Hansvahini Veenavadini Saraswati Devi

O Veena vādini (O Goddess who plays let (Veena) - O Saraswati), Vara de (who grants wishes). Here one needs to understand Varada became varade - as a way of directly calling and addressing). The word varade should not split as vara de. It should be varade (????). Goddess Saraswati is the epitome of education and knowledge. Here Veena is symbolic of her mastery as a musician.

Veena: Veena is a musical instrument that requires great control and mastery over the strings. It signifies control over one’s physical organs or actions. In India, the veena is symbolic of life whilst its strings symbolize feelings, emotions or sensibilities. Life is like music; there needs to be rhythm and we have to play the music well. The veena in the hands of the Goddess of Knowledge indicates the delivery of knowledge as one plays musical notes; knowledge should be imparted in an artistic and skilful manner that can win the listeners’ hearts. It is also symbolic of the rhythmic mind of the person who holds it, and the control over their physical sense organs.

In her portraits, Saraswati is seen holding the veena with her left hand on the upper side and the right on the lower part. This implies that she had command over the complete knowledge and could play whichever part appealed to a particular soul. The meaning of the word Saraswati is “filled with lakes (sarovars)” In the Vedas the Saraswati river is praised. The sages considered the Saraswati river as “?????? ???????” which means her sound is as sweet and pleasant as any person talking (vaani).

It's also said that Saraswati (river) makes the supreme and most pleasant sound. Thus later on, in the personified version of Saraswati (devi), the Veena is used as a symbolic representation for knowledge and mastery as well as Wisdom. Mata Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge and Intellect. She is Vidya herself. She is hailed as the “ Mother of Vedas” . The Santi Parva of Mahabharata calls her the “ Mother of Vedas “. Behold also Sree and Lakshmi, and Kirti, and the Earth with her hump as also the goddess, Saraswati, that mother of the Vedas, dwelling in me. Behold, O Narada, Dhruva, that foremost of luminaries ranging the firmament, as also all the Oceans those receptacles of water, and lakes, and rivers, dwelling in me.

Before reading Mahabharata, Maharishi Vyasa asks us to bow down to Narayana(Bhagwan Sri Krishna) , Nara(Arjuna) and Mata Saraswati and utter Jaya. Om! Having bowed down to Narayana and Nara, the most exalted male being, and also to the goddess Saraswati, must the word Jaya be uttered. (Source : KMG Mahabharata Adi Parva Section I) Similar quote can also be found in Harivamsa Purana, Garga Samhita and many other texts. She is the creator of Danda-Niti ( Science of Chastisement). Thus addressed, that foremost of deities, armed with an enormous Sula, 2 having reflected long, created his own self into the form of Chastisement. From that form, having Righteousness for its legs, the goddess Saraswati created Danda-niti (Science of Chastisement) which very soon became celebrated over the world. After this the great god armed with the enormous Sula, having again reflected for some time, appointed a few among the gods as the lords or rulers of their respective classes.(Source : KMG Mahabharata Santi Parva Section CXXII)

According to Devi Bhagwat , she is the third one out of the five Shaktis. She is all the learning of the endless Universe. She is Intelligence. She is memory,wit, light, splendour,genius etc. She is the one who provides men with the ability to understand things. She is the Goddess of Speech. This third S’akti is named Sarasvat?. She is all the learning of this endless Universe and She resides as medha (intelligence) in the hearts of all the human beings; She is the power in composing poetry; She is the memory and She is the great wit, light, splendour and inventive genius. \She gives the power to understand the real meaning of the various difficult Siddhanta works; She explains and makes us understand the difficult passages and She is the remover of all doubts and difficulties.

She acts when we write books, when we argue and judge, when we sing songs of music; She is the time or measure in music; She holds balance and union in vocal and instrumental music. She is the Goddess of speech; She is the Presiding Deity in the knowledge of various subjects; in argumentations and disputations. In fact all the beings earn their livelihood by taking recourse to Her. She is peaceful and holds in Her hands V?na (lute) and books. Her nature is purely Sattvic (S’uddha Sattva), modest and very loving to S’r? Hari. Her colour is white like ice-clad mountains, like that of the white sandal, like that of the Kunda flower, like that of the Moon, or white lotus. She always repeats p. 800 the name of Paramatma S’r? Krisna while She turns Her bead composed of jewels. Her nature is ascetic; She is the bestower of the fruits of the ascetism of the ascetics; She is the Siddhi and Vidya of all; She grants always success to all. Were She not here, the whole host of Brahmins would always remain speechless like the dead cluster of persons. What is recited in the Vedas as the Third Dev? is the Holy Word, The Third S’akti, Sarasvat?. Source : Devi Bhagwatam Purana Book 9 ch 1. She possesses matchless beauty and is revered by Gods.

I hereby bow down to the Dev? Sarasvat?, of a white colour, of a smiling countenance and exceedingly beautiful, the lustre of whose body overpowers that of the ten millions of Moons, whose garment is purified by fire, in whose hands there are V?na and books, who is decorated with new excellent ornaments of jewels and pearls and whom Brahma, Vishnu, Mahes'vara and the other Devas, Munis, Manus and men constantly worship. Thus meditating the Dev?, the intelligent persons should offer all articles, after pronouncing the root Mantra. Source : Devi Bhagwatam Purana Book 9 ch 4.

Surya Deva had called her the Goddess of Speech and had asked her to enter the body of Yajnavalkya. When she entered into his body, he couldn’t bear the heat and entered into a stream. She helped Surya Deva impart Yajushes to Yajnavalkya. The holy one, thus solicited, told me,--I shall impart the Yajushes unto thee. Made up of the essence of speech, the goddess Saraswati will enter into thy body. The deity then commanded me to open my mouth. I did as I was commanded. The goddess Saraswati then entered into my body, O sinless one. At this, I began to burn. Unable to endure the pain I plunged into a stream. (Source : KMG Mahabharata Santi Parva Section CCCXIX). She was adorned with consonants, vowels and the Syallable OM when she appeared before Yajnavalkya. He called her auspicious too. Hearing his last words, and after he had departed from the spot where I was, I came home in joy and then remembered the goddess Saraswati. Thought of by me, the auspicious Saraswati appeared instantly before my eyes, adorned with all the vowels and the consonants and having placed the syllable Om in the van, I then, according to the ordinance, offered unto the goddess the usual Arghya, and dedicated another to Surya, that foremost of all heat-giving deities. Source : KMG Mahabharata Santi Parva Section CCCXIX

She on the orders of Bhagwan Vishnu, entered into the body of the Rishis and helped them compose texts related to vocables, import and reason. Gratified with their penances and worship, Narayana commanded the goddess of speech, viz. Saraswati, to enter into the person of those Rishis. The goddess, for the good of the worlds did what she was ordered. In consequence of the entrance of the goddess of speech into their persons, those Rishis, well conversant with penances, succeeded in composing that foremost of treatises in respect of vocables, import, and reason. 1 Having composed that treatise sanctified with the syllable Om, the Rishis first of all read it to Narayana who became highly pleased with what he heard. Source : KMG Mahabharata Santi Parva Section CCCXXXVI

Mata Saraswati had even given the knowledge of the path of Virtue to Maharishi Tarkshya. This is what Mata Saraswati told him : "Saraswati said, 'He who is engaged in the study of the Vedas, and with sanctity and equanimity perceives the supreme Godhead in his proper sphere, ascends the celestial regions and attains supreme beatitude with the Immortals. Many large, beautiful, pellucid and sacred lakes are there, abounding with fish, flowers, and golden lilies. They are like shrines and their very sight is calculated to assuage grief.

Pious men, distinctively worshipped by virtuous well-adorned golden-complexioned Apsaras, dwell in contentment on the shores of those lakes. He who giveth cows (to Brahmanas) attaineth the highest regions; by giving bullocks he reacheth the solar regions, by giving clothes he getteth to the lunar world, and by giving gold he attaineth to the state of the Immortals. He who giveth a beautiful cow with a fine calf, and which is easily milked and which doth not run away, is (destined) to live for as many years in the celestial regions as there are hairs on the body of that animal. He who giveth a fine, strong, powerful, young bullock, capable of drawing the plough and bearing burdens, reacheth the regions attained by men who give ten cows.

When a man bestoweth a well-caparisoned kapila cow with a brazen milk-pail and with money given afterwards, that cow becoming, by its own distinguished qualities, a giver of everything reacheth the side of the man who gave her away. He who giveth away cows, reapeth innumerable fruits of his action, measured by the hairs on the body of that animal. He also saveth (from perdition) in the next world his sons and grandsons and ancestors to the seventh generation. He who presenteth to p. 374 a Brahmana, sesamum made up in the form of a cow, having horns made of gold, with money besides, and a brazen milk-pail, subsequently attaineth easily to the regions of the Vasus.

By his own acts man descends into the darksome lower regions, infested by evil spirits (of his own passions) like a ship tossed by the storm in the high seas; but the gift of kine to Brahmanas saves him in the next world. He who giveth his daughter in marriage, in the Brahma form, who bestoweth gifts of land on Brahmanas and who duly maketh other presents, attaineth to the regions of Purandara. O Tarkshya, the virtuous man who is constant in presenting oblations to the sacred fire for seven years, sanctifieth by his own action seven generations up and down.' Source : KMG Mahabharata Vana Parva Markandeya Samasya Parva Section CLXXXV Hence Mata Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge, Intellect, Speech etc. She is the one who provides people with the intellect and reasoning to understand texts. Jay Ma Sharade