Taking forward discussion from the previous issue, the first to make note of is Veena (a stringed musical instrument) in Saraswati’s hands. Pleasing sound emanating from the musical instrument comes through harmony and symphony of varied sound notes excited by different strings. In an implied sense, Mother remains the beholder of all Shabda - spoken as well as written words carrying meaning. And the word carries meaning only when the letters are placed in an orderly fashion. It also implies that pleasing mannerism alone could help being in harmony with those around to enjoy a smooth run of life.
Here, it will be interesting to look at the following verse, which throws light on the origin of the words with name and meaning:
“Prajapatirva ida?asit; Tasya vaga Dwitiya asit, Vagvaiparama? Brahman”.
Literally it means that in the beginning was the Prajapati (the lord of all beings) with whom was Vaka. Vaka is spoken of as second to Him, because She is first potentially in, and then as Shakti issues forth; and the word is Brahmana.
The same concept resonates in the 4th Gospel:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God”.
Vaka is thus a Shakti or Power of the creator.
Going by ancient India’s philosophic perception, the sound that got excited when the first motion at the Primal-Source happened, was the primal-sound Om. Following which, when energy streams got excited out of the seeds of creation, emerged unaccounted number of differentiated sounds. Out of them, the ones audible to human ears, are termed as root syllables (Bija mantra). 50/51 alphabets of Sanskrit are all root syllables. The harmony and symphony of these root syllables led to the making of the words with name and form. The words inherently rest in Akasha (the space filled with eternal element of consciousness). Akasha was the first to emerge in the process of creation of the Universe, which even modern science acknowledges. That provided the ground for further evolution of the energy chains excited in the process. Akasha is supposed to hold in its womb the supra-sensual power of sound, which flowing through the air comes in touch with the vocal cord to manifest words audible to human ears. Mother, thus, metaphorically symbolises being beholder of words.
The mother is perceived holding a book (the Veda) in one hand, which symbolises being beholder of eternal truth – self-revealed design parameters underlying existence. And that remains beyond the scope of individual judgment. In this context Rumi’s saying becomes imperative: “Somewhere beyond right or wrong, there is a garden.” One could explore truth only with this mind-set, which calls for moving beyond the sense of duality of mind. True knowledge and wisdom can be therefore acquired only by a pure uncorrupted mind, free from any limitation whatsoever.
The Mother is shown having a rosary in another hand. It implies that repeated reflection over knowledge acquired would be needed for realisation of the true import of the subject matter of learning. So runs the verse: “Shashtra sunishcit puni-puni dekhi”, which means that repeated reflection firms up our insights.
She is shown moving freely in a water body, having beautiful Lotus flower around. Lotus grows out of the mud lying in water body’s bed. The Lotus flower here symbolises both creativity and lustre evident with knowledge. It needs to be appreciated here that though born in muddy water, not even a drop of water or mud particle can stick to the lotus flower leaves, thus implying a sense of detachment. So, true wisdom can be acquired only when explored with a sense of detachment. Otherwise, sense of duality driving a human mind will not let you figure out the thin dividing line between truth and untruth.
A peacock is also shown around Mother, which she uses as a carrier while moving up above in the sky. We cannot afford to lose sight of the forces routed through the infinite, inaccessible and indestructible Akasha either. And, obviously tracking down the information laid down there is no easy task. It needs to be remembered here that the prized feed of a peacock is poisonous snake. When the peacock digests the snake’s poison, it leads to a change in its body chemistry, which results in the beautiful colour its plumage reflects. Similarly, knowledge acquisition cannot be an easy task. Only those who take on the pains associated with learning process kindly, would be able to acquire the knowledge and wisdom, vital to turning life into a beautiful experience.
The writer is an astrologer, vastu consultant and spiritual counsellor. Connect with him at
Tel: 91-11-9818037273/9871037272
