Why Do We Say Saraswati Is the Goddess of Knowledge?

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Why Do We Say Saraswati Is the Goddess of Knowledge?

We say Saraswathy is the goddess of knowledge. But how far do we truly understand the dimensions of this statement?

We often associate Saraswathy with schools, colleges, and children. Once a career begins, people tend to shift their focus from Saraswathy to Lakshmi, whom they consider the goddess of wealth, success, and achievement. Rarely do we find people praying to Saraswathy unless they are from the academic field.

Once, Sage Yajnavalkya revealed her greatness. Goddess Saraswathy is the presiding deity of languages. All kinds of knowledge—whether through Sanskrit or any other language, including Russian, Arabic, Hebrew, Farsi, German, Japanese, or even the languages spoken by the native tribes of the Amazon—are under her command. It is not that Saraswathy governs only Sanskrit or Indian languages.

Some people object to spiritual subjects being discussed in English, claiming it is a foreign language and that spirituality should only be discussed in our mother tongue or other Indian languages. Why? Do you mean to say that God’s influence is limited to the Indian subcontinent? What a narrow view and utter ignorance!

On one hand, you proclaim that God is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent, yet you declare certain languages or religions to be alien. This belittles divinity. Statements like 'their God, our God' or 'what they do is wrong, what we do is right' are not spiritual—they reflect someone’s ulterior motives.

Our sages proclaimed Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam—the whole earth is one family. We shouldn’t discriminate between 'our language' and 'their language,' or 'our religion' and 'their religion.' By doing so, you reduce God to the level of a village officer with jurisdiction limited to a few square kilometers.

This is not what our sages taught. They placed no limits on divinity’s power, reach, scope, or mercy. So why are we imposing such limits now? Sanatana Dharma is inclusive, not restricted to those who speak a particular language.

Every language of the universe is under Saraswathy’s command—even sign language, encryption, code languages used by spies, and programming languages. If you are a software professional seeking success as a programmer, you need Saraswathy’s blessings. If you are already excelling, it means you have her blessings. Would it not be better to be grateful to her and seek her blessings daily?

Saraswathy is the goddess of all knowledge—from surgery to architecture, accounting to rocket science. If you are a good doctor, architect, or scientist, you are already blessed by her. Every branch of knowledge is under her command.

Saraswathy is also the goddess of memory. Without her blessings, you could experience a complete blackout in an exam hall. If you can recall and write down answers, it is due to her grace. If you remember what you did today or recognize your loved ones, it is because of her.

When you follow the storyline of a movie, hum a song, remember a word's spelling, or narrate an incident, it is her blessing. If you can recall your mobile number or bank account details, it is because of her.

She also governs intelligence—be it solving arithmetic, handling currency, or identifying risks like crossing a busy road. These faculties are gifts from her. Some people lack these abilities, which should remind us to be grateful to Saraswathy for what we have.

The ability to teach, present ideas, convince others, or organize information systematically is a blessing from her. Salespeople convincing customers, journalists reporting stories, writers crafting poems, and even people drafting emails all receive her blessings.

If someone prepares an invoice, remembers the price of an item, calculates GST, or knows how to print a bill, it is because of her. Saraswathy’s blessings guide us every moment, step by step, throughout our lives.

Let us pray to her and express gratitude to her every day.

Knowledge Bank

What is the meaning of hypocrisy?

It is called hypocrisy when someone pretends to have more knowledge or moral standards than he actually has. It is the holier-than-thou attitude.

Which is the simplest Hayagriva mantra?

ॐ हयग्रीवाय नमः - Om hayagreevaya namaha.