Goddess Sarasvati

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SARASVATI is the Hindu Goddess of rivers and knowledge. Her name means "the one who flows", and she is the consort of Brahma. Sarasvati is usually depicted sitting on a white lotus, symbolizing truth and purity. She has four arms, and she holds in her hands a book (symbolic of written knowledge and her mastery of science and learning), a string of crystals or prayer beads (symbolic of spiritual knowledge), a pot of water (symbolic of creativity and purification), and a musical instrument called a veena (symbolic of knowledge of the fine arts).

Sarasvati rules over a great number of spheres: rivers, fertility, wealth, speech, writing, learning, poetry, music, science, mathematics, calendars, magic, creativity, beauty, and art. As such, she also has a great many alternate names and epithets, including:

QUEEN OF HEAVEN

MOTHER OF WATERS

THE FLOWING ONE

ARYA (noble one)

BAGISWARI

BAKDEVI

BHAMAYAI

BHARATYAI (eloquence)

BHOGA-DAYAI

BIRAJ

BRAMHA-GYNANAIKA-SADHANAYAI

BRAMHA-JAYAYAI

BRAMHA-VISHU-SIVATMI-KAYAI

BRAMHYAI (wife of Brahma)

CHAMUNDAYAI

CHANDI-KAYAI

CHANDRA-LEKHA-VIBHU-SHITAYAI

CHANDRI-KAYAI

CHATURANA-NASAMRAJYAI

CHATURVARGA-PHALA-PRADAYAI

Chitra-gamdhayai

Chitra-malya-vibhushitayai

Chitrambarayai

Devyai

Dhaneshvari (the divinity of wealth)

Dhumra-lochana-mardhinyai

Divya-lankara-bhushitayai

Divyamgayai

Dvibhu-jaayai

Gomatyai

Govimdayai

Gynanaika-tatparayai

Gynana-mudrayai

Hamsa-sanayai

Hamsa-vahini (she who has a swan as her vehicle)

Jati-layai

Jihvagravasini (dwelling in the front of the tongue)

JNANASHAKTI (the power of knowledge)

KALA-DHARAYAI

Kala-ratryai

Kalpanashakti (the power of forming ideas)

KAMADHENU (like the wish-fulfilling cow)

Kama-pradayai

Kama-rupayai

Kantayai

Kavijihvagravasini (she who dwells on the tongues of poets)

Maha-bagayai

Maha-bhadrayai

Maha-bhogayai

Maha-bhujayai

Mahakalyai

Maha-karayai

Maha-mayayai

Mahamkushayai

Maha-pashayai

Maha-pataka-nashinyai

Maha-phalayai

Maha-saraswatyai

Maha-shrayayai

Mahasweta

Maha-vani (the transcendent word)

MAHA-VIDYAYAI (holder of supreme knowledge)

Maho-tsahayai

Malinyai

Mantra-vidyayai

Munda-kambi-katai

Neela-jamghayai

Niranja-nayai

Padmakshmai

Padma-lochanayai

Padma-nilayayai

Padma-vaktri-kayai

Praharanayai

Prithudar

Pustaka-stayai

Rakta-beejani-hantrai

Rakta-madhyayai

Ramayai

Rupa-soubhagya-daeinyai

SAKTIRUPINI (whose form is power)

SARADA (giver of essence)

Sarbasukai

Sarswatyai

Sarva-devastu-tayai

Sarvatmi-kayai

Satarupa

Savitryai

Seetayai

Shastra-rupinyai

Shivanu-jayai

Shonapunya (one purified of blood)

Shubha-dayai

Shumbha-sura-pramadhinyai

Shweta-sanayai

Smirtishakti (the power of memory)

Soudaminyai

Soumyayai

Sree pradayai

Subha-drayai

Sudha-murtayai

Sura-puji-tayai

Surasayai

Sura-sura-namaskrutayai

Sura-vandi-tayai

Suvaa-sinyai

Suveenayai

Teevrayai

Traeimurtyai

Vagdevyai

Vagishvari (mistress of speech)

Vaishnavyai

Vani Dayyani (recipient of speech)

Varahyai

Vara-pradayai

Vara-rohayai

Varijaa-sanayai

Varnajanani (mother of letters)

VARNESVARI (Goddess of letters)

VASUDAYAI

VEENA VANDINI (veena player)

Vidya-rupayai

Vidyayai

Vidyunma-layai

Vimalayai

Vinapani (due to holding the Vina)

Vindhya-vasayai

Vindyayai

Vini-drayai (she who is always awake)

Vishalayai

Vishvayai