Articles

The Many Sidedness of the Goddess of Wisdom: A Review

by Kunal Roy

Name of the Bengali Book: Saraswati

Author : Avik Gangopadhyay

Publisher : Gyan Darpan
Price: Rs 300
He is a teacher. He is an author of repute. He is the author of many books. His expertise is revealed through the books he has penned so far. He has been awarded several times for his immense contribution to the world of art, language, and literature. He is none but the author and columnist Sri Avik Gandopadhyay. His book “Saraswati” is an asset in the realm of art, information, and entertainment.
The Goddess is the embodiment of knowledge and wisdom. She is attired in white accompanied by a gentle smile and her favourite musical instrument Vina. However, there is also the existence of the river of the same. The author has deeply explored the existence, influence, and comprehensiveness of this Goddess of learning. His sharp perspective comprises vedic, mythological, and above all the aesthetic sense. The author has a keen interest in the Vedic literature and Saraswati, the writings on Saraswati, the presence of this Goddess in our holy texts and scriptures, the importance of the Goddess in our mythology, the variety of the Goddess’s image, and the manner of looking and analysing her in the garb of Buddhism and Jainism. In Rig Veda, She is not only a river but hymns are chanted to adore her. Her presence is equivalent to Gods like Indra and Agni. In fact, She is the creator of wealth learning, culture, and civilization. This is the reason She is being worshipped as the Goddess of learning, intelligence and wisdom by the human race. She is the mother of the universe. As the Goddess has evolved from the river, her swan and lotus are white. It is worth mentioning her swan symbolises the flights of fantasy. The lotus stands for purity. And her presence breeds an ambiance of serenity. Moreover, in the opinion of experts the river Saraswati created a beautiful environment in the North-West part of India. This actually inspired the evolution of learning and vedic culture in the accepted sense of the term. It is interesting to note that the author has retained his originality, though influenced by the pen of NS Rajaram.
 Thousands of names have been given to the Goddess in the light of ‘image’ and ‘religion’. ‘Bojro Saraswati’, ‘ Mahasaraswati’, Mahamayuri , Bageshwari and many more. The author has guided us on the images of the Goddess and her temples across the nation. The book cover depicting her image reflects her eternal presence. She has been with humans since time immemorial.
   A sleek book. A different kettle of fish. The brevity of expressions has taken the book to a different high. The author has taken a special card of the ‘coinage’ of terms and expressions in order to reach out to the mass to a greater extent! A classic indeed. Deserved to be in the library of true book lovers and research scholars!!
About the Author:
Kunal Roy was born in Kolkata. He is a bilingual author. In 2007, he received the best award for his dissertation on “The Bhakti and Sufi Movements – A Socio-Religious Perspective” from the department of Indology and Research Studies, Ramakrishna Mission Institute of Culture, Golpark, Kolkata. He is also acknowledged as a poet and translator. His special areas comprise art, literature, art, philosophy, sociology, mythology, and astrology. Currently, he is working as an Assistant Professor of English Language and Communication with the George Group of Colleges. He is a permanent resident of Kolkata. He can be contacted at kunalroychowdhury81@gmail.

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