Saraswati

**Saraswati** is the Hindu Goddess of Music and Art.

## **Background**

The earliest known mention of Saraswati as a goddess is in the Rigveda. She has remained significant as a goddess from the Vedic period through modern times of Hindu traditions.

In Vedic literature, Saraswati acquires the same significance for early Indians as that accredited to the river Ganges by their modern descendants. In hymns of Book 10 of Rigveda, she is already declared to be the "possessor of knowledge". Her importance grows in Vedas composed after Rigveda and in Brahmanas, and the word evolves in its meaning from "waters that purify", to "that which purifies", to "*vach* (speech) that purifies", to "knowledge that purifies", and ultimately into a spiritual concept of a goddess that embodies knowledge, arts, music, melody, muse, language, rhetoric, eloquence, creative work and anything whose flow purifies the essence and self of a person. In Upanishads and Dharma Sastras, Saraswati is invoked to remind the reader to meditate on virtue, virtuous emoluments, the meaning and the very essence of one's activity, one's action.

In Hindu tradition, Sarasvati has retained her significance as a goddess from the Vedic age up to the present day. In Shanti Parva of the Hindu epic Mahabharata, Saraswati is called the mother of the Vedas, and later as the celestial creative symphony who appeared when Brahma created the universe. In Book 2 of Taittiriya Brahmana, she is called “*the mother of eloquent speech and melodious music*”. Saraswati is the active energy and power of Brahma. She is also mentioned in many minor Sanskrit publications such as Sarada Tilaka of 8th century CE.

## **Personality**

Though the traditional form of Saraswati is of calm, compassionate, and peaceful one: Nila Sarasvati is the ugra (angry, violent, destructive) manifestation of Saraswati, while the more common manifestation of Saraswati is the saumya (calm, compassionate, productive) manifestation.

## **Appearance**

Saraswati takes the form of a beautiful fair-skinned woman dressed in pure white, often seated on a white lotus, which symbolizes light, knowledge and truth. She is generally shown to have four arms, but sometimes just two. When shown with four hands, those hands symbolically mirror her husband Brahma's four heads.

Her four hand-held items have symbolic meaning — a *pustaka* (book or script), a *mālā* (rosary, garland), a water pot and a musical instrument (vīnā). The book she holds symbolizes the Vedas representing the universal, divine, eternal, and true knowledge as well as all forms of learning. A mālā of crystals, representing the power of meditation, inner reflection, and spirituality. A pot of water represents the purifying power to separate right from wrong, the clean from the unclean, and essence from the inessential. In some texts, the pot of water is symbolism for soma – the drink that liberates and leads to knowledge. The most famous feature on Saraswati is a musical instrument called a veena, represents all creative arts and sciences, and her holding it symbolizes expressing knowledge that creates harmony.

## **Known Powers and Abilities**

Being a goddess of music and art, Saraswati has omnipotent control over those domains.

* **Super Strength** - As a goddess, Saraswati has unlimited physical strength, despite not displaying her strength.
* **Super Stamina** - She does not require food, drink, or rest to maintain herself, and can go indefinitely without sustenance.
* **Super Senses** - Being a goddess of music and art, her senses are far superior to other beings, she is able to hear and visually perceive things that other beings can't pick up.
* **Immortality** - As a goddess, Saraswati is naturally immortal, she is eons old and will continue to live forever.
* **Nigh Invulnerability** - No mortal weapon is capable of causing any harm to Saraswati, she is immune to all forms of physical harm and death.
* **Nigh Indestructibility** - Only a weapon created by or wielded by another god can cause significant harm to Saraswati, mortal weapons have no effect on her.
* **Regeneration** - She is able regenerate all injuries in a short period of time, however injuries sustained by a divine weapon take longer to heal.
* **Mental Manipulation** - Saraswati is able to grant humans the power of creativity, wisdom and learning, and inspires directors, dancers, and painters while creating their art.
* **Apporting** - Saraswati sent the princess Lila to another universe to see an alternate version of her husband.
* **Teleportation** - At will, Saraswati can teleport anywhere she wishes, she accompanied princess Lila to another universe to see an alternate version of her husband.
* **Biokinesis** - Having the power over speech, she is able prevent a person from talking and to make a person speak. She is capable of undoing any/all damage they may have suffered and potentially even making them stronger in process.
* **Astral Perception** - Saraswati can perceive alternate realities, allowing her to sense and comprehend the whole truth, laws and mechanics behind that reality no matter how it is hidden or how complex it is.
* **Shapeshifting** - In order to stop an all-consuming fire created by the Bhargava-Haihaya war, Saraswati shapeshifted into the form of a river to put out the fire.
* **Hydrokinesis** - She was the personification of the Saraswati River, which is a symbol of purity, thus she holds omnipotent power over the river itself, she can create, shape and manipulate the river and the water in it, including all the aspects of the river, from the purely physical ones and also conceptual ones.
* **Photokinesis** - Being associated with purity, Saraswati is able to become a divine representation of light and can convert this light power into an energy and use it as a full source to extend her powers.
* **Power Negation** - Saraswati is regarded as the dispeller of chaos and confusion, and can block the forces of evil.

## **Weaknesses**

* **Other Deities** - More powerful gods can prove to be a match for Saraswati.
* **Divine Weaponry** - Weapons wielded by a god can severely harm Saraswati.