Book Title: Godess Saraswati
Author(s): Unknown
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

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Page 43
________________ 72 open beak." The presence of swan evidently identifies the goddess to be Sarasvati. A gold coin of the Gupta style and fabric in the Indian Musem, Calcutta, datable Eo 6th-7th century A.D. has the figure of a goddess on its reverse.09 The goddess is nimbate, standing to left, holding lotus in outstretched right hand, behind her a lotus-plant and at her feet a hamsa (or peacock according to Smith). Allan : describes it as the goddess of Laksmi. But Banarjea states that "the hamsa at the feet of the figure would justify us in identifying her as Sarasvati, the counter-part of Laksmi..> According to Gode," "If Banarjea's remarks are correct, we have in the above coins numistmatic evidence of tre 7th century A.D. about Sarasvati with hansa at her fee." . Besides, Sarasvati also appears on the coins of Na encravinata, a Bengal king of the late Gupta period as standing in tribhariga posture. Like numismatic remains, "we have a few representation of Sarasvati on seals and similar objects. co the many religious seals that were unearthed by Marshal at Shita, there is one circular seal No.18, which contains a Vase (bhadra-ghata) on the pedestal, below it is writtes i.. northern characters of the Gupta period, Sarasvati." The goddess of learning is thus represented here by means of ghata emblem, as observes Banarjea." It is remarcable that the Purnaghata implies the same meaning as that of a river.

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