Saraswati – Knowledge Incarnate

2 minutes

What is a world without knowledge, music or art? Thousands of years ago, the people of ancient India gave these ideas a powerful form that has been revered for millennia – the form of Goddess Saraswati. She is much loved, for it is believed that all of knowledge, art and speech came from from her, and she holds a hugely respected position among the millions of Gods in the Hindu Pantheon.

Manu – the first man, came from Brahma and Saraswati and it is believed that all living beings sprung forth from Manu.

Her name comes from two words – ‘saras’ and ‘vati’, which could either mean ‘one who posses all rivers and lakes’ or ‘one who posses speech’. It is possible that she was initially worshipped as a river Goddess (of the River Saraswati – mentioned in the Vedas) and over time became associated with music, arts and learning. With two hands she plays the veena, in the third she holds a book representing prose, and the fourth holds a string of crystal beads denoting poetry. Her white sari represents how all that she is, purifies the human mind.

c.1150 CE – Saraswati is in a classical Indian dance posture – in the Hoysaleswara temple in Karnataka. She holds a pen, a palm leaf manuscript, a musical instrument and the tools of major arts.

Saraswati in literature (click to view in full screen, click to pause) –

Saraswati – Knowledge Incarnate

Of course, I had to draw her, so –

Here is Saraswati – Knowledge, music, art and speech, perhaps the most primal Goddess in all of Hinduism.

Drawn on Krita

Here’s how I did it –

• 

• 

• 

इ॒मा जुह्वा॑ना यु॒ष्मदा नमो॑भि॒: प्रति॒ स्तोमं॑ सरस्वति जुषस्व । तव॒ शर्म॑न्प्रि॒यत॑मे॒ दधा॑ना॒ उप॑ स्थेयाम शर॒णं न वृ॒क्षम् ॥
इमा जुह्वाना युष्मदा नमोभिः प्रति स्तोमं सरस्वति जुषस्व । तव शर्मन्प्रियतमे दधाना उप स्थेयाम शरणं न वृक्षम् ॥

“Presenting to you, Sarasvatī, these oblations with reverence (may we receive from your affluence); be gratified by our praise and may we, being retained in your dearest felicity, ever recline upon you, as on a sheltering tree.” – Rig Veda

I hope you learnt something about Hindu literature and found it interesting! Share your thoughts in the comments below, and see you next time! I hope you liked this post!