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ARTICLE : The two faces of a Goddess
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To: SRH <ghen@netcom.com>
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Subject: ARTICLE : The two faces of a Goddess
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From: ashok <ashokvc@giasbm01.vsnl.net.in>
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Date: Wed, 24 Jul 96 19:11:08 PDT
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Priority: Normal
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Resent-Date: Thu, 25 Jul 1996 06:41:18 -0700 (MST)
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Resent-Message-Id: <Pine.ULT.3.90.960725064118.17099J@mercury.aichem.arizona.edu>
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Resent-To: ghen@netcom.com
July 24, 1996
Title : The two faces of a Goddess
Author : Aruna Bhowmik
Publication : Hindustan Times
Date : July 6, 1996
Sarasvati is regarded primarily as the Goddess of
Learning and secondly as one of the sacred streams. From
the early period we know the names of the seven streams
Ganga, Jamuna, Godavari, Sarasvati, Narmada, Sindu and
Kaveri. Of these streams Sarasvati may claim to have the
holiest antiquity.
The transformation of a river into a female deity was
almost imperceptable process. It is said that from Vedic
times the river Sarasvati had a colourless husband,
namely Saraswat, and came to be known as vira-patni !
A passage of the Rigveda thus reads, "Sarasvati promote
our understanding, gracious one, the beautiful one thou
whom we sing to first of all..." In the Mahabharata and
in the later Puranas the connection of Sarasvati with
learning has been repeatedly emphasized. The Mahabharata
also addresses Sarasvati as the "Mother of the Vedas". It
is therefore that Sarasvati is customarily evoked as the
Goddess of learning even today.
She has an identification with speech, which in its
Sanskrit form of Vak is a feminine term. Vak is also the
atmospheric speech. Attached firmly to the gods Indra and
Maruts, Sarasvati roams about in seclusion. It is
believed that she resides in the mouth of Brahma. This
identification with speech explains why she is so closely
associated with the vocal region in later literature. The
whispering of the Gods in heaven, is not comprehended by
the man of this under sphere. Therefore, to understand
that wisdom She was invoked near the lips of a new born
babe for wisdom. The saying goes, "Wise is the man on
whose tongue Sarasvati resides."
As the presiding Goddess of learning it is but natural
that Sarasvati should be described as the Goddess of such
important branches of learning as Art and Music. In
Vatsayana's Kamasutra wealthy citizens used to go to the
temple of the Goddess every fortnight to witness
theatrical performances.
As a Goddess of Art, Sarasvati reminds us of the Roman
Minerva and Greek Athena, though not identically
perceived.
Sarasvati is also a physician from her early
descriptions. In the Satpatha Brahamana She often appears
as a healer Goddess.
She is also a Goddess of prosperity as her sister Lakshmi
too, is a Goddess of wisdom, in addition to her other
connotations.
The Hindu concept of Sri or Lakshmi is essentially that
of a deity of beauty, auspiciousness and prosperity. She
is also a symbol of good fortune. Everything good and
auspicious is believed to be the abode of Sri who is
Mangla or well-being.
Above all, Lakshmi is the symbol of nurturing
intelligence, of abundance, and creativity or motherhood.
The mother has been conceived differently all over the
world, as Devi she is as great a concept in India as Isis
is in Egypt. The earliest and primary role of Lakshmi
according to historical Hindu perceptions is to provide
succour to the helpless new born babe.
The symbol of Matsya or fish is also representative of
Lakshmi. The fish is suggestive of water, which is
essential for all life. The fish is also important as the
very first incarnation of Vishnu who has Srivasta or
Lakshmi eternally marked on his chest, indicating the
presence of the Goddess of prosperity lovingly on his
being, even when he appears as Matsya. Lakshmi stands on
a lotus, also emblematic of water.
Therefore, though acknowledgedly a good house, gateway,
torana flowers, banners, parasols, seats, beds, gems,
charming married women with their husband living,
different fruits grains, seeds, vessels, new cloths,
cows, horses, elephants and a host of other objects are
the abode of Sri, it must be remembered that she was
primarily conceived as the feeder of the helpless and the
innocent - the babe. She was the life giver to one who
was completely helpless even to meet his most primary
requirements.
As the child grew, Lakshmi's role as mother became more
and more moral, ethical and aesthetic. This is not to
assume that she slackened her maternal role as the
guiding force for her child. In this sense it may be
safely deducted that it was Lakshmi herself whose duty it
was to gradually initiate her ward into the invocation
and worship of Sarasvati or knowledge, ethics, morals and
aesthetics.
In an overall analysis, therefore, it would be prudent to
remember that both Lakshmi and Sarasvati are but
incarnations of different needs, appropriate in different
stages of man's life. That when he is but a helpless
infant it is the Mother Lakshmi whose shelter and
protection he needs. As she nurtures him into growth and
adulthood for his own inner and outer development he
needs to devote himself to the homage of Sarasvati.
Both Lakshmi and Sarasvati have origins which are
associated with and symbolic of water man's most primary
requirement, the river, the lotus, the Matsya, the last
again a primary form of life. Thus as in a certain sense
Lakshmi is the deity of beauty and prosperity, so, too,
is Sarasvati a Goddess of prosperity which must be
moulded and uplifted with Learning or knowledge.
Therefore, a society bereft of respect for Sarasvati
bowing only to Lakshmi could never auger well for itself,
for unlike mankind, the powers of the universe work in
harmony, unfailing mutual respect, and perfect balance.
To invoke Sarasvati with the sole purpose of generating
aspects of Lakshmi is to make the outward expressions of
the spirit of the ideal, become more important than the
ideal, the body or even the clothes more important than
the person. In pursuit of Bhogalakshmi alone, society
losses sight of all other manifestations of Lakshmi. When
blinded by its urge to conquer and exploit society
descends even on the Kalpavriksha, the botanic
representation of Mother Lakshmi then does the lotus
beneath her feet turn into the Vishnuchakra, to slay the
rakshasa of society's desire to consume, losing sight of
higher ideals.
