Saraswati Puja (Worship of Knowledge)-
30 Jan 2020 HYN Himalayan Yoga Academy
Yogacharya Swami Yog Subodh – School of Wisdom – Himalayan Yoga Academy
OM! Happy Vashanta Panchami, Day of Saraswati Puja, A Goddess of Knowledge.
“AUM HREEM AIM HREEM SARASWATAI NAMAH”
Today is the day of Goddess Saraswati, a Goddess of Knowledge and Arts. Saraswati means “the essence of self”. Saraswati is the giddess of Knowledge, wisdom. music, arts, aesthetics, shatarupa (Existence), Mother of Vedanta, and speech.
Some symbols of Goddess Saraswati are:
• Radiant White, Goddess mirrors the ‘True Nature or Absolute Truth”.
• Yellows Dress up symbolizes colorful season and white dress up for purity in knowledge.
• Vehicle (Bahana) of Saraswati is Hamsa ( Swan) which has been known as the separation of Milk and water that means recognition of good and evil.
• Veena, a musical instrument represents all the forms of arts, music, dance, drawings, paintings, and other arts and crafts.
• Rosary, a string of beads or crystals symbolizes the spiritual awakening and transformation through Dhyana (Meditation) or Yoga Samdhi that tends to Supreme unseen Power, the cosmic power.
• Tamtapatra addresses the source of knowledge called Vedas and other spiritual science and philosophy that arise from the root.
• Seasonal fruits are specially offered to Guru, a source of lightness in darkness.
• Colour poder and flowers are especially for offering to Deity or Gurus as worship.
• Chanting the special Mantras and Stotras are for opening the psychic centers for awakening the kundalini power, a feminine energy for spiritual growth.
Stotram(Mantra ):
“Yaa Kundendu Tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa Shubhravastraavritaa;
Yaa Veenavara dandamanditakara, yaa shwetaa padmaasana !
Yaa brahmaachyuta shankara, prabhritibhir Devaisadaaa vanditaa;
Saa Maam Paatu saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha Jaadyaapahaa !!
Meaning:
Goddess Saraswati who is fair like Jusmine and dew drops, dressed in white, holding the majestic Veena instrument in hands,s sitting on white lotus, to whom forever worshiped by Brahma (The Generator), Vishnu (The Operator) and Maheshwora ( The Destroyer) and other Gods as well. O Divine Mother, Goddess blesses us and gives us the lightness and power from our ignorance and darkness.
Hari Om Tat Sat.
In Nepal
Shree panchami is also known as Basanta Panchami, this festival falls usually between last week of January to first week of February. It is celebrated as the birthday of Hindu Goddess Saraswoti. Goddess Saraswati is the Goddess of education, knowledge and wisdom. This day is particularly more important to students as it is believed that worshipping Saraswati on this day will receive the blessings from her and it will increase their intelligence and horizon of wisdom. In Nepal this day is very important for students of all levels. Normally all the educational institute have a saraswati-puja function on this day. All the teachers and students do the saraswati puja in the school.
On this day hindu devotees visit saraswati temples and do their prayers with writing few words on the walls of temples with chalk. They will also worship their books, notebook and pens on this day. They will also swallow 7 rice grains after the puja without touching it to the teeth while swallowing those rice grains. It is believed that this way of prayer will make Saraswati happy. The popular temples where the huge crowd will gather for prayers in Kathmandu are Saraswati Temple in Swyambhunath and Saraswati temple in Tribhuvan University. The Saraswati Temple of Tribhuvan University is only open for Saraswati Puja day for the visitors. Other day the temple remain closed for visitors. Nepalese parents use this day to start feeding rice to their newly born or start teaching their kids to write
Legend about Saraswati Goddess
Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of learning and speech (Vak). She represents the union of power and intelligence from which organized creation arises. Saraswati possesses all the learnings of the Vedas, scriptures, dances, musical power and poetry. She revealed language and writing to man. Her origin is traced to the lost Vedic river Saraswati. This is the source of her profound connection to fluidity in every aspect. She embodies wisdom, fortune, intelligence, nourishment, brilliance, contentment, splendor and devotion.
Saraswati, the goddess of wisdom, art and music is the daughter of lord Shiva and goddess Durga. It is believed that goddess Saraswati endows human beings with the powers of speech, wisdom and learning. She has four hands representing four aspects of human personality in learning: mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She has sacred scriptures in one hand and a lotus – the symbol of true knowledge – in the second. With her other two hands she plays the music of love and life on a string instrument called the Veena. She is dressed in white – the symbol of purity – and rides on a white swan – symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity and discrimination.