Re: Encounters with Maa Saraswati?
namase Smith and other members.
To understand how mA sarasvatI and her consort brahmA manifest in us, how we encounter them at every moment of our life, we need to understand their nature.
• In the name sarasvatI (notice the long vowel in tI), saras means 'anything that flows' and atI means 'to pass by, to elapse, pass over, to pass on, to pass through, elapse'. Thus the terms especially refer to the flow of water and speech.
• BrahmA and SarasvatI stand for manas--mind, and vAch--speech respectively. The human mind creates, both good and evil, like BrahmA; and SarasvatI flows through the human tongue as speech. Since we cannot speak out all that we think of, vAch--speech, is a reduction of our thoughts into words.
• The following story about the birth of SarasvatI is from brahmANDa purANam, ch.43 highlights these truths:
BrahmA got ready for creation, and while in meditation sattvaguNa--sublime quality began swelling up in his mind wherefrom a girl was born. BrahmA asked her who she was. She answered: "I am born from you. You fix for me a seat and duties." Then BrahmA told her that her name was SarasvatI and ordained that she should stay on the tip of everybody's tongue. You dance especially on the tongues of learned people. You should also exist on earth in the form of a river, and assuming a third form you should live in me too." Sarasvati agreed to this.
• Many of us are doing pUja to her, chanting her stutis--adorations and mantras and meditating on her. Although only some of us might have experientially felt her presence, she is present in everyone of us, along with BrahmA, every waking and dreaming moment of our life.
• She is the wisdom that flows through us and helps us get over or face difficult situations. She is the voice of conscience that calls on us to check the flow of the rajas and tamas guNas in us. She is the muse that inspires us in our thoughts, speech and writing.
In short, we as humans represent the combination of BrahmA and SarasvatI, in our thoughts, words and actions.
रत्नाकरधौतपदां हिमालयकिरीटिनीम् ।
ब्रह्मराजर्षिररत्नाढ्यां वन्दे भारतमातरम् ॥
To her whose feet are washed by the ocean, who wears the Himalayas as her crown, and is adorned with the gems of rishis and kings, to Mother India, do I bow down in respect.
--viShNu purANam
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