Sarasvati

May your waters cleanse us, O Sarasvati, Goddess of the river of your name, and of arts and learning. The words she writes and the notes she plays on her vina are as Soma to the one who loves knowledge, nourishing the body and enlivening the spirit with clarity and purity of vision. Wherever she rides upon the pure white peacock or swan, the current of truth washes away all lies and impurities. When asuras threaten, great Sarasvati’s hands reach out to grip the trident, chakram, or bow, as unafraid as if she were taking up her vina or fountain pen. Her strength is Devi’s own strength.

Where other Gods’ greatness exalts themselves, the wife of Brahmā’s greatness flows into her worshippers’ minds like clear water into their mouths. She would rather Incarnate herself as a high-school music teacher than a rock star, a local librarian than a bestselling novelist. Yet her fame, unsought, extends from her home river to faraway Cambodia, the United States, Indonesia, Japan, and Thailand; and to Shinto, Jainism, and Buddhism. When the student fears the exam that will make or break a grade-point average, when the writer races towards the looming deadline, they honor the one garbed in the white of a swan’s feather or an unmarked page.

Of her Scions, Sarasvati demands pure and correct conduct as well as great achievement in scholarship or creativity, which won her Confucius’, Obatala’s, and Athena’s admiration. The gifts she grants Scions are considerable, just like the gifts she grants all humanity. In particular, she encourages her children to confront problems with creativity and artistic flair. Any Scion can wrestle a dragon into submission, but a Scion of Sarasvati can charm it to their side with an impromptu song. The most brilliant manifestation of feminine might demands nothing less.