From a satsang by Paramacharya of SWAHA, H.H. Pt. Hardeo Persad
In Hinduism, there is a mythical cow of plenty, the kaamdhenu, which according to Chanakya Maharaj, the famous strategist and thinker (c. 350 BC), is vidya, the right type of knowledge. The cow of plenty bestows everything that we need; so too does knowledge, which is a form of power. In the past, our ancestors have always emphasised the importance of knowledge through education. Who is a knowledgeable person? The person of knowledge, like the swan, is very discerning about what he or she feeds the mind. Such an individual can survive anywhere in the world, in any situation.
Saraswati Devi, often referred to as the Goddess of Knowledge, is the power of enlightened creative activity, kriyaa shakti. She is knowledge with insight and right application. From a real world perspective, today there are many digital tools that consume youngsters’ time. There is a constant flow of information to them from these devices, and their minds are thus impacted upon by external forces. There is often little room for creativity in such situations, with the consumption of information being the main result. As such, while all these forms of technology are quite useful, at the same time, we are exposing ourselves and our children to external conditioning through the constant intake of information. Thus, the worship of Saraswati Devi is important in today’s world in order to stimulate our creativity and to apply our education and knowledge to our everyday lives.
We must also recognise that everything is cyclical, as stated in our scriptures. Given this cyclical nature, there is the possibility that one day in the future, technology could crash, and we will then have to function without its advantages. While technology has a useful purpose in our everyday lives, if we become dependent on it, it will be to the detriment of our own brains and minds. We must be the master of technology. We must remember that the best technology that we have is our own brains and minds.
While Saraswati Devi is the principle of the Divine that is associated with knowledge, speech and the fine arts, she is not limited to being the manifestation of all worldly knowledge. She also represents knowledge in an infinite sense. Saraswati Devi signifies the enlightened intellect within us. By the worship of Saraswati Devi, the devotee receives the light of wisdom, true knowledge, insight, intelligence, and intellectual and creative brilliance. Such knowledge dispels the darkness of ignorance and frees one from the cycle of birth and death.
From a metaphysical perspective, within the subtle body of man, three channels of bio-energy flow upwards from the muladhaara chakra at the base of the spine and merge at the ajna chakra, located in the forehead. These three channels of sustenance: the Ida Naadi, Pingala Naadi and Sushumna Naadi, energise the entire body, fortifying it with the requisite energy to successfully carry out all bodily functions. Symbolically, river Gangaa is representative of the Ida Naadi, the stream of bhakti or devotion; the subterranean stream Saraswati is symbolic of the Pingala Naadi, signifying gyaan, the stream of wisdom, while river Yamuna, the Sushumna Naadi, is representative of karma, the stream of selfless action. The worship of Saraswati Devi enables this flow of wisdom that takes one out of a state of ignorance to one of empowerment and self-realisation.
