23/01/2026
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या कुन्देन्दुतुषारहारधवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता।
या वीणावरदण्डमण्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना॥
या ब्रह्माच्युतशङ्करप्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा वन्दिता।
सा माम् पातु सरस्वती भगवती निःशेषजाड्याऽपहा॥
" 🎆 According to ancient scriptures📖📖 goddess Sarasvati is one of the few important goddesses in the Vedas who has remained significant in later Hinduism, though today she is in particular, worshipped by children and students as the patron Goddess of Learning throughout India.
She is popular not only as a Hindu goddess, but also popular with the Jains and the Buddhists. Saraswati is also a prominent figure in Buddhist iconography - the consort of Manjushri. The word Sarasvati is derived from the words 'Sarah' and 'Vati' which means 'one possessing a vast sheet of water'. Goddess Sarasvati is known to us in various names like Vani, Vagdevi, Vac, Sarada, Bharati, Pusti, Vagisvari, Vinapani etc.
In the early stage of evolution, Sarasvati was associated with different Vedic gods, such as Indra, Maruta, Asvinis, etc. In the Veda
Sarasvati was the goddess of rain and the counterpart of Indra. She was believed to be in charge of rain. Like Lakshmi, Sarasvati is also
associated with many male deities. As an individual goddess She is closely associated with Brahma. As the goddess of learning She has various names such as Vagisvari, Sarada, Sarasvati and Bharati, etc., having different vahanas associated on different situations.
Goddess Sarasvati is associated with hamsa 🦢🦢(swan), the lotus, the ram, and lion. According to the Puranic texts, Sarasvati inherited her vahana swan (hamsa) from her father or husband Brahma, Sarasvati is also described as Mayura vahan🦚🦚. It is probably to symbolize her philosophical relation with Agni that She holds the peacock the symbol of Agni, as her vehicle. According
to Krisna Yajurveda, the lion is her mount and She was invoked in the form of a lioness to destroy the demons.
Today, Sarasvati is worshipped primarily as a goddess of speech, learning and the fine arts. Her early associations with water, 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 on the fifth day of the bright half of the lunar month of Magha (January-February), "
Today, while celebrating Vasant Panchami—the goddess of wisdom and learning—I came across an insightful article by [Pradeep Kumar Gan & Dr. Sanjeeb Kumar Mohanty]. One passage truly captivated me:
“[Goddess Sarasvati in particular is worshipped by children and students as the patron Goddess of Learning throughout India.]”
I felt it perfectly resonates with the spirit of Vasant Panchami, reminding us of the power of knowledge and creativity. Sharing it here so others can reflect on this wisdom too.
📖 Source: [Sarasvati : The Goddess of Learning, February-March - 2005]