The Sarasvati Civilisation: A Paradigm Shift in Ancient Indian History by Maj Gen GD Bakshi

Author:Maj Gen GD Bakshi [Bakshi, Maj Gen GD]
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Garuda Prakashan
Published: 2020-04-13T16:00:00+00:00

River Sarasvati as the Goddess of wisdom and intuition

Sarasvati as Mother Deity

The Sarasvati is a mighty stream that arouses awe and adoration amongst the Rig Vedic Aryans. We see it being transformed from a River into a Goddess of learning. The Rishis had mostly dwelt on its banks, their grains were filled with its nectarine juices; its honey sweet sap nourished their bodies. The music of this stream inspired their mystical verses and they sang them to this stream. They thus charged these waters with the wisdom and songs of the Vedas. They had received their insights and intuitions on the banks of this sacred stream. They had heard the divine music of its tinkling stream. They called it the stream of wisdom and knowledge, the stream of all learning, insight and intuition. They were fulsome in their praise of this stream of knowledge. Their songs of praise for a mighty river turned into songs of praise for the Goddess of Wisdom and Learning herself—the mother of insight and intuition. Like the later Ganga river she entered the pantheon of deities of the Indic civilisation. The difference however was that Sarasvati was not just a river personified—like the Greek Goddess Minerva she was the goddess of wisdom and learning herself.

Geographically the Sarasvati is the cradle, the source river of the Indian civilisation. The Indo-Aryan pantheon has mostly male Gods—Indra, Mitra, Varuna, Agni, Soma, Ashwins, Rudra etc. However, it also has female deities like, Ila, Bharti and Mahi.

A verse celebrates them: .

“I invoke the benevolent deities—Ila, Sarasvati and Mahi.

May they take their seats on this Kusha Grass throne of worship.”

(RV 1.13.9)

At other places Sarasvati is identified with Bharati—the deity of Bharat (mother India?)—that is the core idea of India. The Rig Vedic stanza states-

“May mother Bharati with her Bharatas, Ila Devi with her Devas and

Mother Sarasvati with her Sarasvat people (learned men)

Be pleased to take their seat on the Kusha throne with Agni”

(RV 7.2.8)

The original runs like this: .

“आ भारती भारती भी: संजोषा इला देव्यैर्मनुष्योमिशम्बे।

सरस्वती सारस्वते मिरर्वाक तिस्त्रादेविरबृहदेवं सदन्तु।।”

(Vashistha Maitravaruni 7.2.8)

Sarasvati in Yajur Veda

There are 68 mantras in the Yajur Veda about the Sarasvati. In most, she is praised as the Goddess of speech on par with the Ashwin twins.

“May the Goddess Sarasvati who through her truthful speech inspires us to speak the truth.

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