism and energy in her
being. In her early visual representations she is
invariably in ‘adhovastra’ – clad below the waist, her
ornaments covering the rest. This Vedic perception of
Saraswati’s personality and appearance continues in Goddess Saraswati Plays
Veena on Her Swan
Puranas as well but they also add some new features
which immensely strengthen her deity form. Her figures brim with unique vigour and
timeless youth. She is now four-armed.

In her initial stage as demon-slayer Sharda, she carried in them attributes of

annihilation but later Agni Purana type subsequent texts represent her as carrying in
her three hands a string of beads, book and vina – lyre, more characteristic of the
deity of learning, arts, music and creativeness, and the fourth, held in a posture of
‘varada’ – boon-conferring, ‘abhaya’ – imparting fearlessness, or as interpreting. In
one of her hands she sometimes carried a pot, perhaps to denote her water-carrying
distinction – a feature of the river-goddess. In view of her Shaivite links she
sometimes carried attributes of Shiva, and sometimes a lotus suggestive of her prior
links with Vishnu.

Saraswati has far many forms in Jain

and Buddhist pantheons. Saraswati
as a Jain deity essentially carries a
Tirthankara idol in her coiffure,

Jain Saraswati with idol of Tirthankara Mahavira

in her coiffure: marble, Rajasthan, collection:
National Museum, New Delhi
and as the Buddhist, a number
of Buddhist attributes, various
body-colours and postures.

Devi Saraswati

Some of Saraswati’s early idols are also two-armed. In

contemporary art, too, she is sometimes represented with
normal two arms.

Standing Saraswati
Puranas assign to her a lotus seat
and a swan as her vehicle –
symbolising purity, chastity and
detachment which Saraswati
represents in her being.

Goddess Saraswati on Her Swan

Her votive images are often defined with an

elaborate ‘prabhavali’ – fire-arch. Her most forms
reveal rhythm but not dance.

The Finest Saraswati Money Can

Buy
However, a few of her early dancing images are also reported, one from Udeshvara
temple, Udayapur in Madhya Pradesh. As deity, river Saraswati has the same
imagery as has Saraswati the goddess except that corresponding to her moving
character she is more often conceived as swan-riding, not as lotus-seated or seated.

WORSHIP OF SARASWATI

Like Lakshmi, who, as Padmavati, has many

shrines dedicated to her in the southern part of
the country, Saraswati as Sharda has been since
ages the presiding deity of the entire Kashmir
region and was widely worshipped in the north
and Central India. Even Kashmir’s classical script
is named as Sharda after her name. In Bengal,
too, she has great significance. Not in her Vedic
form, or as the river goddess, or even as the
consort of Brahma who himself is no longer in
worship, Saraswati enshrines every Indian mind,
if not many sanctums, as the goddess of learning
representing supreme wisdom, all-knowing
intellect, and as nurturer of creative faculties –
literature, arts, music, dance… and occupies
pedestals and shelves of lacs of institutions
devoted to pursuit of learning. Shri Saraswati Prarthana The
Complete Prayer (With Two CDs)

Not only a sanctum-deity,

Saraswati is an auspicious
presence that elevates the
mind and promotes right
knowledge. When with
Ganesh, she assures right
perspective and
accomplishment of the goal,
while Ganesh, the detriment-
free auspicious beginning.

Saraswati with Ganesh : late 18th or early 19th century,

Rajasthan, collection National Museum, New Delhi

Since ancient times and all across medieval days, on Vasantotsava – Spring festival,
which is celebrated on Vasanta-panchami – the fifth day of Phalguna, the last of the
twelve months of Indian calendar, Goddess Saraswati is worshipped.
Vasanta-panchami marks the beginning of man’s pursuit of learning and Saraswati,
who represents it, presides over the occasion. As the tradition has it, with Vasanta-
panchami is begun a new educational session and a child writes on the day his ever
first alphabet. Educational institutions and private persons hold special rites to hail
and worship the goddess and believing minds place their books and pens around her
image so that they reveal to them more learning and greater wisdom.

(Best Wishes to all our Readers on the Occasion of Vasant Panchami, 11th February)

BIBLIOGRAPHY

SANSKRIT TEXTS:

• Rig-Veda
• Yajur-Veda
• Atharva-Veda
• Aitareya Brahman
• Brahmanda Purana
• Agni Purana
• Mahabharata

OTHER TEXTS

• Mohammad Ismail Khan : Saraswati in Sanskrit Literature

• Dr. Raghunath Airi : Concept of Saraswati in Vedic Literature
• Dr. Daljeet and P. C. Jain : Indian Miniature Painting
• B. C. Bhattacharya : The Jain Iconography
• T. A. G. Rao : Elements of Hindu Iconography
• D. A. Mackenzie : Indian Myth and Legend
• Thornbury : Geomorphology
• Encyclopaedia of Religion : (ed.) Ferm, J.
• Vettam Mani : Puranic Encyclopaedia

• David Kinsley : Hindu Goddesses

This article by Prof. P.C. Jain and Dr Daljeet.

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