Historical Development of Indian Music: A Critical Study c8.25

c8.25

Further we find an interpretation of the words ‘*saras*’ or ‘*apaḥ*’ i.e. water as the *Soma*, which corresponds to the Moon (*candra*) or *Devī-Gourī*. In the *Ṛg-Veda* (9.1.6) *Soma* was called as a ‘daughter’ (*duhitā*) of the sun (*Mitra*). In the Vedic literature, *Sarasvatī* was again conceived as a ‘cow’, as well as the sacred words (*vācam*) like *svāhākāra*, *vaṣatkāra* and *hantakāra*. We have already mentioned that the goddess was known in the Vedas, *Brāhmaṇas* and *Prātiśākhyas* as *Viṣṇu*, *Iḍā*, *Ilā*, *Tvaṣṭā*, *Bhāratī*, *Tanunpāt*, *Vanaspati*, *Jyoti*, etc. *Yāska* indentifies *Iḍā* or *Ilā* with the sacred fire or *Agni*, the terrestrial Sun. Hindus, Buddhists and Jains generally recognize the goddess *Sarasvatī* as ‘*Vāc-devī*’, ‘*Vāgeśvarī*’, ‘*Vidyādharī*’, ‘*Bhadra-kālī*’, ‘*Vidyā*’ and ‘*Sāradā*’. The Buddhist *Mahāyāni* sects conceive the goddess as a divine force or *śakti*, an emanation of *Manjuśrī*, the masculine god of knowledge who destroys all the evil forms (ignorance) or ‘*avidyās*’ and doubts or *samśaya* with his sword (*kṛpāṇa*). Prof. O. C.