3 Tantrik Meditations on Sarasvatī

In our paddathi (ritual manual), throughout the nyāsa section which we've been studying together over the past few weeks, we find these Sanskrit verses. They are all dhyāna-ślokas, meditation mantras for the Goddess of Speech, Parā Devī or Sarasvatī. This argues the case that nyāsa is not only about consecrating the body, it is also about invoking the Goddess of Speech and meditating upon her as an act of devotion. In a sense, the nyāsa section in our pūjā is itself a kind of Sarasvatī Pūjā! Anyway, since we weren't able to have to have a class on Vasant Panchami last month (which is the day we celebrate Sarasvatī and which also is the first day of Spring in the Vedic calendar) I decided to use this Spring Equinox to discuss the Goddess! May all these words be an offering to Her who is speech and articulation Itself! 

Here are the three meditation mantras we find in our book, along with some loose translations: 

oṁ pañcāśallipibhir-vibhakta-mukhadōḥ-pan-madhya-vakṣaḥsthalāṁ bhāsvanmaulinibaddhacandraśakalāmāpīnatuṅgastanīm mudrāmakṣaguṇaṁ sudhāḍhyakalaśaṁ vidyāṁ ca hastāmbujairbibhrāṇāṁ viśadaprabhāṁ trinayanāṁ vāgdēvatāmāśrayē 

"I take refuge in the Goddess of Speech who is three-eyed and radiant who holds in her lotus hands a mudra, a rosary, a pot of nectar and a book, whose breast are full, who is adorned by the crescent moon and whose face, mouth, hands, body are formed by the 50 distinct letters!" 

oṁ sindūra-kāntimamitābharaṇāṁ trinētrāṁ vidyākṣasūtra-mr̥gapōta-varān dadhānām pārśvē sthitāṁ bhagavatīm-api kāñcanābhāṁ dhyāyēt karābja-dhr̥ta-pusataka-varṇamālām 

"Who is beautiful with vermillion, who is adorned with jewelry, who is three-eyed, who shows the boon-giving gesture and who holds a rosary, a book and a young deer, the Divine Goddess who is beside Shiva, radiant like gold; one should meditate upon her who holds a book and a garland of letters in her lotus like hand!"

oṁ akṣasrajaṁ hariṇapōtamudagraṭaṅkaṁ vidyāṁ karairavirataṁ dadhatīṁ trinētrām
ardhēndumaulimaruṇāmaravindasaṁsthāṁ varṇēśvarīṁ praṇamata stanabhāranamrām

"Who holds a rosary and a young deer, whose brows are high and beautiful, adorned with earrings, who constantly holds a book in her hands, who is three eyed, who's crowned is adorned with a half moon and who sits in a red lotus, slightly bent from the weight of her full bosom, She is the Goddess of Speech! I bow to Her! 

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