Devi Saraswathi Goddess of Knowledge

Dear Friends,


Today 30th January 2010 which sees the light of my 552nd Article " Devi Saraswathi-- Goddess of

Knowledge" has a special significance since it marks the TENTH ANNIVERSARY of my having started the weekly articles exactly

10 years ago, on 30th January 2000 to be precise.

Remembering nostalgically, I started this voluntary exercise ten years back, with a certain amount of trepidation about its

success, with only 6 readers to share my thoughts. Today by the Grace of Devi Saraswathi and Her Blessings, combined with your

consistent encouragement, I have reached the 10th milestone totally uninterrupted, with a readership of over 100 members.

I shall make sincere attempts to continue this activity as long as I am blessed with Good Health.

I now look forward to your encouragement /Good Wishes / Blessings for the continued success.

B.M.N.Murthy
30th Jan 2010

DEVI SARASWATHI—Goddess of Knowledge

The Vedas adore Sri Saraswathi as Vagdevi [the Goddess of Learning], as a River Goddess and also as a Great Mother. In fact, the Rigveda Mantra says ‘Ambitame, Nadi tame, Devitame’ which means ‘O Saraswathi! Most motherly, greatest among rivers, goddess most divine”. She is the giver of all knowledge, including Brahma Jnana and is the only goddess sung in all the four Vedas. In the Hindu mythology and culture, she occupies a prominent position. It is well known that during the Navaratri Festival, the last three days are exclusively reserved for the worship of Devi Saraswathi when books and tools of trade are worshipped as symbolic of Saraswathi. Saraswathi is also known by the other name ‘Sharada’ by which name she has been installed at Sringeri and whose Mahima [greatness] has been extolled by a galaxy of Pontiffs adoring the Sri Sharada Peetham right from the days of Acharya Shankara. She is called ‘Sharada’ because she is specially worshipped during the Sharad Ritu or the autumnal season.

Saraswathi represents speech, wisdom, learning, spiritual values and culture. She has been called ‘the impeller of true and sweet speech and awakener of happy and noble thoughts’. Clad in dazzling white, she is visualized as seated on lotus or on her vehicle. She holds the Veena in one hand while on the other she holds a rosary to represent spiritual knowledge and learning and a book to represent music and arts. Her vehicle is either the discriminating swan, the bird of perfection which can distinguish between good and bad, knowledge and ignorance or the gloriously plumaged peacock that represents the world in all its splendour.

Saraswathi as a River: The Rigveda celebrates Saraswathi as also a river. It is clear from the several Veda Mantras that the habitation of Vedic civilization was the Saraswathi River. The traditional Saraswathi river has dried up thousands of years ago and it is now a minor stream in the Punjab that dries out in the desert of Rajasthan—hardly the great river eulogized by the Vedas. Many sites of the Indus Valley Civilisation and culture which flourished in the 2nd and 3rd millennium B.C. have been found along its dried course. As late as January 1997 the scientists of the Bhabha Atomic Energy Research Centre at Bombay [BARC] have re-confirmed the existence of the Saraswathi River.

Temples for Saraswathi: Saraswathi is worshipped for the acquisition of knowledge and wisdom and her blessings are invoked for achievement in the fields of various arts and science. According to mythology, Brahma should not have any temple built for him. Probably this may be the reason why his consort Saraswathi has only a few exclusive temples when compared to the other goddesses. The following are a few of the popular ancient temples built for Saraswathi:







1. Temple at Koothanur inTamil Nadu: This temple is situated near Kumbakonam in Tanjore district of Tamil Nadu. Koothanur is also known by the other name Ambapuri. It is more than 800 years old and built by the Cholas when they ruled Tanjore .It is said that a Tamil teacher by name Ottakoothar [also known as Varakavi] undertook a rigorous penance invoking the blessings of Devi Saraswathi to get the power of composing verses spontaneously [called Ashukavitvam in Sanskrit ]. Pleased with his penance, Saraswathi blessed him with the desired power and conceded his request to stay permanently on the banks of the river Arasilar in Koothanur. The poet’s patron Raja Raja Chola 11 undertook the construction of the temple and completed it sometime in the 12th Century A.D.
2. Temple at Gadag, Karnataka: This temple for Saraswathi was built in 1062 A.D. at Gadag in Karnataka during the Chalukyan times. The temple is a magnificent illustration of the Chalukyan style of architecture. Within the shrine there is a life size idol of Saraswathi beautifully carved in black polished stone, seated on a pedestal supported by a peacock. Unfortunately the idol has been mutilated badly by Muslim invaders and the four arms of the deity are broken at the elbow.
3. Sri Sharada Peetham at Srinagar, Kashmir: According to legend, there was a temple for Saraswathi in Srinagar, Kashmir popular as ‘Sarvajna Peetham’ or the Supreme Seat of Knowledge. One who had attained Supreme Knowledge alone could climb all the 64 steps of the temple and the 64 steps were symbolic of the 64 Vidyas. Acharya Shankara is believed to have ascended all the 64 steps and entered the temple which is now known as Shankaracharya Temple. The temple situated atop a hill to the South-East of Srinagar is built on a high octagonal plinth approachable by a long row of steps. Neither the temple nor the place is now called by its ancient name ‘Sarvajna Peetham’. Presently the sanctum sanctorum of the temple has a Lingam and there is no trace or evidence of the existence of a Saraswathi idol in the temple. However, Abul Fazl, the chronicler in the court of Akbar, notices this shrine as one dedicated to Durga ‘where many miracles were witnessed’. The Afridis and other tribals desecrated the temple and pulled down the structure. Substitute Sharada shrines were established in the valley. After the establishment of the Dogra rule, Maharaja Gulab Singh renovated the temple and arranged for worship. The temple is now near the ceasefire line.
4. Sri Sharada Peetham, Sringeri: After achieving the rare honour of ascending the Sarvajna Peetham at Srinagar, Acharya Shankara created another Sharada Peetham at Sringeri in the South on the banks of the river Tunga. Devi Sharada answered the Acharya’s prayer and agreed to preside over the Southern Sharada Peetham in all splendour and glory.
The Acharya established Sri Chakram at Sringeri and Swami Vidyaranya established the present Panchaloha idol of Devi Sharada.


B.M.N.Murthy



TENTH ANNIVERSARY ARTICLE[552]--" DEVI SARASWATHI, Goddess of Knowledge
Friday, January 29, 2010 8:35 PM