Sarasvati

In the ṛgveda, together with divine will, is another power that manifests itself in us ― the power of inspiration, manifested as the goddess sarasvatī. The hymns to sarasvatī first make their appearance in the poetry of ṝṣi madhuccandāḥ vaiśvāmitrāḥ and give us an insight into the character of this power within us.

The richness of the vedic symbolism is again depicted here – in that of the ocean ― the chosen image of infinite and eternal existence; and that of the river ― the image of a stream of conscious being.

पावका नः सरस्वती वाजेभिः वाजिनीवती
यज्ञं वष्टु धियावसुः

pāvakā naḥ sarasvatī vājebhiḥ vājinīvatī
yajñaṁ vaṣṭu dhiyāvasuḥ

May the purifying sarasvatī, with plentiful types of plenitudes
Rich in the substance made by thoughts, desire our yajña

madhuccandāḥ first hearkens to sarasvatī to purify and remove the layers of falsehood embedded in our emotions, will and action. sarasvatī is capable of giving us everything in all possible forms and plentifully, as ascribed by the Sanskrit word, vāja ― the plenitude of all forms. She is also rich in dhiyāvasuḥ ― the substance of thought and invoked to bless our [inner] pilgrim-sacrifice.

The vedic idea was that the subconscient darkness and the ordinary life of ignorance held concealed in it all that belongs to divinity. The secret riches are recovered by destroying the powers of falsehood and ignorance.

चोदयित्री सूनृतानां चेतन्ती सुमतीनाम्
यज्ञं दधे सरस्वती

codayitrī sūnṛtānāṁ cetantī sumatīnām
yajñaṁ dadhe sarasvatī

She is the impeller of auspicious truths and the awakener of all happy thoughts
May that sarasvatī uphold the yajña

sarasvatī makes us become more conscious so that we do not turn to the paths of falsehood, creating in us right states of emotion and right movements of thought ― impelling the truth to manifest in our emotions, will and action; the vedic word, sumatīnām, especially meaning the happiness in our thoughts accompanied by a gladness in our souls.

महो अर्णः सरस्वती प्र चेतयति केतुना
धियो विश्वा वि राजति

maho arṇaḥ sarasvatī pra cetayati ketunā
dhiyo viśvā vi rājati

sarasvatī awakens the great flood [of truth] by the revelation in the consciousness
She illumines entirely all thoughts

By her constant awakening and impulsion ― collectively called ketu, or perception, sarasvatī brings into our active consciousness, the truth-consciousness itself, what the ancient vedic ṝṣi referred to as maho arṇaḥ or great ocean.

So ends the first hymn of the ṛgveda to sarasvatī, the power of inspiration.

Peace
S