Basant Panchami 2023: Know About The Iconography Of Goddess Saraswati

Saraswati is the divine consort of Lord Brahma, who created the universe. Through her originated the Vedas, and the Devanagari or Sanskrit letters or script. Saraswathi river is one of the forms that she takes on Earth, which is associated with fertility. She also rules the aspect of speech. She personifies excellence in sciences, arts and crafts. Goddess Saraswathi is known to be the daughter of Lord Shiva and Goddess Durga.

It is Goddess Saraswati who empowers human beings with the powers of speech and wisdom. The Vedic lessons taught to the students by the Guru begin and end with Saraswati Vandana.
The basic eligibility to being the wife of Lord Brahma, who creates the universe, is to be wise and learned. This was the reason why she was called the consort of Brahma.
She is pure and wears pristine white shaded attire and induces knowledge by dispelling the darkness of ignorance. She identifies with the power (Shakti) and the divine intellect of Brahma which is why there is an immaculate glow about her.

Iconography:

1. She wears white-hued attire which is why she is named Shwetambari. White stands for what is just, honest and simple. She proves by her example that all knowledge should remain pure like the mother goddess. She is also associated with the colour yellow, the predominant colour of spring. Adorned with simple jewels, she displays her preference for knowledge over material gains.
2. Her four hands are proof that she pervades all four directions.
3. The book that she holds in her hands represents all sciences. The palm leaf in her hand is representative of knowledge and wisdom.
4. Akshamala in the right hand depicts her austerities, tapasya and the chant (Ajapajapa) that goes on forever.
5. The veena in her hands symbolises the rhythm that acts as the background for the worldly operations in the universe and the Nada brahman which is the originating point for the whole world.
6. Four arms represent the four elements of mind, intellect, alertness and ego. The four arms also indicate four Vedas. The prose is signified by the book, poetry by the Akshamala, and music by the Veena. The pot of sacred water brings out the element of purity that resides within the above three elements.
7. She is seated on a lotus which shows by example, that one should remain untouched by the vrittis, or the mental unrest. Although immersed in worldly engagements, the mind should be free of the ripples that it creates within us.
8. The swan or the vehicle where she sits has the power to separate the water from the milk which means that it knows how to pick the best from what is given. It is known to symbolise wisdom and knowledge to sift the wheat from the chaff. It stands for the divine sattvic nature of Goddess Saraswati.

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