Goddess Saraswati (aka Sharada) is a Hindu Vedic goddess of education, music, knowledge, and arts. She is one of the major Hindu goddesses and is the wife of Lord Brahma. She is mentioned in the third hymn of the Rigveda. Saraswati Purana is a minor Purana dedicated to her.
Meaning of the Word Saraswati:
The word Saraswati has different meanings.
1. It comprises two words Saras and Vati. Saras means a lake or a large water body, and Vati means the female who holds. Therefore, Saraswati means the holder of a large water body. This is the most widely accepted meaning as Saraswati is the name of a river also.
2. Another meaning of the word Saras is speech. Therefore, Saraswati means the “goddess of speech”.
3. Per another definition, the word Saraswati comprises three words, viz. Sara, Swa, and Vati, which means “Essence of the Self”.
There are many other meanings of the word.
Names of Goddess Saraswati:
There are more than 1000 names of Goddess Saraswati. Following are some of her most popular names:
1. Sharada.
2. Bharati.
3. Brahmi.
4. Hanswavahini.
5. Jagatikhyata.
6. Vagishwari.
7. Kaumari.
8. Brahmacharini.
9. Buddhidatri.
10. Varadayini.
11. Kshudraghanta.
12. Bhuwaneshwari.
Origin:
Maa Saraswati is first mentioned in the third hymn of the Rig Veda, which is dedicated to Ashwins. In total, she is mentioned around 50 times in the Rig Veda. Saraswati Sukhtam (RV 6.61) is a hymn dedicated to her.
Birth of Goddess Saraswati:
There are different stories about her birth.
1. Goddess Saraswati was not born through natural birth. According to the Puranas, she was born from the limb (thigh) of Lord Brahma. In modern terms, she was born using genetic engineering.
2. Per the Brahmanda Purana (Ch. 43), she is a mind-borne daughter of Lord Brahma.
Lord Brahma got ready for creation, and while in meditation sattvaguṇa (sublime quality) began swelling up in his mind wherefrom a girl was born. Brahma asked her who she was. She answered: “I am born from you. You fix for me a seat and duties.” Then Brahmā told her that her name was Sarasvatī and ordained that she should stay on the tip of everybody’s tongue. “You dance especially on the tongues of learned people. You should also exist on Earth in the form of a river, and assuming a third form you should live in me too.” Sarasvatī agreed to this.
Stories about Maa Saraswati:
Saraswati and Kumbhakarna:
Kumbhakarna was a gigantic demon who was the brother of Ravana. Once he performed penance to please Lord Brahma because he wanted the throne of Indra. But before he got any boon from Lord Brahma, worried Indra approached him and asked him not to give Kumbhakarna any such boon, but Lord Brahma expressed his helplessness in this matter.
Therefore, Indra approached Goddess Saraswati and asked for her help. When Kumbhakarna finished his penance and was about to ask for Indrasana (the throne of Indra), Goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of speech, altered his speech, and he asked for Nidrasana (the throne of sleep) instead. Lord Brahma immediately granted his boon.
But Kumbhakarna understood his mistake and requested Lord Brahma to alter his boon. Therefore, Lord Brahma gave him a boon of sleeping for six months instead of sleeping all the time.
Thus, Maa Saraswati helped gods save heaven from demons.
Why Did Goddess Saraswati Become A River?
This story is mentioned in the Skanda Purana as well as the Padma Purana. Once, a fierce fight broke out between Bhargawas (a Brahmin group) and Heyas (a Kshatriya group). From their battle, a fire called Vadavagni was born, which could destroy the world. When gods approached Lord Shiva to save the world, he advised them to go to Maa Saraswati and request her to become a river and carry the Vadavagni into the ocean. When the gods requested her to do so, she agreed to do it on one condition that Lord Brahma would tell her to do so. When gods requested Lord Brahma to tell Goddess Saraswati to become a river, he agreed and told her to do so. Therefore, Goddess Saraswati became a river and carried Vadagni into the ocean.
Per another version of the story, once Lord Shiva saw that the world was filled with evil. So, he opened his third eye to cleanse it. Then, Goddess Saraswati took the form of a river and absorbed the fire. She carried it into the ocean where the fire took the form of a creature Vadavagni. Goddess Saraswati declared, “As long as man is wise, the animal will remain here, but if humans become corrupt, this beast will destroy the world.”
Maa Saraswati Cursed Lord Brahma:
Once Lord Brahma had arranged an important yajna, which needed his wife to accompany him, but could not start the ritual because Goddess Saraswati had not arrived yet. Therefore, he consulted with gods, who told him to create another wife for him. Therefore, he created Goddess Gayatri and completed the ceremony with her.
When Goddess Saraswati arrived at the scene, she could not control her anger after seeing the second wife of her husband and cursed Lord Brahma that he would not be worshipped by humans.
Goddess Saraswati Cursed Goddess Lakshmi:
According to the Brahmavaivarta Purana, Lord Vishnu had three wives, viz. Lakshmi, Ganga, and Saraswati. Goddess Saraswati doubted that Lord Vishnu loved Ganga more than her. So, she said some harsh words to Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu left the place not to escalate the matter. Then, she asked Ganga to stay away from Lord Vishnu and then the quarrel between Saraswati and Ganga began.
When Lakshmi returned, she tried to pacify Saraswati, but she thought that Lakshmi was taking the side of Ganga and cursed her to be born as a plant and flow as a river.
Seeing this, Ganga got angry and cursed Goddess Saraswati that she would be separated from Lord Vishnu and would flow as a river on the Earth.
Only Goddess Lakshmi remained silent and did not curse anyone.
Iconography:
Goddess Saraswati is generally depicted as a beautiful fair-skinned woman wearing a white saree and sitting on a swan (sometimes on a lotus). In some images, she is accompanied by a peacock. She has four hands. In her front two hands, she holds a Veena (a stringed musical instrument). In her rear right hand, she holds a rosary bead and a book in her rear left hand. She wears a few golden ornaments, like a crown, necklaces, bangles, etc.
Carrier of Maa Saraswati:
A swan is the vehicle of Goddess Saraswati. Therefore, she is also called Hamsavahini. It is believed that a swan can separate milk from water symbolizing its power to discern between good and evil. It also symbolizes wisdom, grace, and beauty.
Sometimes a peacock is seen with Goddess Saraswati, but it is not her vehicle. It symbolizes an unstable mind.
Why is Goddess Saraswati Always Wearing A White Saree?
The color white is a symbol of purity and wisdom. Maa Saraswati is the goddess of wisdom. Therefore, she is generally depicted wearing a white saree.
Brahma and Saraswati:
The relationship between Lord Brahma and Goddess Saraswati is one of the most controversial subjects in Hinduism because she is his daughter as well as his wife.
According to the Matsya Purana, Goddess Saraswati was born from the limb of Lord Brahma; hence, she is his daughter. But she was so beautiful that he lost his control and started looking at her with lust. To hide away from his amorous glances, she moved to his right side, but he grew another head and continued staring at her. Then she moved to the other two sides, but he grew two more heads. As a last resort, she leaped into the sky, but Lord Brahma grew the fifth head looking at her. Therefore, left with no choice, she agreed to marry him and became his wife.
But per some other religious texts, Maa Saraswati was first the wife of Lord Vishnu and later became the wife of Lord Brahma.
Husband of Maa Saraswati:
The most widely accepted notion is Goddess Saraswati is the daughter as well as the wife of Lord Brahma, but some other religious texts describe different stories. According to the Devi Bhagavata Purana (9.6.17), Ganga, Saraswati, and Lakshmi were wives of Lord Vishnu.
Narayana says: O Naarada! Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Ganga, are Three Wives of Hari Vishnu,
But because of their quarrels (as mentioned above), Lord Vishnu sent Ganga to Lord Shiva and Goddess Saraswati to Lord Brahma. This story of sending one’s wife to be the wife of someone else seems less likely. Even ordinary Hindu women were not allowed to have more than one husband in ancient times. Hence, it is unlikely for a goddess to have two husbands.
Therefore, we can say that Lord Brahma is the only husband of Goddess Saraswati.
Sons of Goddess Saraswati:
Per the Puranas, Maa Saraswati has two sons, viz. Manu and Sage Sarasvata.
1. Lord Brahma and Saraswati gave birth to Manu, the father of mankind.
2. Sage Sarasvata was the son of Sage Dadhichi and Goddess Saraswati. Once Sage Dadhich was performing penance. Indra felt insecure about his throne and sent an Apsara named Alambusha to interrupt his austerity. By seeing the mystical dance of the Apsara, Dadhichi had a seminal discharge and his semen fell into the river Saraswati. Then Saraswati gave birth to a son named Sarasvata.
In Other Cultures:
Goddess Saraswati is not only worshipped in India but also in Nepal, Japan, China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Tibet, Myanmar, and other countries. She is known by different names there. In Jainism, she is known as Srutadevata, Sharada, and Vagisvari. In Tantric Buddhism, she is a goddess of literature, poetry, and wisdom.
Saraswati Vandana:
Saraswati Vandana is a short and beautiful Sanskrit prayer in which the goddess Saraswati is highly praised. It contains a depiction of what she is wearing, like a white saree, ornaments, the musical instrument she is carrying, etc. In the end, the devotee requests her to protect him/her.
या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता
या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना ।
या ब्रह्माच्युतशङ्करप्रभृतिभिर्देवैस्सदा वन्दिता
सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती नि:शेषजाड्यापहा ॥
Meaning:
Who is pure white like Jasmine, with the coolness of Moon, the brightness of Snow and shines like the garland of Pearls,
Who is covered with pure white garments,
Whose hands are adorned with Veena (a stringed musical instrument) and the boon-giving staff; and Who is seated on a pure white Lotus,
Who is always adored by Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva, and other gods,
O Goddess Saraswati, please protect me and remove my ignorance completely.
Saraswati Mantra:
ॐ श्रीं ह्रीं सरस्वत्यै नमः।।
Om Shreem Rheem Saraswatyai Namah.
Saraswati Puja:
Basant Panchami or Saraswati Puja is a Hindu festival celebrated on the fifth day of the bright half of the Hindu month Magha. The festival marks the preparation for the arrival of spring. It is believed that Goddess Saraswati was born on this day; hence, it is also known as Saraswati Jayanti.
On this day, young children are introduced to formal education. Before starting formal education, they worship Goddess Saraswati, who is the goddess of education.