Basanta Panchami - Knowledge for All and Always

Hinduism is one of the many religions which have immense impact on how people practice their existence.  Faith in gods and goddesses is the key to believing in one’s self. It is a matter of fact that the count of deities in Hinduism is numerous, and hence the numbers of worship rituals are also in abundance. One of the many is Basanta Panchami (or Shree Panchami ), which falls on 20 January 2010 this year. This is the special day when people worship goddess Saraswati, the goddess of learning and wisdom. It is the special fifth day in the waxing moon period (Shukla Paksha Panchami), the fortnight of the lunar month of Maagh. This day is marked as the beginning of the spring season as the name implies, Basanta meaning spring. Goddess Saraswati, the consort of LordBrahma (Lord of Creation), is the one who gives the essence (sara) of our own self (swa) as her name implies. In entirety, she is considered as the personification of all knowledge - arts, sciences, crafts and other skills.

On this occasion goddess Saraswati is prayed and devoted in various names and precision. She bears in her the mark of the symbol of supreme vedantic knowledge. On this day everyone who has faith in deity and is involved in experiencing the learning curve, worship their belongings - pens, notebooks, books, even computers and the likes, that aids to collate knowledge. Artists worship their valued instruments so that the goddess favors them to become wise and knowledgeable with their art and skills. The most important aspect besides worshipping is that children are given their first alphabet lessons. It is believed that making the kids start reading and writing on this spiritual day will help associate virtue of the wisdom throughout their lifetime.

Special celebrations take place at different shrines of goddess Saraswati. Nil Saraswati Temple atGairidhara, Kathmandu and Saraswati Kunda in Patan are some of the important places for the devotees to visit on this day. During the reign of the king in Nepal in the recent past, this occasion was marked with special gaiety at Basantapur Darbur Square.  The then king and other special dignitaries would welcome the season of spring as the band plays the traditional song of spring. These days this tradition of celebration is done on a lesser scale and the excitement seems to be on the low note. On this day, yellow color is given special preference in clothing and assorted tint for sweets as it is taken as the representation of spring indicated by the yellow of the mustard crop. This day is also regarded as a very favorable day for marriages, and any time of the day is considered auspicious for the main ritual to proceed, which otherwise needs coherence with the astrological charts.

There are many symbolic illustration of the goddess in shrines as they are carved in stones. But the portraits which are sold in plenty in the market for this special day depicts one of the two postures. One is the standing stance and the other is sitting in a special position, Padmashana. On both instances she has a beautiful and elegant presence. Her expression is serene, calm, and her eyes are full of compassion. In the portrayal she is clad in white saari, seated (or standing) on a white lotus representing purity and brilliance. She has four hands, of which one is used for holding sacred scriptures and the other a lotus (representing true knowledge, as lotus is clean amidst muddy water). The other two hands are depicted playing the musical instrument Veena, representing music of love and life. The four hands signifies four key aspects of human behavior in learning; mind, intellect, alertness and ego. She is accompanied by a swan and a peacock selectively depending on different portraits. The swan is known for its peculiar characteristic of being capable of separating water from milk, indicating the idea of separating worst from the superior. When represented seating on a peacock she reminds us that wisdom suppresses ego.

The Saraswati Vandana, is an important recitation on this day:Saraswoti Maya Drista Veena Pustaka Dhaarini, Hamsabaahana Samyukta Bidhya Daanam Karo Tume. - Seeking knowledge and wisdom from the goddess who holds Veena, Sacred scriptures (Pustaka) and travel on a Swan (Hamsabaahana).

Celebrating Basanta Panchami is a message in totality. Irrespective of what religion we believe or practice, it is a fact that knowledge is the basis of all religion. Also, in this fast paced world Knowledge Management is the need of the hour. Manage information, share it and help people become more knowledgeable. By doing this you will be helping to integrate the world and spread the message “Knowledge for All and Always”.

 Author: Roshan Upadhyay

Also posted in Tikijhya.com