The importance of Saraswathi Puja and Ayudha Puja:

Chitvish · Sep 28, 2006

The importance of Saraswathi Puja and Ayudha Puja:

In our culture, from an early age, we are taught not to touch, books or any paper with our feet. It is considered a violation of doing things the right way. Any book is a symbol of knowledge and therefore sacred. We immediately touch the trampled book or any educational object with our hands and keep them in our eyes as a mark of our apology. Why do we do this ?

We consider knowledge, very sacred and divine. For Hindus, Goddess Saraswathi is the Goddess of learning and we pray to her for academic as well as spiritual knowledge. We also believe that she bestows on us clarity of thought and nobility of ideas. We pray to her to gain knowledge, dispassion, devotion and prosperity. When we keep knowledge on a pedestal, how can we trample on paper which stands for Saraswathi ?

On Saraswathi puja day, we keep all books in the prayer room, evoke Knowledge in the form of Saraswathi and do puja.
The following prayer is chanted to her before starting our studies:

Saraswathi namasthubhyam varadae kaamaroopinee
Vidhyaarambham karishyaami siddhir bhavathumae sadaa

I prostrate to you, Goddess Saraswathi. You give boons and fulfill our wishes.
I pray to you to grant my wishes when I start my studies.

Goddess Saraswathi presides over and protects every form of art. So, on this day, consecrated to Saraswathi, the musical instruments in the house are cleansed, placed on an altar and devotedly worshipped, these being the abode of this Goddess.

Besides, on that day Ayudha Puja is also celebrated. This is, worshipping whatever implements, one uses in livelihood. If one can make a conscious effort to see the divine in the tools and objects, one uses each day, it will help one to see one's work as an offering to God. It will also help one to maintain constant remembrance of the divine. This is an expression of gratitude to God for helping one to fulfill one's duties.

Yet another prayer to Saraswathi, to be blessed with brilliance, knowledge and talent is:
Yaa daevee sthooyathae nithyam vibhudhair vaeda paaragaih
Saa mae vasathu jihvaagrae brahmaroopaa saraswathi

May Saraswathi, the Goddess of knowledge, who is ever praised by the wise, who have mastered the scriptures, who is the embodiment of the Vedas ( or the consort of Lord Brahma ), live on the tip of my tongue.

What better prayer can there be, to ask for, to the giver of all knowledge and wisdom?

Love & Regards,
Chithra

purnima_2k · Sep 28, 2006

Pramadam!

HI Mrs CV,

Your explanations are clear and neat. There can be no questions or doubts in what you have written. I cannot thank you enough for clarifying allmy doubts which have been accumulated since childhood, through your Culture thread.

Am really missing on the fun and frolic of Navrathri in India!!!

Thank you so very much for your valuable guidance on Saraswathi pooja

Purni

sudhavnarasimhan · Sep 29, 2006

Dear Chitra,
That was a very detailed and apt description for Saraswathi pooja....
thanks for sharing with us all this!

Kamla · Sep 30, 2006

Thanks for the knowledge about knowledge

Dear Chitra,

Was a pleasure to read the well written and clearly explained significance of Saraswathi and Ayudha Puja. All the details you give in clear and simple language and in concise form are extremely useful to us and our progeny. Glad to see your posts again. Hope you are having a wonderful Navarathri.

L, Kamla

Priya Amarnath · Sep 30, 2006

beautiful

Dear Chithra

A beautiful explanation abt the significance of navarathri. U have explained in a beautiful language of why we do Aydha pooja and saraswathi pooja.

Thanking u for another wonderful post.

Love and regards
priya

anjana · Oct 1, 2006

Well explained Mrs CV,

Dear Mrs C,
Thanks for sharing this knowledge of yours with us. So apt for Saraswathi pooja. I chanted all the slokas that you mentioned except for the first three days as mentioned to you. Each and everything was very easy. Will continue the rest of the slokas for the remaining days.Wish you a happy SARASWATHI POOJA.
Love,

Surya · Oct 1, 2006

Dear Chitra,

You have very well written and clearly explained the importance of saraswathi pooja and ayudha pooja. Thanks for the post.

regards,
surya.

Chitvish · Oct 1, 2006

Hello, my dear Purnima !

Thankyou very much for the F B.
This time I was in Madurai for navaratri, after many years. The ambience in our Meenakshi temple was beautiful ! Nothing to equal the festive atmosphere of our country!
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Chitvish · Oct 1, 2006

My dear Sudha !

Today is Saraswathi Puja & let us all pray together
Yaa daevee sarva bhootheshu buddhi roopaeNa samsthithaa
Namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namo namah
Thanks for your cute F b !
Love & regards,
Chithra.

Chitvish · Oct 1, 2006

Thankyou, my dear Sujata !

I am also happy to be back with all of you ! Let us all pray today
Yaa daevee sarva bhootheshu vidyaa roopaeNa samsthithaa
Namasthasyai namasthasyai namasthasyai namo namah
Thankyou for the "as dutiful as ever" F B, Kamla .
Love & regards,
Chithra.