सरस्वती (Sarasvatī) : A Painting!

सरस्वती is the deity of speech, arts, music, knowledge, and mind power. सरस्वती is also called ‘Vacdevi’ the goddess of speech and communications. She revealed the languages in the world. Goddess सरस्वती is depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in pure white representing purity; sits on a white swan symbolizing the cosmic knowledge. In her hands she holds a veena through the strings of which flows all creativity, a book symbolizing the four Vedas (the source of knowledge of the Hindu philosophy); a crystal chain representing the power of meditation, and a pot of sacred water to purify human mind.

Sarasvatī Meditation Chant:

ॐ सरस्वती मया दृष्ट्वा, वीणा पुस्तक धारणीम् ।

हंस वाहिनी समायुक्ता मां विद्या दान करोतु में ॐ ।।

(Om Saraswati Mayaa Drishtwa, Veena Pustak Dharnim |

Hans Vahini Samayuktaa Maa Vidya Daan Karotu Me Om ||)

Subject: Saraswati, the Hindu goddess of communication, music and art. Mixed Medium: Water Colour & Graphic Art Technique, Art Direction: Vikram Roy © Copyright 2015 Date of creation: 22 Sep, 2015.

Sarasvatī Stotram (The Worship Chant)

॥श्रीसरस्वती स्तोत्रम्॥

या कुन्देन्दु-तुषारहार-धवला या शुभ्र-वस्त्रावृता
या वीणावरदण्डमन्डितकरा या श्वेतपद्मासना।
या ब्रह्माच्युत-शंकर-प्रभृतिभिर्देवैः सदा पूजिता
सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती निःशेषजाड्यापहा ॥१॥

दोर्भिर्युक्ता चतुर्भिः स्फटिकमणिमयीमक्षमालां दधाना
हस्तेनैकेन पद्मं सितमपि च शुकं पुस्तकं चापरेण।
भासा कुन्देन्दु-शंखस्फटिकमणिनिभा भासमानाऽसमाना
सा मे वाग्देवतेयं निवसतु वदने सर्वदा सुप्रसन्ना ॥२॥

आशासु राशी भवदंगवल्लि भासैव दासीकृत-दुग्धसिन्धुम्।
मन्दस्मितैर्निन्दित-शारदेन्दुं वन्देऽरविन्दासन-सुन्दरि त्वाम् ॥३॥

शारदा शारदाम्बोजवदना वदनाम्बुजे।
सर्वदा सर्वदास्माकं सन्निधिं सन्निधिं क्रियात् ॥४॥

सरस्वतीं च तां नौमि वागधिष्ठातृ-देवताम्।
देवत्वं प्रतिपद्यन्ते यदनुग्रहतो जनाः ॥५॥

पातु नो निकषग्रावा मतिहेम्नः सरस्वती।
प्राज्ञेतरपरिच्छेदं वचसैव करोति या ॥६॥

शुद्धां ब्रह्मविचारसारपरमा-माद्यां जगद्व्यापिनीं
वीणापुस्तकधारिणीमभयदां जाड्यान्धकारापहाम्।
हस्ते स्पाटिकमालिकां विदधतीं पद्मासने संस्थितां
वन्दे तां परमेश्वरीं भगवतीं बुद्धिप्रदां शारदाम् ॥७॥

वीणाधरे विपुलमंगलदानशीले
भक्तार्तिनाशिनि विरिंचिहरीशवन्द्ये।
कीर्तिप्रदेऽखिलमनोरथदे महार्हे
विद्याप्रदायिनि सरस्वति नौमि नित्यम् ॥८॥

श्वेताब्जपूर्ण-विमलासन-संस्थिते हे
श्वेताम्बरावृतमनोहरमंजुगात्रे।
उद्यन्मनोज्ञ-सितपंकजमंजुलास्ये
विद्याप्रदायिनि सरस्वति नौमि नित्यम् ॥९॥

मातस्त्वदीय-पदपंकज-भक्तियुक्ता
ये त्वां भजन्ति निखिलानपरान्विहाय।
ते निर्जरत्वमिह यान्ति कलेवरेण
भूवह्नि-वायु-गगनाम्बु-विनिर्मितेन ॥१०॥

मोहान्धकार-भरिते हृदये मदीये
मातः सदैव कुरु वासमुदारभावे।
स्वीयाखिलावयव-निर्मलसुप्रभाभिः
शीघ्रं विनाशय मनोगतमन्धकारम् ॥११॥

ब्रह्मा जगत् सृजति पालयतीन्दिरेशः
शम्भुर्विनाशयति देवि तव प्रभावैः।
न स्यात्कृपा यदि तव प्रकटप्रभावे
न स्युः कथंचिदपि ते निजकार्यदक्षाः ॥१२॥

लक्ष्मिर्मेधा धरा पुष्टिर्गौरी तृष्टिः प्रभा धृतिः।
एताभिः पाहि तनुभिरष्टभिर्मां सरस्वती ॥१३॥

सरसवत्यै नमो नित्यं भद्रकाल्यै नमो नमः।
वेद-वेदान्त-वेदांग-विद्यास्थानेभ्य एव च ॥१४॥

सरस्वति महाभागे विद्ये कमललोचने।
विद्यारूपे विशालाक्षि विद्यां देहि नमोस्तु ते ॥१५॥

यदक्षर-पदभ्रष्टं मात्राहीनं च यद्भवेत्।
तत्सर्वं क्षम्यतां देवि प्रसीद परमेश्वरि ॥१६॥

॥इति श्रीसरस्वती स्तोत्रम् संपूर्णं॥

Many Names of Saraswati: 

Vacdevi – Deity of tongue;
Mahavani – Cosmic erudition;
Bharati – The rhetoric;
Mahavidya – Cosmic education;
Arya – The pure;
Brahmi – Wife of Brahma;
Kamadhenu – The wish cow;
Bijagarbha – The seed of communication;
Vinapani – The holiness who holds veena;
Sarada – Pure like the colour white;
Vageshvari – The mother of speech;
and
Gayatri – The spiritual singer.

About this painting:

I emailed this painting to some of my friends. One of them is an editor of a popular Literature Magazine, after seeing the painting he replied,

“A good one.
Loved the way you covered the different aspect of Maa सरस्वती.
Interesting point, haven’t seen any pic of her with her neckline or bellybutton.
Any particular aspect you wish to portray?”

It’s an opportunity for an artist if he/she can explain the meaning of their artwork. Here my reply was,

First, this painting of Maa, you can notice she looks like a real woman. She does not have four hands holding four items. She is peaceful, seated in a cosmic fountain of knowledge.

Second, this is a modern pop art. An imagination to replace the old school image in our mind. Also to modify a new goddess figure. Powerful enough to believe her new existence.

Third, Our thoughts are technically changing day by day. I think we need similar development in our gods and goddess models as well.

Fourth, the neckline and the belly button is a symbol of the modern woman around the world who are revolutionised the past 60 – 70 years.

Fifth, I was reading about Maa Saraswati’s beauty and once Brahma was attracted by her beauty and grows four heads to look at her beauty all the time at all four directions (East, West, North and South) which I never found in our traditional figure of Maa’s statues and paintings.

Related post:

The Mystery of Shiva 

http://vikramroyblog.com/2015/02/20/the-mystery-of-shiva-a-painting-by-vikram-roy-me-om-namaha-shivaya/

#Buddha, The Knowledge Tree

http://vikramroyblog.com/2014/06/22/buddha-the-knowledge-tree/

The Owl

http://vikramroyblog.com/2012/07/25/the-owl-a-painting-mix-medium-water-colour-and-charcoal-by-vikram-roy/

Prints available for home decor:

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Printmaking-Devi-Saraswati/417734/2639345/view

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Mystery-of-Shiva/417734/2352861/view

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Siddh-rtha-The-Knowledge-Tree/417734/2127027/view

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Welcome-Goddess/417734/1573485/view

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-Ardhanarishvara/417734/1567955/view

http://www.saatchiart.com/art/Painting-The-Owl/417734/1571429/view

Always love,
Vikram