Godess Saraswati

Author(s): Unknown
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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The Goddess of learning has one face and four
hands. She has matted hair. She holds in her hands akşamālā, lotus, book and lute." She is the giver of boon and knowledge. The same work states that she is fourarmed and sits on the lotus. In her four hands, she holds pen, the book, lotus and kunda flower. 54
The Prapanchasāra Tantra35 (chapter 7-3) also gives information about the four armed icon of Sarasvati. The attributes in different hands are abstraction, rosary, pitcher and a book. Her body is composed by the alphabets. Chapters of the same tantra text gives viņā, rosary, pitcher
of nectar and a book in her respective four hands and
describes the swan as her vehicle.
The Tantrasaraalso prescribes some dhyānas of
Sarasvati. In one instance she is white complexioned and
is seated on a white flower with smiling face. She has four
hands which hold lotus, rudrakşamālā, a vessel and a book.
The Goddess of learning is seated on a lotus seat.
She has three eyes, proportionate body and firm breasts.
She has four hands which carry Japāmāla, two lotuses and a
manuscript. 38
Besides the above discussed texts, there are a few texts which refers about the iconography of the multi
armed images of Sarasvati.
In Vyakrutika-Rahasya
eight-armed image of
Sarasvati has been described. In it, her attributes are bana,
śula, ghanta, hala and dhanu, chakra, sankha and musala.