
Saraswati's name means 'elegant', 'flowing', and 'watery' and this is indicative of her status as one of the early Aryan boundary rivers. Goddess Maa Saraswati WORSHIP & RITUALS : In the directions beginning with the southeast, the palaces of Lakshmi, Saraswati, Rati, and Kanti respectively are situated. (Padma Purana Uttara-khanda).Īccompanied by Goddess Lakshmi and other associates, the chatur-vyuha (Four Expansions) headed by Lord Vasudeva are manifest in the eight directions, beginning with the east. The Vedic hymns and all sacred mantras also stay in that holy place, which is made of all the Vedas,Īnd which is known in the Smriti-sastra as the yoga-pitha. In some Puranas (like Skanda Purana) she is sister of Shiva (Shivaanujaa) and in some Tantras with Ganesha. Hindus worship her not only for “secular knowledge”, but for “divine knowledge” essential to achieve moksha. In Hinduism, Saraswati represents intelligence, consciousness, cosmic knowledge, creativity, education, enlightenment, music, the arts, and power.

In the post-Vedic age, she began to lose her status as a river goddess and became increasingly associated with literature, arts, music, etc.

In the Rigveda, Saraswati is a river as well as its personification as a goddess. Saraswati is also worshiped outside of South Asia, in regions such as Japan, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Myanmar.
