Goddess of Wisdom

Although a deity of great antiquity, Saraswati does not appear in art until the Kushan period. Significantly, her earliest image is a Jain dedication and depicts her as the goddess of learning with a book in her hand.

Cost in brass by the 'cire Perdue' process, goddess Saraswati is seated on a lotus. She is Brahma's Shakti and presides over and protects wisdom and the arts and who invented writing. In pre-Vedic and Vedic times, we find her venerated as the goddess of rivers. Later she evolves into the goddess of eloquence. Iconically, Saraswati appears as a four-armed goddess playing the lute-Vina, which symbolizes the arts as a whole. In one hand she holds a palm-leaf book justifying her image as Vidyadevi, the book being a symbol of wisdom and writing. Every posture of the hand is full of meaning. Her hand is in the teaching attitude (vyakhyana mudra). She is dressed in a short choli and a minutely carved lower garment. She wears an elaborate karandamukuta, which gradually tapers upwards. Behind the crown is a 'siras chakra'. This is a halo, also called prabhamandala, depicted behind the head of the goddess. It is circular with lotus petals carved on it. She is adorned with many ornaments. Numerous necklaces, earrings, bangles and anklets decorate the image.

The vina is worked upon finely. The instrument ends in the form of a fawn head, true to life with the gentle eyes. Indians feel that knowledge and enlightenment spread wherever lies the image of goddess Saraswati.

This description by Renu Rana.

Of Related Interest:

Goddess of Wisdom Oil Painting

Mayuravahana Saraswati

Kamalasana Saraswati

The Shyama-varna Vagdevi popularly known as Saraswati

Saraswati Doll

Saraswati Madhubani Painting from Bihar