Saraswati
Sarasvati
Hindu Living tradition
Hinduism is a living religion. These goddesses are worshipped today, and their festivals are celebrated by millions.
Goddess of knowledge, music, the arts and speech.
Saraswati is first praised in the Rigveda as a sacred river and later honored as the goddess of learning. She is shown dressed in white, playing the veena, with a swan beside her. On Vasant Panchami students and artists ask for her blessing, often wearing yellow.
Symbols
In the ancient sources
The Rigveda
- ambitame, nadītame, devitame
- “best of mothers, best of rivers, best of goddesses” Rigveda 2.41.16
- Rigveda 6.61 A hymn to the river goddess, who bursts the ridges of the hills with her strong waves.
- Rigveda 7.95 She flows pure from the mountains to the sea, bringing wealth and nourishment.
- Rigveda 1.3.10–12 She is praised as the purifier who awakens hymns and inspires good thoughts.
Later Vedic texts identify her with Vac, sacred speech, which led to her role as goddess of learning, music and the arts.
Cross-checked against these texts and records, in public-domain or freely available versions where they exist. Line, section and chapter numbers follow the standard editions, so a particular translation may differ slightly.
Correspondences Explore all
- Festival
- Vasant Panchami
- Plants
- White lotus
These come from the tradition itself, and practice differs between regions, lineages and houses. To go deeper, learn from the people and communities who keep this tradition.