Saraswati is the goddess of learning, knowledge and wisdom. The written word Sara means essence and SWA means self. Therefore Saraswati means the essence of being. Saraswati is represented in Hindu mythology as the divine consort of Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe. Since knowledge is necessary for creation, Saraswati symbolizes the creative power of Brahma. Goddess Saraswati is worshiped by all people interested in knowledge, especially students, teachers, academics and scientists.
In her popular images and pictures, Goddess Saraswati is generally represented with four arms (some images can show only two arms), dressed in a white sari and sitting in a white lotus. She holds a book and a rosary in both of her back hands, while the two front hands are dedicated to the reproduction of a la d (vina). His right leg is slightly pushed against his left leg.
The spiritual meanings of Goddess Saraswati
She uses a swan as her vehicle. There is a peacock by his side watching her, which symbolizes the following spiritual ideas:
- The lotus is a symbol of the Supreme Reality, and a white lotus also denotes supreme knowledge. When sitting in a lotus, Saraswati means that She herself is rooted in the Supreme Reality, and symbolizes supreme knowledge. The white color symbolizes purity and knowledge. The white sari that the Goddess is wearing denotes that She is the embodiment of pure knowledge.
- The four ammios denote His omnipresence and omnipotence . The two front ammios indicate His activity in the physical world and the two rear arms signify His presence in the spiritual world. The four hands represent the four elements of the inner personality. The mind (manas) is represented by the right front hand, the intellect (buddhi) by the front left hand, the conditioned consciousness (chitta) by the left rear hand, and the ego (ahankara) by the right rear hand.
- The left side of the body symbolizes the qualities of the heart and the right side symbolizes activities of the mind and intellect. A book on the left rear side means that the knowledge acquired must be used with love and kindness to promote the prosperity of mankind.
- The rosary means concentration, meditation and contemplation, which leads to samadhi, or union with God. A rosary in the right back hand that represents the ego conveys that the true knowledge acquired with love and devotion that melts the ego and results in the liberation (moksha) of the seeker from the bonds with the physical world.
- The goddess is shown playing a musical instrument that holds in her front hands, which denote the mind and intellect. This symbol conveys that the seeker must tune his mind and intellect in order to live in perfect harmony with the world. Such coexistence enables the individual to use the knowledge acquired for the well-being of all mankind.
- Two swans are represented on the left side of the goddess. A swan is said to have a sensitivity peak that allows it to distinguish pure milk from a mixture of milk and water. A swan, therefore, symbolizes the power of discrimination, or the ability to discriminate between right and wrong, or good and evil. Goddess Saraswati uses the swan as her carrier . This indicates that knowledge must be acquired and applied to discrimination for the good of humanity. The knowledge that is dominated by the ego can destroy the world.
- A peacock is sitting next to Goddess Saraswati and eagerly awaits to serve as her vehicle. A peacock represents unpredictable behavior as your moods can be influenced by changes in the weather. Saraswati is using a swan as a vehicle and not the peacock. This means that one must overcome fear, indecision and inconstancy in order to acquire true knowledge.
