5 - Yagnavalkya offers prayer to Sarasvati

Narayana said—I am going to apprise you about the stotra of Sarasvati which provides all the benefits. The sage Yajnavalkya had adored the goddess Sarasvati by reciting this stotra.

As soon as the learning of Yajnavalkya came to an end because of the curse of his teacher, he was extremely grieved. He then went to the sacred abode of the sun.

He reached the Konarka region and he had an audience with the sun-god after which he adored him. He went on weeping again and again.

The sun-god then imparted the knowledge of Vedas and the post Vedic literature to the sage and advised him that “for procuring the sharp memory, you must meditate upon the goddess Sarasvati.”

The sun god who happens to be the lord of both of them disappeared after thus speaking and the sage with his mind filled with devotion started adoring the goddess offering prayers.

Yajnavalkya said − “O mother of the universe, my glory has vanished because of the curse of my teacher. I have also been deprived of my learnings and memory. Therefore, you be graceful on me.

О goddess of learning, bestow the divine knowledge, memory, learnings, glory and the ability to create poetry besides the competence to teach my pupils and to compose scriptures. Besides that, you take me as your glorious and well established pupil. You bestow the competence on me to speak in the assembly of noble and glorious people.

The learnings which I have unfortunately lost earlier, may kindly be restored to me again as the lord creates new lives with the help of his Yogamaya.

I bow in reverence to the goddess Sarasvati again and again who is the form of Brahman, bears eternal flame and is the goddess of learnings.

Without whom the entire universe looks as dead inspite of being alive. I bow in reverence to Sarasvati, the goddess of learnings again and again.

Without life the deaf and dumb are excited one, I bow in reverence to the goddess of speech again and again.

You are the one, having the complexion of snow, sandal-paste, lotus, lotus flower, the moon and the white lotus and you are the supreme goddess of all the letters, I bow in reverence to the goddess Sarasvati again and again.

You are supreme goddess of Visarga, Bindu and Matra thus the noble people recite your glory. I bow in reverence again and again to the goddess Bharati.

I bow in reverence to the one who is the goddess of counting and counts all the creatures in the universe. I bow in reverence to her again and again.

I bow in reverence to the one who is the goddess of principle and also explains the various types of principles, removing all the doubts. I bow in reverence to such a type of goddess again and again.

I bow in reverence to the goddess again and again who sharpens the memory increases knowledge, intelligence, glory and the sense of imagination.

Once Sanat-kumara question to Brahma about the knowledge but Brahma in turn became motionless being unable to speak on the principle.

At that point of time lord Krishna arrived there and apprised Brahma of the best stotra of Sarasvati.

At the command of the lord, Brahma adored the goddess Sarasvati by reciting the same stotra and thereafter was successful in explaining the principle.

Similarly, once the goddess Prthvi discussed about the eternal knowledge with serpent Ananta but he too could not speak on the principle and kept quiet.

Thereafter the nervous serpent king adored the goddess Sarasvati and thereafter established the principle which removed all the doubts.

Once the sage Vyasa questioned the sage Valmiki about gist of the Puranas who could not speak anything and kept quiet. Thereafter he started reciting your name in the form of the mother of the universe.

By your grace the sage spelt out the principle to him who achieved the great knowledge after getting his pride shattered.

Thereafter Vyasa, who was born of the ray of lord Krishna listened to the Sutra of the Puranas and went to the Puskara region, where he meditated upon goddess Sarasvati for a hundred years. After having been blessed by goddess Sarasvati, he became a great poet. At that point of lime he divided the Vedas and also created Puranas. At the time when Parvati had question lord Shiva about the knowledge of tattva, dwelling over the Mahendra mountain, Shiva at that point of time meditated upon you for a moment and imparted the divine knowledge to Parvati. Thereafter India desired to know about the grammar for Brhaspati, went to the Puskara Ksetra and meditated upon Sarasvati for a hundred years.

О supreme goddess, such of the sages who themselves studied and imparted for knowledge to their students, could do so, only after meditating upon you in a proper manner.

О best of the sages, the Manugana, the Daitya, the gods, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have adored goddess Sarasvati offering prayers to her. By reciting whose glory even, the gods like Brahma, Shiva and Sesha had to keep quite then how can a person like me having only one face can recite your glory.

Thus speaking Yajnavalkya bowed before her in reverence with his mind filled with devotion and keeping fast went on keeping again and again.

At that point of time the invisible Sarasvati spoke to him declaring, “You will become an eminent poet.” Thus speaking she left for Vaikuntha.

The immensely foolish and the one having the little intelligence if recites this stotra for a year, he surely gains intelligence and becomes a great poet.