» Kosmic Life — Enhance Your Home with The Presence of Deities, Saraswati the Goddess of Music & Learning

Enhance Your Home with The Presence of Deities, Saraswati the Goddess of Music & Learning

Jun 3rd, 2008

Regardless of one’s personal spiritual beliefs or affiliation, decorating with sacred imagery is a sure way to foster a serene and restorative environment in your home -– and achieve an exotic stylistic eclecticism sure to elicit reaction from your guests. There are beautiful and affordable bronze, brass, and resin statues available , in a wide range of sizes from tiny to monumental, of the many key Hindu deities — colorful and distinctive personae that I’ll be featuring in the next few posts, starting with Saraswati.

Saraswati

Goddess of music, learning, verbal communication, Saraswati reigns as patroness of the arts in the Hindu pantheon. She is usually depicted with four arms, representing the four aspects of human learning: mind, intellect, alertness, and ego. They can also represent the 4 vedas, Hinduism’s primary sacred texts. The vedas, in turn, represent the 3 forms of literature:

Poetry: the Rigveda contains hymns, representing poetry
Prose: Yajurveda contains prose
Music: Samaveda represents music

These forms are also conveyed by objects commonly shown in Saraswati’s four hands, with poetry represented by a crystal mala, prose represented by a book being held, and music by the stringed instrument known as the veena.

The goddess’s abode is mentioned as being in the state of Kashmir, among the Himalayas. Her favorite fruit is supposed to be the apple. In hindu mythology, great significance is attached to offering honey to this goddess, as honey is representative of perfect knowledge.

A Prayer to Goddess Saraswati – Saraswati Vandana Mantra

Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha
Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana
Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhutibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa

English Translation:
“May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon, and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the gods, protect me. May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance.”