Saraswathy Pooja for knowledge and wisdom

by Chelvathamby Maniccavasagar

In Hinduism the Supreme Lord is represented by Maheswara and His power is represented by His consort Sakthi. Sakthi is the embodiment of power. She is the supreme power by which the world is made to function. Such Saraswathy Pooja or Navarathri Vizha is called Sakthi Worship.

In one of his poems T.S. Eliot has described the predicament of man with all the progress and success he had made in science and technology finds inventions and endless experiments bring us knowledge of motion, but not of stillness."

Goddess Sarasvathy	Goddess Mahalakshmi	Goddess Durga

It is Sakthi which stirs Lord Shiva to motion and speech. Shiva is the word, it is Sakthi which moves to words.

The union between them is represented by the image of Shiva is Ardha Nariswara, half man and half woman. Even in Kanthapuranam Lord Muruga is considered to be Gnana Sakthi and His consorts Theivanai and Valli are Kiriya Sakthi and Ischa Sakthi

Threefold aspects

Of the many Gods in the Hindu Pantheon none is revered more than the Mother Goddess. God as Mother Supreme in Her threefold aspect as Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathy is worshipped by Hindus for nine days and is called Navarathri in of September according to the Hindu calendar.

Goodness, strength, prosperity, knowledge and wisdom are indeed very essential for a man's progress and success in life.

When a man is young he should have good health and strength.

He should also have wealth as well as knowledge and wisdom. In fact, Goodness reveals love, while prosperity brings happiness and finally knowledge leads the way to truth and God realisation.

In the Navarathri pooja, Goddess Mother Parvathi in Her aspect as Durga is first worshipped for three nights for the destruction of evil nature in man.

In fact, Durga is considered to be Samhara Sakthi. Durga's Vahanam or vehicle the Lion, is the symbolic annihilator of Evil. Durga destroys the evil forces or tendencies which are hidden within a man.

Man's endeavours

The next three nights are dedicated to Mahalakshmi to attain or seek material and spiritual welfare. She is the protective and sustaining power of Lord Vishnu and the Goddess of Wealth. Wealth has to be obtained by man's endeavours to lead a Dharmic way of life.

During the final three nights the Mother Parvathi is worshipped as Saraswathy. She is the creative power of God and is worshipped as the Goddess of Learning. She is depicted seated on a white lotus draped in a white saree playing the Veena, indicating that she sings the melody of life.

Saraswathy's appearance connotes purity. The white swan is a symbol of perfection. She is worshipped for knowledge and wisdom which will guide and lead men to the final goal of liberation.

Special ritual

The 10th day is called Vijaya Dasami and special and colourful rituals are observed in temples. Life is a constant battle, a war between good and evil, light and darkness, knowledge and ignorance, truth and falsehood, immortality and death. As such, to a world lost in error, beset by illusions of time, weighed down by conflicts and contradictions, trials and tribulation the Saraswathy Pooja or Navarathri Vizha will undoubtedly bring peace, happiness, harmony, unity and prosperity among all communities.