Om! Gam! Ganapathaye! Namaha!

Om! Sri Raghavendraya Namaha!

Om! Namo! Bhagavathe! Vasudevaya!
Om! Ham! Hanumathe! Sri Rama Doothaya Namaha!

SRI PANCHAMI
(Vasantha Panchami)

Sri Panchami is a Hindu festival dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi. It

is celebrated on the fifth day (Panchami) of Sukla Paksha in the Lunar Month
of Magha Masam that generally occurs during the months of January-
February. In our Hindu religion and culture, child going to a school generally
begins with a ritual called Aksharabhyasa (learning of alphabets), the
foundation for education. Akshara means the one that will not perish.
Abhyasa means practice. Anything that we acquire in this life may perish
but, the knowledge acquired through Akshara Gnana will never perish and
will be an eternal asset. Goddess Saraswathi, the presiding deity of such
Akshara Gyana, the female Divine energy of Learning, Knowledge and
Wisdom is said to have born on this auspicious day known as Sri Panchami.
Inducting a child into Aksharabhyasa on this day is said to be highly
auspicious for good progression in education.
Reference to Goddess Saraswathi, the divine consort of Lord Brahma one of
the Trinal Lords we find in many Pouranic scripts like Padma Purana, Brahma
Vaivartha Purana etc... It is said that many pouranic great Sages like Sri
Veda Vyasa, Brihaspathi, Yajnavalkya, Vasista, Parasara, and Bharadwaja
had worshipped Goddess Saraswathi in their spiritual pursuits. Saraswathi
worship is essential for spiritual enlightenment. In the life history of
Mantralaya Seer Sri Raghavendra Swamy, we find Goddess Saraswathi
referred to as the Goddess responsible for giving direction for his Sanyasa
Sweekara.

She is referred to as Vaakk Devi, the Goddess of Speech. For any student,
poet, writer, analyst, journalist, astrologer, musician, singer, preacher,
philosopher, etc… to become proficient and to excel in their field, Divine
blessings and Grace of Vaakk Devi is very much essential. She is also
known by other names like Vaani, Sarada, Bharathi, and Braahmi to name a
few. A river by her name is also very famous, holy and spiritual in Hindu
religion and philosophy that forms a part of the famous river trio Ganga,
Yamuna and Saraswathi popularly known as Triveni.

Seated on a fully blossomed white Lotus, Goddess Saraswathi is generally

depicted as Chaturbhuja (four hands) with Veena as her instrument which
she will be holding in her two hands while in other two hands holding Vedas
(Sacred scriptures) and a mala of Divine Rosary beads. White coloured
Hamsa (Swan) is depicted as her vehicle (chariot) that symbolizes sattvik
nature, purity, high intellectual capability and discrimination.

This day is also known as Vasantha Panchami that marks the beginning of a
new season called Vasantha Ruthu the onset of Spring Season. Lord Sri
Krishna mentioned in his Bhagavat Geeta that He is the Vasantha Ruthu
among the seasons. Though this festival Sri Panchami is not very popular in
South India, it is a very important festival that is widely celebrated with
great fervor in the North, West Bengal and Maharastra. In North Eastern
States of our country it is celebrated as the beginning of a New Year.

While Goddess Saraswathi worship is done round the year, certain special
occasions are prescribed for an exclusive worship. One such occasion is on
this auspicious day of Vasantha Panchami (Sri Panchami) and the other is
during the Navarathri (Dussera) festival in the Lunar month of Aaswayuja on
the 7th day (Sapthami) coinciding with Moola constellation. It is highly
meritorious to worship Goddess Saraswathi on these days and to seek Her
Grace to become learned, knowledgeable and wise.

In our country we find very few temples of Goddess Saraswathi. Out of two
such famous temples dedicated to Goddess Saraswathi we find, one is in
Kashmir. Ashtaadasa Shakthi Peeta Sthothram refers to this temple as
Kaashmirethu Saraswathi, one of the 18 most revered places for worship
of Goddess Shakthi. The other famous temple of Goddess Saraswathi is in
Adilabad district of Andhra Pradesh in a place called Basar where, special
celebrations and prayers are held on this day. We also find on this day of
Sri Panchami many people inducting their children into Aksharabhyasa at
this famous temple known as Gnana Saraswathi temple. We also find a
temple of Goddess Saraswathi known as Sharada Devi at Sringeri in
Karnataka state where the idol is said to have been consecrated by Adi
Sankaracharya.

Let us pray and worship on this auspicious day Goddess Saraswathi who is
respected and adored even by Devathas, to get rid of our sluggishness,
lethargy and ignorance.
 SARASWATHI DHYANA SLOKAS

Yaa Kundendu tushaarahaara dhavalaa,

Yaa shubhra vastraanvithaa
Yaa Veena vara danda manditakara,
Yaa swetha padmaasanaa,
Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhutibhi
Devai sadaa poojitaa
Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee
Nissesha jaadyaapahaa

Saraswathi Namasthubhyam Varadey Kaamaroopinee

Vidyaarambham Karishyami Siddhir Bhavathu mey Sadaa
Padmapatra Visaalaakshi Padma Kesara Varnini
Thwam VidyaalayaaDevi Saamam Paathu Saraswathee

Namasthe Saarada Devi Kashmeera Puravaasini

Twamaham Prarthaye Nithyam Vidyaa Daanancha Dehimeh

Medhaam Vidyaam Bala Pragnaam Sampadam Putra Poutrakaam

Dehimey Saaradey Devee Smaraami Mukha Samsthithaam

Yaa Devi Sarva Bhooteshu Buddhi Roopena Samsthitha

Namasthasthai Namasthasthai Namasthasthai Namo Namaha

Sri Krishnaarpanamasthu
bhargavasarma

PS
Sri Panchami (Vasantha Panchami) is being celebrated this
year on Wednesday the 20th January, 2010