Saraswati
Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, IAST: Sarasvatī), also spelled as Sarasvati, is the Hindu goddess of knowledge, music, flowing water, abundance and wealth, art, speech, wisdom, and learning. She is one of the Tridevi, along with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati. She is a pan-Indian deity, also revered in Jainism and Buddhism.
| Saraswati | |
|---|---|
Personification of the Saraswati River Goddess of Knowledge, Music, Art, Speech | |
| Member of Tridevi | |
Painting of Saraswati by Raja Ravi Varma | |
| Other names | Sharada, Savitri, Brahmani, Bharadi, Vani, Vagdevi |
| Sanskrit transliteration | Sarasvatī |
| Devanagari | सरस्वती |
| Affiliation | Devi, River goddess, Tridevi, Gayatri |
| Abode | Satyaloka, Manidvipa |
| Mantra | [Hindu]: ॐ ऐं महासरस्वत्यै नमः, om̐ aim mahāsarasvatyaya namaḥ; [Buddhist]: Oṃ hrīḥ mahāmāyāṅge mahāsarasvatyaya namaḥ |
| Symbols | The colour white, lotus, Veena, Saraswati river, books |
| Day | Friday |
| Mount | Swan or peacock |
| Festivals | Vasant Panchami and seventh day of Navaratri |
| Consort | Brahma |
The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a goddess is in the Rigveda. She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic period through the modern period. She is generally depicted with four arms (which hold four symbols: a book, a rosary, a water pot, and a musical instrument called the veena). The festival of Vasant Panchami (the fifth day of spring, and also known as Saraswati Puja and Saraswati Jayanti in many regions of India) is celebrated in her honour, and mark the day by helping young children learn how to write the letters of the alphabet on that day.
In Buddhism, she is venerated in many forms, including the East Asian Benzaiten (辯才天, "Eloquence Talent Deity").