Saraswati : The Goddess of Learning and Wisdom

Saraswati : The Goddess of Learning and Wisdom
Other Mythological story of Saraswati Devi
 by N.Madasamy

Association with Brahma
1. In Matsya-Purana, Brahma, desiring to create the world, goes into meditation, whereupon his body divides into two halves : one male and the other female. Enraptured by his female half (who is Saraswati) Brahma desires her, mates with her and together they create the demigod Manu, who in turn created the world.

2. When Brahma undertakes the creation of the world through creative speech, the goddess Saraswati is born in his mouth or tongue.

3. Another legends tells the story of how Saraswati sprang from the forehead of her father, Brahma. Brahma - when he saw the beauty of Saraswati - desiresd her even though she was by logic his daughter. Saraswati disliked the attention Brahma focused on her and tried to escape from him, but whichever way she moved, Brahman grew a head in that direction to see her better. Even when she moved upwards, Brahman grew another head on top. And despite divine objection, he still married her. Vishnu and Shiva were so set against Brahma's marriage to Saraswati that they uttered a curse that henceforth Brahma would cease to be worshipped as a God by the faithful. In view of this, Goddess Saraswati has traditionally been worshiped in her individual capacity, as the patron Goddess of all knowledge and wisdom -without reference to her association with Brahma.



Association with Trimurthi ( Siva, Brahma and Vishnu )
Brahma, Vishnu and Siva once had a conference to decide the proper punishment to be meted out to Andhaka ( Son of Keshyap) who had attempted to steal the sacred parijate tree from heaven. When the three gods looked at one another, their combined energy formed a red, white and black brilliantly illuminated feminine form. This divine creative further divided into three separate forms- the white one becomes Goddess Saraswati, the red becomes Laksmi and the black becomes Parvati

Association with Vishnu/ Prajapati
In the Skanda Purana, Saraswati is described as having her origin from the God Vishnu. She is said to be his tongue or to he held in his mouth.

Association with Krishna/Radha

In the Narada Purana, the third pada of the first part ( Purva-Khanda) contains several materials which state that, at the highest level, Radha is one with Krishna. She abides with Krishna in the same body, and there is no difference between them. At this highest level, it is said that Radha gives rises to five goddess who are described as her five manifestations: Laksmi, Durga, Savitri, Saraswati, and a second form of Radha herself. Some interpretations say that there are eight Shaktis ( not five) and these Shaktis are: Sri Devi, Bhudevi, Saraswati, Priti, Kriti, Santi, Tunti and Pusti.

Legends of the Saraswati River

Several mythological legends surrounds Saraswati river:

1. In the Vamana Purana (Chapter 40) a tale is told of two sages. Enmity arose between Vishwamitra and Saint Vasista, because of the former's interference in the latter's worship. Vasista had his Ashram at Sathanu, a place where Lord Sthanu had invoked Saraswati and where Dweswar had installed Linga and a huge Saraswati Image. Vasista used to worship there, which was not to the liking of Vismatitra. So Viswamitra asked Saraswati carry Vasista to him in her waters, so that he could kill Vasista. Saraswati was distressed to undertake such an ordeal, but still Saraswati gave the message to Vasista. The latter agreed and assented to Saraswati's carrying him downstream to Viswamitra. This was done. Upon seeing Vasista, Viswamitra went in search of his dagger. Saraswati - out of fear and hoping to save the Brahmin from murder - submerged Vasista in her waters.When he saw what Saraswati had done, Viswamatra was enraged and cursed Saraswati that she would only flow with blood, and only in the region of the demons. His curse became a boon for the demons, who drank blood and enjoyed themselves on the banks of Saraswati.

In due course, some saints reached the spot and were astonished to see the fate of such sacred waters. On hearing the tale of Saraswati, the saints prayed and visualised the formation of sangam (i.e., the confluence of the rivers Ganges, Yamuna and Saraswati at Paryag, Allahabad ). Thereafter, when all the demons bathed in the confluence, they and got rid of their evil doings and became purified.
In another version of this story, when Saraswati carried Vasista to Viswamitra, Vasista invited all the Gods and drew into her stream, water from the Aruna River. When the Gods assembled, the image of the Goddess was installed and later a temple (the Saraswati temple in Pehowa) was founded on the site. With the merger of the Aruna river into Saraswati, the waters of the cursed Saraswati become immortal and the blood, which was food for the evil spirits, was purged away.

2. In another myth Demons snatched the book of learning from Saraswati's hand when she came down from the hills to the plains of Thanesar. The loss of the book put her to great shame and she became a river, which sank into the earth, to come out at Sangam at Paryag

3. Mahabharata : Adi-Parvan Once there was a sage names Matinara, who performed a sacrifice lasting for twelve years on the banks of the Saraswati. At the conclusions of the sacrifice, the river appeared before him in the form of a beautiful woman and together they produced a son named Tansu. Through a long line of descendants, Tansu was an ancestor of King Shantanu, ,who later on married Ganga and had children.

4. Mahabharata : Salyan-Parvan 51 Indian literature often tells a great ascetics who accidentally come across lovely wood nymphs ( Apsarasas ) while wandering in the forest. Such was the case with the hermit Dadhicha, who, as often happens under such circumstances, could not contain himself. His semen fell into the Saraswati and the River nurtured it with care, and it developed into a fetus. When the time came, Saraswati brough forth a child. This tale reminds us of Karttikeya, born of Shiva's seed cast into the River Ganges.