Vagdevi

Saraswati (Sanskrit: सरस्वती, IAST: Sarasvatī), also spelled as Sarasvati, is one of the principal goddesses in Hinduism, revered as the goddess of knowledge, education, learning, arts, speech, poetry, music, creativity, purification, language and culture. Together with the goddesses Lakshmi and Parvati, she forms the trinity of chief goddesses, known as the Tridevi. Saraswati is a pan-Indian deity, venerated not only in Hinduism but also in Jainism and Buddhism. She is one of the prominent goddesses in the Vedic tradition (1500–500 BCE) who retains her significance in later Hinduism. In the Vedas, her characteristics and attributes are closely connected with the Saraswati River, making her one of the earliest examples of a river goddess in Indian tradition. As a deity associated with a river, Saraswati is revered for her dual abilities to purify and to nurture fertility. In later Vedic literature, particularly the Brahmanas, Saraswati is increasingly identified with the Vedic goddess of speech, Vac, and eventually, the two merge into the singular goddess known in later tradition. Over time, her connection to the river diminishes, while her association with speech, poetry, music, and culture becomes more prominent. In classical and medieval Hinduism, Saraswati is primarily recognised as the goddess of learning, arts and poetic inspiration, and as the inventor of the Sanskrit language. She is linked to the creator god Brahma, either as his creation or consort. In the latter role, she represents his creative power (Shakti), giving reality a unique and distinctly human quality. She becomes linked with the dimension of reality characterized by clarity and intellectual order. Within the goddess-oriented Shaktism tradition, Saraswati is a key figure and venerated as the creative aspect of the Supreme Goddess. She is also significant in certain Vaishnava traditions, where she serves as one of Vishnu's consorts and assists him in his divine functions. Despite her associations with these male deities, Saraswati also stands apart as an independent goddess in the pantheon, widely worshipped as a celibate goddess, without a consort. She is portrayed as a serene woman with a radiant white complexion, dressed in white attire, representing the quality of sattva (goodness). She has four arms, each holding a symbolic object: a book, a rosary, a water pot, and a musical instrument known as the veena. Beside her is her mount, either a hamsa (white goose or swan) or a peacock. Hindu temples dedicated to Saraswati can be found worldwide, with one of the earliest known shrines being Sharada Peeth (6th–12th centuries CE) in Kashmir. Saraswati continues to be widely worshipped across India, particularly on her designated festival day, Vasant Panchami (the fifth day of spring, and also known as Saraswati Puja and Saraswati Jayanti in many regions of India), when students honour her as the patron goddess of knowledge and education. Traditionally, the day is marked by helping young children learn how to write the letters of the alphabet. In Buddhism, she is venerated in many forms, including the East Asian Benzaiten (辯才天, "Eloquence Talent Deity"). Veneration of Saraswati migrated from the Indian subcontinent to China with the spread of Buddhism, where she is known as Biàncáitiān (辯才天), meaning "Eloquent Devī", as well as Miàoyīntiān (妙音天), meaning "Devī of Wonderful Sounds". She is commonly enshrined in Chinese Buddhist monasteries as one of the Twenty-Four Protective Deities, a group of dharmapalas regarded as protectors of the Buddhist dharma. The concept then migrated from China to Japan, where she appears as Benzaiten (弁財天), one of the Seven Lucky Gods and the only female among them. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th–8th centuries, mainly via Classical Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light. In Indo-Tibetan Buddhism of the Himalayan regions, Saraswati is known as Yangchenma (Tibetan: དབྱངས་ཅན་མ), meaning "Goddess of Melodious Voice", and is regarded as both the consort of Manjushri, the Bodhisattva of Wisdom, and as the Tara of Music among the Twenty-One Taras. In Burmese Buddhism, Saraswati is worshipped as Thurathadi (Burmese: သူရဿတီ), an important nat (Burmese deity) and guardian of the Buddhist scriptures, scholars, students and writers. In Jainism, Saraswati is revered as the deity responsible for the dissemination of the Tirthankaras' teachings and sermons. She is known in Jainism as Shrutadevata (or Srutadevata), as well as Sarada and Vagisvari. The earliest goddess worshipped by the Jains was Shrutadevata, who is the personification of Jinvani, or the sermons of the Tirthankaras, and not a personification of the river named Saraswati. Jain scriptures such as the Vyakhya-Prajnapti and Paumachariya describe her as personifying the angas (scriptural limbs) and purvas (ancient texts). The earliest Jain image of Sarasvati, found at Mathura and dated 132 CE, confirms her worship from early times; the broken image is in a seated position with a book and rosary in her hand. She is the most popular and ancient goddess in Jainism, and her festival is celebrated as Jnana Panchami in the Shvetambara tradition and Shruta Panchami in the Digambara tradition.