Mahasaraswati

In the Devimahatmya, the earliest and
most important source for the mythology
of the Goddess, the text describes this
goddess in three different manifestations: Mahasaraswati, Mahalakshmi,
and Mahakali. The opening story begins
at the creation of the cosmos. As the god
Brahma emerges from the lotus sprouting from the god Vishnu’s navel, he is
beset by two demons named Madhu
and Kaitabha, who try to kill him.
Brahma tries to elude the demons, but
because Vishnu is fast asleep, overcome
by the power of the Goddess, he cannot
give Brahma any help. It is only when
Brahma praises the Goddess that she
leaves Vishnu, letting him awake. She
then clouds the demons’ minds so that
they can be tricked (and killed) by
Vishnu. In the pantheon, Saraswati is
the goddess associated with art, learning, and culture—anything involving the
life and activity of the intellectual and
aesthetic faculties. Mahasaraswati is
also connected with intellect, emphasizing her ability to control people’s perceptions. For more information on
Mahasaraswati and the goddesses of
Hinduism, see David R. Kinsley, Hindu
Goddesses, 1986.