Saraswati

Saraswati is a Sanskrit fusion word of saras (सरस्) meaning "pooling water", but also sometimes translated as "speech"; and vati (वती), meaning "she who possesses". Originally associated with the river or rivers known as Saraswati, this combination, therefore, means "she who has ponds, lakes, and pooling water" or occasionally "she who possesses speech". It is also a Sanskrit composite word of sarasu-ati (सरसु+अति) which means "one with plenty of water". The word Saraswati appears both as a reference to a river and as a significant deity in the Rigveda. In initial passages, the word refers to the Saraswati River and is mentioned as one among several northwestern Indian rivers such as the Drishadvati. Saraswati, then, connotes a river deity. In Book 2, the Rigveda describes Saraswati as the best of mothers, of rivers, of goddesses. Names and epithets Saraswati (Sanskrit: Sarasvatī) is known by many names. Some examples of synonyms for Saraswati include Sharada (bestower of essence or knowledge), Bharadi (goddess of history), Vani and Vachi (both referring to the flow of music/song, melodious speech, eloquent speaking respectively), Varnesvari (goddess of letters), Kavijihvagravasini (one who dwells on the tongue of poets). In the Tiruvalluva Maalai, a collection of fifty-five Tamil verses praising the Kural literature and its author Valluvar, she is referred to as Nāmagal and is believed to have composed the second verse. Outside Nepal and India, she is known in Burmese as Thurathadi (, or ) or Tipitaka Medaw (, ), in Chinese as (), in Japanese as Benzaiten () and in Thai as Suratsawadi () or Saratsawadi (). == Literature ==

In Hinduism, Saraswati has retained her significance as an important goddess, from the Vedic age up to the present day. She is praised in the Vedas as a water goddess of purification, while in the Dharmashastras, Saraswati is invoked to remind the reader to meditate on virtue, and on the meaning (artha) of one's actions (karma). In Vedic literature Rigveda -Mandsaur area. Saraswati first appears in the Rigveda (c. 1500 – 1000 BCE), the most ancient source of the Vedic religion. Saraswati holds significant religious and symbolic value in the Rigveda, as a deified entity embodying attributes of abundance and power. Primarily linked with the celestial domain of Waters (Apas) and the formidable Storm Gods (Maruts), this deity forms an integral triadic association alongside the sacrificial goddesses Ila and Bharati within the pantheon. Saraswati is described as a loud and powerful flood who roars like a bull and cannot be controlled. She was associated with the Milky Way, indicating that she was seen as descending from heaven to earth. The goddess is mentioned in many Rigvedic hymns, and has three hymns dedicated to her (6:61 exclusively, and 7:95–96 which she shares with her male counterpart, Sarasvant). As part of the Apas (water deities), Saraswati is associated with wealth, abundance, health, purity and healing. In Book 10 (10.17) of the Rigveda, Saraswati is celebrated as a deity of healing and purifying water. In the Atharva Veda, her role as a healer and giver of life is also emphasized. In various sources, including the Yajur Veda, she is described as having healed Indra after he drank too much Soma. Saraswati also governs dhī (Rigveda 1:3:12c.). Dhī is the inspired thought (especially that of the rishis), it is intuition or intelligence – especially that associated with poetry and religion. Saraswati is seen as a deity that can grant dhī (Rigveda 6:49:7c.) if prayed to. Vedic seers compare her to a cow and a mother, and saw themselves as children sucking the milk of dhī from her. In Book 10 of the Rigveda, she is declared to be the "possessor of knowledge". In later sources, like the Yajur Veda, Saraswati is directly identified with Vāc, becoming a deity called Saraswatī-Vāc. In the Brahmanas, Saraswati-Vac's role expands, becoming clearly identified with knowledge (which is what is communicated through speech) and as such, she is "the mother of the Vedas" as well as the Vedas themselves. The Shatapatha Brahmana states that "as all waters meet in the ocean...so all sciences (vidya) unite (ekayanam) in Vāc" (14:5:4:11). The Shatapatha Brahmana also presents Vāc as a secondary creator deity, having been the first deity created by the creator god Prajapati. She is the very instrument by which he created the world, flowing forth from him "like a continuous stream of water" according to the scripture. In other Rigvedic passages, Saraswati is praised as a mighty and unconquerable protector deity. She is offered praises and compared to a sheltering tree in Rigveda 7.95.5, while in 6:49:7 cd she is said to provide "protection which is difficult to assail." In some passages she even takes a fiercesome appearance and is called a "slayer of strangers" who is called on to "guard her devotees against slander". Her association with the combative storm gods called Maruts is related to her fierce fighting aspect and they are said to be her companions (at Rigveda 7:96:2c.). Like Indra, Saraswati is also called a slayer of Vritra, the snake like demon of drought who blocks rivers and as such is associated with destruction of enemies and removal of obstacles. The Yajur Veda sees her as being both the mother of Indra (having granted him rebirth through healing) and also as his consort. In Book 2 of Taittiriya Brahmana, Saraswati is called "the mother of eloquent speech and melodious music". As a River As a river, Saraswati in the Mahabharata appears in a more subdued form compared to her powerful and overflowing depiction in the Vedic hymns. She emerges at Plaksha (Prasravana), disappears into the sands at Vinasana, and then reemerges in several places, ultimately reaching the ocean at Prabhasa. This representation reflects an attempt to reconcile the historical drying up of the river with its continued importance in religious thought. The Mahabharata preserves the grandeur of the Saraswati River by presenting a mythologised geography that both recalls her past and reinterprets her course in accordance with Dharma. Her flow is depicted as being guided by divine will, avoiding the unrighteous and serving the pious. The epic also universalizes her identity by attributing her name to multiple rivers, reinforcing her Rig Vedic epithet saptasvasar and declaring, "all rivers are Saraswati-s." Religiously, Saraswati's banks become lined with numerous tirthas, which are sites of pilgrimage and sacrifice. While the Panchavimsha Brahmana describes sacrificial rituals along her course, the Mahabharata expands upon this, transforming her river into a vast pilgrimage route filled with sacred sites. This shift marks a broader transition in religious practice—from complex Vedic sacrifices performed exclusively by Brahmins to more accessible devotional practices open to a wider public, including women. The act of visiting Saraswati's tirthas is often equated with the merit of Vedic sacrifices, thus preserving Vedic authority while adapting to new religious contexts. As a Goddess As a goddess, Saraswati takes on a more humanized form in the Mahabharata for the first time. While the Rigveda and Brahmanas occasionally depicted Vac in human-like terms, Saraswati in the epics appears as a woman of great celestial beauty and merit. The first verse of each book of the Mahabharata invokes the divine, including Saraswati, as part of its traditional opening salutation: Her role also changes in the Mahabharata, as she fully merges with Vac, becoming the embodiment of speech itself. While still occasionally called Vac (12.306.6) and Vani (3.132.2), Vac as a distinct entity fades, with Saraswati taking its place. Saraswati is called the mother of the Vedas in the Shanti Parva Book of the epic. Saraswati also gains divine relationships that further integrate her into the Hindu pantheon. In the Mahabharata, her familial roles and origin vary across different chapters. She is described as the daughter of Brahma, (ṛtā brahmasutā sā me satyā devī saraswatī, 12.330.10) a connection echoing Vac's relationship with Prajapati in the Brahmanas. Another account states that she originated from the Grandfather's (Pitamaha's) Lake, (pitāmahasya sarasaḥ pravṛttāsi saraswatī, 9.41.29) reinforcing her link to Brahma, who is referred to as the Grandfather. In another passage, she is described as the celestial creative symphony who appeared when Brahma created the universe. The Mahabharata also contains several stories featuring Saraswati. In the Sthanu Tirtha myth (9.42), Saraswati, caught between two rival sages—Vishvamitra and Vasishtha—favours Vasishtha and is ultimately cursed by Vishvamitra to flow with blood. This myth aims to glorify her tirthas, as later, sages purify her waters, depriving demons who had drunk from them. In compassion, Saraswati transforms into Aruna ("reddish"), allowing the demons to bathe in her and attain heaven. In the Sarasvata Tirtha myth (9.50.9-11), Saraswati plays a maternal role, raising Sarasvata. During a twelve-year drought, when sages had forgotten the Vedas, Saraswati sustained her son by feeding him fish. After the famine, Sarasvata restored the lost scriptures by teaching them anew, reaffirming Saraswati's role as a nurturer of wisdom. Ramayana In the epic Ramayana, when the rakshasa brothers Ravana, Vibhishana and Kumbhakarna, performed a penance to propitiate Brahma, the creator deity offered each a boon. The devas pleaded with Brahma to not grant Kumbhakarna his boon. Brahma called upon his consort Saraswati, and instructed her to utter that which the devas desired. She acquiesced, and when the rakshasa spoke to invoke his boon, she entered his mouth, causing him to say, "To sleep for innumerable years, O Lord of Lords, this is my desire!". She then left his form, causing him to reflect upon his misfortune. Puranic literature Saraswati remains an important figure in the later medieval Puranic literature, where she appears in various myths and stories. Many Puranas relate the myth of her creation by the creator god Brahma and then describe how she became his consort. Sources which describe this myth include Markandeya Purana, Matsya Purana (which contains the most extensive account), Vayu Purana and Brahmanda Purana. Other Puranas give her slightly different roles and see her as the consort of other gods, such as Vishnu. In various Puranas, rites for her worship are given, and she is mainly worshiped for her command over speech, knowledge, and music. Puranas like the Matsya also contain iconographic descriptions of Saraswati, which provide the basis for her classic four armed form holding a book (representing the Vedas), mala, veena, and a water pot while being mounted on a swan (hamsa). Origin myths Saraswati is described as ayonija, meaning that she was not born from any womb and was divinely manifested. The Puranas present various accounts of the origin (samudbhava) of Saraswati. According to the Brahma Vaivarta Purana and Devi Bhagavata Purana, Saraswati is one of five primary manifestations of Mula Prakrti (Primordial Nature) or the Shakti of Brahman, each serving a distinct role in creation. At the onset of creation, the Atman divided into two—its right half became the Male principle, and the left half became Prakrti. Through the divine will of Sri Krishna (Para-Brahman in this context, not an avatara of Vishnu), Prakrti assumed five forms: Durga, Radha, Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Savitri. Saraswati, associated with the mythological Saraswati River, became the goddess of speech (Vach) and knowledge. Another version within the same Puranas describes Saraswati emerging from the tip of Sri Krishna's Shakti during creation. She appeared as a luminous maiden (Kanya), adorned in yellow garments, bearing a veena and a sacred scripture. She is thus revered as Vani, the presiding deity of all shastras. This account also depicts Shakti manifesting as Lakshmi and Radha. • Saraswati as both the daughter and spouse of Brahma, only found in two text—the Matsya Purana and Bhagavata Purana As the mind-born daughter of Brahma, Saraswati, in the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana, is regarded as a virgin goddess, without any spouse. The Brahmanda Purana acknowledges her solely as Brahma's daughter but, in the Lalitopakhyana section of the text, a different origin is given to Saraswati in which Goddess Tripurasundari created and gave Saraswati to Brahma as his consort. Brahma, upon seeing Saraswati, was captivated by her beauty and developed multiple heads to gaze her. Despite her initial reluctance, she consented and he made her his spouse, and they remained together in the lotus temple for a hundred divine years. From their union, Svayambhuva Manu—the first mortal human—was born. The motif of Brahma desiring his own daughter is a recurrent theme in the Puranic tradition, potentially derived from the Brahmanical myth of Prajapati's desire for Ushas. However, the identity of the daughter in these narratives is not consistently Saraswati and varies. This desire is generally depicted as transient, with Brahma either overcoming it himself out of shame, by cursing Kama, being restrained by Shiva—paralleling the Vedic account of Rudra restraining Prajapati—or facing the daughter's outright refusal, resulting in no union. Another symbolic representation of Saraswati's association with Brahma is the belief that she resides in his mouth. This concept appears in several Puranas, including the Padma Purana, where Vishnu praises Saraswati as residing in Brahma's mouth. A similar reference is found in the Matsya Purana, where Gauri is praised in the same manner. A direct reference to this belief appears in the Saraswati Rahasya Upanishad, which describes Sarawati as a divine swan residing in the lotus-mouth of the four-faced Brahma. although the same text also mention Savitri and Gayatri as distinct individual. In certain texts, Gayatri is called the "Mother of the Vedas" (Taittiriya Pratishakhya 17.308d–309a), while Savitri is also described as "the mother of the four Vedas" (Brahma Purana II.1.39c). Saraswati, in turn, is regarded as "the presiding deity of knowledge" (ibid. 31b) and "the embodiment of all branches of learning" (ibid. 31c). Thus, similar to the Vedic goddesses Bharati and Ila, Saraswati, Savitri, and Gayatri are all connected to the domain of knowledge (vidya, jnana, Veda). A chapter in the Skanda Purana also recounts a myth featuring both Saraswati and Gayatri. It narrates about Brahma's infatuation with his daughter Vac (a rare instance where Vac is distinguished from Saraswati in the Puranic corpus). As a consequence of this transgression, Brahma was slain by Shiva, only to be later revived through the penance of Saraswati and Gayatri. In many sculpture of Vishnu common during mediaeval era, particularly in the region of Bengal, Saraswati replaces Bhumi as his second wife, making Saraswati the co-wife of the goddess Lakshmi. Both of these goddesses flank Vishnu and assist him his role. If Saraswati is not associated with Vishnu as his wife, then concept of Saraswati as "the tongue of Vishnu" gained prominence in the Puranas. The Matsya Purana states that when Vamana assumed his cosmic form, Satya became his speech, and Saraswati became his tongue (Matsya Purana 246.57). The Vamana Purana also refers to Saraswati as "the tongue of Vishnu" (Vamana Purana 32.23). The Brahma Purana describes Vishnu as "holding Saraswati in his mouth" (Brahma Purana 122.71c). A Rigvedic prayer also describes her as 'the best of mothers, of rivers and of goddesses'. In the Padma Purana, it is stated that there was a terrible battle between the Bhargavas (a group of Brahmanas) and the Hehayas (a group of Kshatriyas). From this, an all-consuming fire called Vadavagni was born, which threatened to destroy the whole world. In some versions, a sage named Auva created it. Indra, Vishnu, and the devas visited Saraswati, requesting her to deposit the fire in the western ocean, to protect the universe. Saraswati told Vishnu that she would only agree to assist them if her consort, Brahma, told her to do so. Brahma ordered her to deposit the Vadavagni in the western ocean. Saraswati agreed, and accompanied by Ganga, she left Brahmaloka, and arrived at Sage Uttanka's ashrama. There, she met Shiva, who had decided to carry Ganga. He gave the Vadavagni in a pot to Saraswati, and told her to originate from the plaksha tree. Saraswati merged with the tree, and transformed into a river. From there, she flowed towards Pushkara. Saraswati continued her journey towards the ocean, and stopped once at Pushkarini, where she redeemed humans from their sins. At last, she reached the end of her journey, and immersed the fire into the ocean. Shakta texts Saraswati is a key figure in the Indian goddess centered traditions which are today known as Shaktism. Saraswati appears in the Puranic Devi Mahatmya (Glory of the Goddess), a central text for Shaktism which was appended to the Markandeya Purana during the 6th century CE. In this text, she is part of the "triple goddess" (Tridevi) along with Mahakali, and Mahalakshmi. In Shaktism, this trinity (the Shakta response to the male trimurti of the other Hindu sects) is a manifestation of Mahadevi, the supreme goddess (and the highest deity out of which all deities, male or female, are born), which is also known by other names like Adi Parashakti ("Primordial Supreme Power"). According to the Devi Mahatmya, this supreme goddess is the primordial creator which is supreme formless (nirguna) consciousness (i.e. parabrahman, absolute reality) and the tridevi are her main saguna ("with form", manifest, incarnated) emanations. MahaSaraswati is said to be creative and active principle (which is Rajasic, energetic and active), while Mahalakshmi is the sustainer (sattvic, "goodness") and Mahakali is the destroyer (tamasic, "darkness"). She is often offered half eaten or leftover food and is green in color. Matangi is also part of the Shakta set of goddesses known as the ten Mahavidyas. Matangi is important in Shri Vidya Shaktism, where she is also known as the dark blue Shyamala ("dark in complexion") and is a manifestation of Lalita Tripurasundari's Jñana Shakti (wisdom power), having arisen out of Lalita's sugarcane bow. She is celebrated in the holiday Syamala Navaratri and is seen as Lalita's prime minister. There are various chants and odes (stotras) to this deity, perhaps the most important being the Śrī Śyāmalā Daṇḍakam by the great Indian Sanskrit poet Kalidasa. == Symbolism and iconography ==

The Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in pure white, often seated on a white lotus, which symbolizes light, knowledge and truth. She not only embodies knowledge but also the experience of the highest reality. Her iconography is typically in white themes from dress to flowers to swan – the colour symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity, discrimination for true knowledge, insight and wisdom. Her dhyana mantra describes her to be as white as the moon, clad in a white dress, bedecked in white ornaments, radiating with beauty, holding a book and a pen in her hands (the book represents knowledge). She is generally shown to have four arms, but sometimes just two. When shown with four hands, those hands symbolically mirror her husband Brahma's four heads, representing manas (mind, sense), buddhi (intellect, reasoning), citta (imagination, creativity), and ahamkāra (self consciousness, ego). Brahma represents the abstract, while she represents action and reality. The four hands hold items with symbolic meaning – a pustaka (book or script), a mālā (rosary, garland), a water pot and a musical instrument (vīnā). Saraswati is also associated with anurāga, the love for and rhythm of music, which represents all emotions and feelings expressed in speech or music. A hamsa – either a swan or a goose – is often shown near her feet. In Hindu mythology, the hamsa is a sacred bird, which if offered a mixture of milk and water, is said to have a unique ability to separate and drink the milk alone, and leave the water behind. This characteristic of the bird serves as a metaphor for the pursuit of wisdom amidst the complexities of life, the ability to discriminate between good and evil, truth from untruth, essence from the outward show, and the eternal from the evanescent. Sometimes a citramekhala (also called mayura, peacock) is shown beside the goddess. The peacock symbolizes colorful splendor, the celebration of dance, and – as the devourer of snakes – the alchemical ability to transmute the serpent poison of self into the radiant plumage of enlightenment. ==Forms and avatars==

Many different avatars and forms of Saraswati have been attested in scriptures. She is venerated as Maha Saraswati in the Kashmir Shakta pitha, as Vidhya Saraswati in Basara and Vargal, and as Sharadamba in Sringeri. In some regions, she is known by her twin identities, Savitri and Gayatri. In Shaktism, she takes her Matrika (mother goddess) avatar as Brahmani. Saraswati is not just the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, but also the Brahmavidya herself, the goddess of the wisdom of ultimate truth. Her Mahavidya form is Matangi. • Vidya, she is the formless concept of wisdom and knowledge in all of its aspects. • Gayatri, she is the personification of the Vedas • Savitri, She is the personification of purity, the consort of Brahma Maha Saraswati In some regions of India, such as Vindhya, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam, as well as east Nepal, Saraswati is part of the Devi Mahatmya Shakta mythology, in the Tridevi of Mahakali, Mahalakshmi and Maha Saraswati. This is one of many different Hindu legends that attempt to explain how the Hindu trimurti of gods (Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva) and goddesses (Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati) came into being. Various Purana texts offer alternate legends for Maha Saraswati. Maha Saraswati is depicted as eight-armed and is often portrayed holding a Veena while sitting on a white lotus flower. Her meditation verse given at the beginning of the fifth chapter the Devi Mahatmya is:Wielding in her lotus-hands the bell, trident, ploughshare, conch, pestle, discus, bow, and arrow, her lustre is like that of a moon shining in the autumn sky. She is born from the body of Gauri and is the sustaining base of the three worlds. That Maha Saraswati I worship here who destroyed Sumbha and other asuras.Maha Saraswati is also part of another legend, the Navshaktis (not to be confused with Navdurgas), or nine forms of Shakti, namely Brahmi, Vaishnavi, Maheshwari, Kaumari, Varahi, Narsimhi, Aindri, Shivdooti, and Chamunda, revered as powerful and dangerous goddesses in eastern India. They have special significance on Navaratri in these regions. All of these are seen ultimately as aspects of a single great Hindu goddess, Durga, with Maha Saraswati as one of those nine. Mahavidya Nila Saraswati In Tibet and parts of India, Nila Saraswati is sometimes considered as a form of Mahavidya Tara. Nila Saraswati is not much a different deity from traditional Saraswati, who subsumes her knowledge and creative energy in tantric literature. Though the traditional form of Saraswati is of calm, compassionate, and peaceful one: Nila Saraswati is the ugra (angry, violent, destructive) manifestation in one school of Hinduism, while the more common Saraswati is the saumya (calm, compassionate, productive) manifestation found in most others. In tantric literature of the former, Nila Saraswati has 100 names. There are separate dhyana shlokas and mantras for her worship in Tantrasara. Kashmiri Pandits believe the shrine to be the abode of the goddess. In line with the Kashmiri Pandit belief that springs which are the abode of goddesses should not be looked at directly, the shrine contains a stone slab concealing the spring underneath, which they believe to be the spring in which the goddess Sharada revealed herself to the rishi Shandilya. It advanced the importance of knowledge and education in Kashmiri Pandit culture, which persisted well after Kashmiri Pandits became a minority group in Kashmir. As one of the Maha Shakta pithas, Hindus believe that it represents the spiritual location of the goddess Sati's fallen right hand. Sharada Peeth is one of the three holiest sites of pilgrimage for Kashmiri Pandits, alongside the Martand Sun Temple and the Amarnath Temple. == Worship ==

Temples There are many Hindu temples dedicated to Saraswati around the world. Some notable temples include • Gnana Saraswati Temple in Basar on the banks of the River Godavari • Sharada Peeth [One of the 18 Maha Shakta pithas] is dedicated to Saraswati • Savitri Mata Mandir in Pushkar • Saraswati Temple, Wargal, Telangana • Saraswathi Kshetramu, Ananthasagar • Sringeri Sharadamba Temple, Karnataka • Mookambika Temple, Kollur • Avanamcode Saraswathi Devi Temple(Swayambhu Bhagavathi), Kerala • Dakshina Mookambika Temple, North Paravur • Panachikkadu Saraswati Temple, Kerala • Sarada Peeth, Pilani, Rajasthan • Koothanur Maha Saraswathi Temple, in Koothanur, Tamil Nadu • Maa Sharda Mandir, Maihar • Shri Jnaneshwari Peeta, Karnataka • Sarala Temple in Jagatsinghpur, Odisha • Pura Taman Kemuda Saraswati, Indonesia • Wargal Saraswati Temple Festivals and pujas One of the most famous festivals associated with Saraswati is the Hindu festival of Vasant Panchami. Celebrated on the 5th day in the Hindu calendar month of Magha, it is also known as Saraswati Puja and Saraswati Jayanti in India. In south India In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the last three days of the Navaratri festival, i.e., Ashtami, Navami, and Dashami, are celebrated as Saraswati Puja. The celebrations start with the Puja Vypu (Placing for Worship). It consists of placing the books for puja on the Ashtami day. It may be in one's own house, in the local nursery school run by traditional teachers, or in the local temple. The books are taken out for reading, after worship, only on the morning of the third day (Vijaya Dashami). It is called Puja Eduppu (Taking [from] Puja). On the Vijaya Dashami day, Kerala and Tamil Nadu celebrate the Eḻuthiniruthu or "Initiation of writing" for children, before they are admitted to nursery schools. This is also called Vidyarambham. The child is often ritually taught to write for the first time on rice spread in a plate with their index finger, guided by an elder of the family, or by a teacher. In east and northeast India , West Bengal In Assam, Odisha, West Bengal and Tripura, Saraswati is worshipped on Vasant Panchami, a Hindu festival celebrated every year on the 5th day in the Hindu calendar month of Magha (about February). Hindus celebrate this festival in temples, homes and educational institutes alike. In north, west, and central India In Bihar and Jharkhand, Vasant Panchami is commonly known as Saraswati Puja. On this day, Saraswati is worshipped in schools, colleges, educational institutes as well as in institutes associated with music and dance. Cultural programmes are also organised in schools and institutes on this day. People especially students worship Saraswati also in pandals (a tent made up of colourful clothes, decorated with lights and other decorative items). In these states, on the occasion of Saraswati Puja, Saraswati is worshipped in the form of idol, made up of soil. On Saraswati Puja, the idol is worshipped by people and prasad is distributed among the devotees after puja. Prasad mainly consists of boondi (motichoor), pieces of carrot, peas and Indian plum (ber). On the next day or any day depending on religious condition, the idol is immersed in a pond (known as Murti Visarjan or Pratima Visarjan) after performing a Havana (immolation), with full joy and fun, playing with abir and gulal. After Pratima Visarjan, members involved in the organisation of puja ceremony eat khichdi together. In Goa, Saraswati Puja starts with Saraswati Avahan on Maha Saptami and ends on Vijayadashami with Saraswati Udasan or Visarjan. In 2018, the Haryana government launched and sponsored the annual National Saraswati Mahotsav in its state, named after Saraswati. In Indonesia Watugunung, the last day of the pawukon calendar, is devoted to Saraswati, goddess of learning. Although it is devoted to books, reading is not allowed. The fourth day of the year is called Pagerwesi, meaning "iron fence". It commemorates a battle between good and evil. Saraswati is an important goddess in Balinese Hinduism. She shares the same attributes and iconography as Saraswati in Hindu literature of India – in both places, she is the goddess of knowledge, creative arts, wisdom, language, learning and purity. In Bali, she is celebrated on Saraswati day, one of the main festivals for Hindus in Indonesia. The day marks the close of 210 day year in the Pawukon calendar. On Saraswati day, people make offerings in the form of flowers in temples and to sacred texts. The day after Saraswati day, is Banyu Pinaruh, a day of cleansing. On this day, Hindus of Bali go to the sea, sacred waterfalls or river spots, offer prayers to Saraswati, and then rinse themselves in that water in the morning. Then they prepare a feast, such as the traditional bebek betutu and nasi kuning, that they share. The Saraswati Day festival has a long history in Bali. It has become more widespread in Hindu community of Indonesia in recent decades, and it is celebrated with theatre and dance performance. She and Brahma are referred to in Cambodian epigraphy from the 7th century onwards, and she is praised by Khmer poets for being the goddess of eloquence, writing, and music. More offerings were made to her than to her husband Brahma. She is also referred to as Vagisvari and Bharati in the Khmer literature of the era of Yasovarman, Hindu king of the Khmer Empire. == In Buddhism ==

In Buddhism, Saraswati became a prominent deity which retained many of her Vedic associations, such as speech, texts, knowledge, healing and protection. She also became known as the consort of Manjushri, the bodhisattva of wisdom (prajña). According to Miranda Shaw's Buddhist Goddesses of India:Saraswati's association with the intellectual sphere assured that she would find favor among Buddhists, who highly value wisdom and its servants: mental clarity, reasoning ability, memorization, and oratorical skill. Saraswati thus has an affinity with Prajñaparamita, the goddess of perfect wisdom. They may be in voked by the same mantra, reflecting the kinship between the wisdom goddess and the patroness of learning. Shaw lists various epithets for Saraswati used by Buddhist source including: "Emanation of Vishnu," "Gandharva Maiden," "Swan Child," "Daughter of Brahma", "Lady of the Lake", "Sister of the Moon", "Goddess of Speech", "Divine Lady Who Empowers Enlightened Speech", "Goddess Rich with the Power of Adamantine Speech", "Bestower of Understanding", "Goddess of Knowledge", and "Wisdom Goddess." Saraswati's earliest appearance in a Buddhist text is in the 1st century CE Mahayana Golden Light Sutra (of which there are different versions / translations). This text is first attested in a Chinese translation in 417 CE and includes an entire chapter devoted to the goddess, which is our best source for the earliest Buddhist depictions of Saraswati. In the Golden Light Sutra In the Golden Light Sutra (Suvarṇaprabhāsa Sūtra), Saraswati appears and pays homage to the Buddha. As Shaw writes, she then "promises that she will grace the preachers of the scripture with eloquence, oratorical power, perfect memory, inconceivable knowledge, penetrating wisdom, illumination, skill in liberating others, scholarly expertise in every field, proficiency in all the arts, merit, prosperity, and long life." Saraswati's chapter in the Golden Light Sutra presents three main aspects of the goddess. First, it presents her as a goddess of eloquence and speech, then it presents her as a healing goddess who teaches a ritual which includes a medicinal bath, finally it presents Saraswati as a goddess of protection and war. Ludvik mentions that the earliest version of the Golden Light Sutra (the translation by Dharmaksema) actually only includes the first depiction. Saraswati is also said to help monks memorize the Buddhist sutras and to guide them so they will not make mistakes in memorizing them or forget them later. She will also help those who have incomplete manuscripts to regain the lost letters or words. She also teaches a dharani (a long mantra-like recitation) to improve memory. The Golden Light goes as far as to claim that Saraswati can provide the wisdom to understand all the Buddhist teachings and skillful means (upaya) so that one may swiftly attain Buddhahood. In some versions of the Golden Light Sutra, such as Yijing's, the goddess then teaches an apotropaic ritual that can combat disease, bad dreams, war, calamities and all sorts of negative things. It includes bathing in a bath with numerous herbs that has been infused with a dharani spell. This passage contains much information on ancient materia medica and herbology. Ludvik adds that this may be connected to her role as healer of Indra in the Yajur Veda and to ancient Indian bathing rites. In the latter part of the Golden Lights Saraswati chapter, she is praised as a protector goddess by the Brahman Kaundinya. This section also teaches a dharani and a ritual to invoke the goddess and receive her blessings to obtain knowledge. In latter sections of Kaundinya's praise, she is described as an eight armed goddess and compared to a lion. The text also states that is some recites these praises, "one obtains all desires, wealth and grain, and one gains splendid, noble success." The poem describes Saraswati as one who "has sovereignty in the world", and states that she fights in battlefields and is always victorious. The hymn then describes Saraswati's warlike eight-armed form. She carries eight weapons in each hand – a bow, arrow, sword, spear, axe, vajra, iron wheel, and noose. Kaudinya's hymn to Saraswati in Yijing's translation is derived from the Āryāstava ("praise of she who is noble"), a hymn uttered by Vishnu to the goddess Nidra (lit. "Sleep", one of the names applied to Durga) found in the Harivamsha. As the Golden Light Sutra is often concerned with the protection of the state, it is not surprising that the fierce, weapon-wielding Durga, who was widely worshiped by rulers and warriors alike for success in battle, provides the model for the appearance assumed by Saraswati, characterized as a protectress of the Buddhist Dharma. Bernard Faure argues that the emergence of a martial Saraswatī may have been influenced by the fact that "Vāc, the Vedic goddess of speech, had already displayed martial characteristics. [...] Already in the Vedas, it is said that she destroys the enemies of the gods, the asuras. Admittedly, later sources seem to omit or downplay that aspect of her powers, but this does not mean that its importance in religious practice was lost." Other Indian Mahayana sources (8th century CE), Indian Museum, Kolkata In some later Mahayana Buddhist sources like the Sādhanamālā (a 5th-century collection of ritual texts), Saraswati is symbolically represented in a way which is similar to Hindu iconography. The description of the deity (here called Mahāsaraswatī) is as follows:The worshipper should think himself as goddess Mahāsaraswatī, who is resplendent like the autumn moon, rests on the moon over the white lotus, shows the varada-mudrā in her right hand, and carries in the left the white lotus with its stem. She has a smiling countenance, is extremely compassionate, wears garments decorated with white sandal-flowers. Her bosom is decorated with the pearl-necklace, and she is decked in many ornaments; she appears a maiden of twelve years, and her bosom is uneven with half-developed breasts like flower-buds; she illumines the three worlds with the immeasurable light that radiates from her body.In the Sādhanamālā, the mantra of Saraswati is: oṃ hrīḥ mahāmāyāṅge mahāsarasvatyai namaḥ The Sādhanamālā also depicts other forms of Saraswati, including Vajravīṇā Saraswatī (similar to Mahāsaraswatī except she carries a veena), Vajraśāradā Saraswatī (who has three eyes, sits on a white lotus, her head is decorated by a crescent and holds a book and a lotus), Vajrasaraswatī (has six hands and three heads with brown hair rising upwards), and Āryasaraswatī (sixteen-year-old girl carrying the Prajñapramita sutra and a lotus). According to the Kāraṇḍavyūha Sūtra ( 4th century – 5th century CE), Saraswati was born from the eyetooth of Avalokiteshvara. The Chinese translation of this sutra renders her name variously as 辯才 (Ch. Biàncái; Jp. Benzai, lit. "eloquence"), 美音天 (Ch. Měiyīntiān; Jp. Bionten, "goddess of beautiful sounds"), and 妙音天 (Ch. Miàoyīntiān; Jp. Myōonten'', "goddess of wonderful sounds"). Here, Saraswati is portrayed with two arms holding a veena and situated between Narayana's consort Narayani and Skanda (shown riding on a peacock). Saraswati was initially depicted as a single goddess without consort. Her association with the bodhisattva of wisdom Manjusri is drawn from later tantric sources such as the Kṛṣṇayamāri tantra, where she is depicted as red skinned (known as "Red Saraswati"). In various Indian tantric sadhanas to Saraswati (which only survive in Tibetan translation), her bija (seed) mantra is Hrīḥ. Nepalese Buddhism Saraswati is worshiped in Nepalese Buddhism, where she is a popular deity, especially for students. She is celebrated in an annual festival called Vasant Pañcami and children first learn the alphabet during a Saraswati ritual. In Nepalese Buddhism, her worship is often combined with that of Manjusri and many sites for the worship of Manjusri are also used to worship Saraswati, including Svayambhu Hill. She is commonly enshrined in Chinese Buddhist monasteries as one of the Twenty-Four Devas, a group of protective deities who are regarded as protectors of the Buddhist dharma. Her Chinese iconography is based on her description in the Golden Light Sutra, where she is portrayed as having eight arms, one holding a bow, one holding arrows, one holding a knife, one holding a lance, one holding an axe, one holding a pestle, one holding an iron wheel, and one holding ropes. In another popular Buddhist iconographic form, she is portrayed as sitting down and playing a pipa, a Chinese lute-like instrument. The concept of Saraswati migrated from India, through China to Japan, where she appears as Benzaiten (弁財天, lit. "goddess of eloquence"). Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries. She is often depicted holding a biwa, a traditional Japanese lute musical instrument. She is enshrined on numerous locations throughout Japan such as the Kamakura's Zeniarai Benzaiten Ugafuku Shrine or Nagoya's Kawahara Shrine; the three biggest shrines in Japan in her honour are at the Enoshima Island in Sagami Bay, the Chikubu Island in Lake Biwa, and the Itsukushima Island in Seto Inland Sea. In Japanese esoteric Buddhism (mikkyo), the main mantra for this deity is:Oṃ Sarasvatyai svāhā (Sino-Japanese: On Sarasabatei-ei Sowaka). In Indo-Tibetan Buddhism In the Indo-Tibetan Buddhism of the Himalayan regions, Saraswati is known as Yangchenma (), which means '"Goddess of Melodious Voice". She is also called the Tara of Music () as one of the 21 Taras. She is also considered the consort of Manjushri, bodhisattva of Wisdom. Saraswati is the divine embodiment & bestower of enlightened eloquence & inspiration. For all those engaged in creative endeavours in Tibetan Buddhism she is a patroness of the arts, sciences, music, language, literature, history, poetry & philosophy. Saraswati also became associated with the Tibetan deity Palden Lhamo (Glorious Goddess) who is a fierce protector deity in the Gelugpa tradition known as Magzor Gyalmo (the Queen who Repels Armies). Saraswati was the yidam (principal personal meditational deity) of 14th century Tibetan monk Je Tsongkhapa, who composed a devotional poem to her. Tibetan Buddhism teaches numerous mantras of Saraswati. Her seed syllable is often Hrīṃ. In a sadhana (ritual text) revealed by the great Tibetan female lama Sera Khandro, her mantra is presented as:Oṃ hrīṃ devi prajñā vārdhani ye svāhā In South East Asian Buddhism In Burmese Buddhism, Saraswati is worshipped as Thurathadi (), an important nat (Burmese deity) and is a guardian of the Buddhist scriptures (Tipitaka), scholars, students and writers. Students in Myanmar often pray for her blessings before their exams. In ancient Thai literature, Saraswati (; ) is the goddess of speech and learning, and consort of Brahma. Over time, Hindu and Buddhist concepts merged in Thailand. Icons of Saraswati with other deities of India are found in old Thai wats. Amulets with Saraswati and a peacock are also found in Thailand. == In Jainism ==

, Hamsa, are depicted. Other panels are filled with attendants, musicians, dancers and Jain monks. Jain style, Gujarat, 1475–1500. National Museum, New Delhi. Saraswati is also revered in Jainism as the goddess of knowledge and is regarded as the source of all learning. She is known as Srutadevata, Sarada, and Vagisvari. Saraswati is depicted in a standing posture with four arms, one holding a text, another holding a rosary and the remaining two holding the Veena. Saraswati is seated on a lotus with the peacock as her vehicle. Saraswati is also regarded as responsible for dissemination of tirthankars sermon. The earliest sculpture of Saraswati in any religious tradition is the Mathura Jain Saraswati from Kankali Tila dating from 132 CE. == See also ==