Saraswati the Goddess of Wisdom, Music, and Dance

Sarasawti stands upon a lotus emerging from the waters. A beautiful maiden with four arms she conforms to the norms of classical Indian thought which visualizes the feminine form with fill breasts, a narrow waist, and ample hips, all symbolizing the fertility aspect of womanhood in general. With two of her hands she supports and plays her veena, the other two sport a book and lotus respectively. The lotus is a symbol of purity and the book associates her with wisdom and learning.

The veena in her hand symbolizes her role as the goddess of music. Accompanying her is the peacock. The peacock is a beautiful bird with a bright plumage, and his dance is proverbial and well known; when the feathers composing his tail shoot up fan-like in a beautiful semi-circular arrangement of great beauty indicative of joy. The peacock is perceived as a proficient dancer unsurpassed not only in dance steps, but also in the grandeur of its color glory like a danseuse, well dressed and fully equipped with ornamentation and apparel. Its presence in this painting along with the veena shows that she is unquestionably the patron deity of both music and dance.

This description by Nitin Kumar, Executive Editor, Exotic India.

References:

Pal Pratapaditya (Ed). Dancing to the Flute, Music and Dance in Indian Art: Australia, The Art Gallery of New South Wales, Sydney, 1997.

Sivaramamurti C. Birds and Animals in Indian Sculpture: New Delhi, National Museum, 1974.