Today we covered our books with paper — it’s Saraswati’s day, you know. That’s my seven-year-old nephew talking about how his class celebrated Saraswati Puja. What does covering your books with paper have to do with Saraswati, I ask him. “Oh, you don’t know? See, this is the day when we pay respects to the goddess of knowledge. When we cover our books, we protect knowledge from dust,” he says, his big eyes turning bigger as though he wanted to express something more. He was completely taken in by Saraswati.As we grown-ups know so well, Saraswati, the consort of Brahma (and thus also called Brahmi), the creator, is the goddess of knowledge and wisdom. Arts, sciences, skills, crafts, music, she personifies them all. Calendar art shows her sitting on white or pink lotuses wearing a white sari, playing the veena with two hands and holding a rosary and a book in another two. Literally speaking, Saraswati means ‘the flowing one’ and in the Rig Veda she represents a river by that name. She’s also known as Veena Vandini (veena player), Vani Dayani (recipient of speech), Sharda (giver of essence), Mahavidya (knowledge supreme). Mythology says so aspirational were her powers that she was worshipped by Devas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Munis and Rishis alike. And why not — she personifies or symbolises ‘universal knowledge’, without which all actions are futile.But let’s leave the rituals and the myths aside. What really is Saraswati or, to rephrase that question, what is the spirit behind Saraswati? Like all other Hindu gods and goddesses, Saraswati has a deeper, spiritual aspect to her personality. A personality that is really a reflection of an aspect of the One Spirit that sits in different ways in differently evolving Souls. The wise say that of the four major forces — compassion, strength, harmony and organisation — she is the most skilful in execution of the divine will. She is also the youngest of the four. Logical, since organisational power is a complex force, something that can only follow and put in order other forces. Saraswati is the power within us that builds, organises, administers and classifies information, knowledge, materials and ideas.She resides within us and on Saraswati Puja day, we invoke her blessings. Children cover their books. Grown-ups visit temples, offer marigold flowers. I spent the day in sublime ignorance.
