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Iconography in Hinduism
Decoding the Pictorial Script
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Saraswati
Saraswati: the goddess of Wisdom and Knowledge
Saraswati is the shakti, the power and consort or wife of Brahmā the creator. She is the mother of the Vedas and the inventor of Devanāgiri letters (Wilkins, 1882). Primarily a river deity, her name means ‘the flowing one’ or ‘the watery’. Thus she is associated with fertility and purification. She is also the goddess of speech Vāch. Saraswati is considered the representation of all sciences, arts, crafts and skills.
The person who has been entrusted with the work of creation or legislation must be learned and this is the reason why goddess Saraswati (goddess of knowledge) was made the consort of Brahma. (Varshney, 1990)
Interesting facts about Saraswati
Saraswati is celebrated both as a river and a goddess (Wilkins, 1882: 109).
Resources
Harshananda, S. (1982). Hindu Gods and Goddesses. Chennai: Sri Ramakrishna Math.
Jagannathan, S. (1984). Hinduism: An Introduction. Bombay: Vakils, Feffer and Simons Ltd.
Mitchell, A. (1998). Hindu Gods and Goddesses. New Delhi: USB Publishers’ Distributors Ltd.
Varshney, D. (1990). Myth and Symbols in Hindu Mythology. Delhi: Ajanta Publications (India).
Wilkins, W. (1882). Hindu Mythology. New Delhi: Rupa. co.