Devi Bhagavatam — Skandha 9 - Devotion & Grace of the Goddess, Shloka 10

Skandha 9, Adhyaya 5: Yajnavalkya's Hymn to Goddess Saraswati

Devanagari script

सर्वविद्याधिदेवी या तस्यै वाण्यै नमो नमः । विसर्गबिन्दुमात्रासु यदधिष्ठानमेव च

Transliteration

sarvavidyādhidevī yā tasyai vāṇyai namo namaḥ .

visargabindumātrāsu yadadhiṣṭhānameva ca

Translation

اس وانی (سرسوتی) کو بار بار سلام، جو تمام علوم کی دیوی ہے۔ اور جو وسرگ، بندو اور ماتراؤں میں موجود ہے۔

Word by Word

• sarvavidyādhidevī: presiding deity of all knowledge
• sarvavidyādhidevī: Kartṛ
• Type: Noun
• Root: sarvavidyādhidevī
• Form: Nominative Singular Feminine

• yā: who
• yā: Kartṛ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Nominative Singular Feminine

• tasyai: to her
• tasyai: Sampradāna
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: Dative Singular Feminine

• vāṇyai: to Vani (Saraswati)
• vāṇyai: Sampradāna
• Type: Noun
• Root: vāṇī
• Form: Dative Singular Feminine

• namaḥ: salutation
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: namaḥ
• Form: Indeclinable

• visargabindumātrāsu: in visarga, bindu, and matra
• visargabindumātrāsu: Adhikaraṇa
• Type: Noun
• Root: visargabindumātrā
• Form: Locative Plural Feminine

• yat: which
• yat: Kartṛ
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: yad
• Form: Nominative Singular Neuter

• adhiṣṭhānam: substratum/basis
• adhiṣṭhānam: Kartṛ
• Type: Noun
• Root: adhiṣṭhāna
• Form: Nominative Singular Neuter

• eva: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva
• Form: Indeclinable

Speaker

Sage Yajnavalkya

Shakti Theology

Devi Form: Sarasvati

Mahavidya Connection: null

Shakti Manifestation: Presiding deity of language

Tattva Discussed: Vidya

Devi Narrative

Demon Antagonist: null

Devi Weapon Used: null

Narrative Source: null

Story Arc Position: setup

Tantra Dimension

Mantra Referenced: Visarga, Bindu, Matra

Yantra Referenced: null

Kundalini Element: Nada

Chakra Referenced: Vishuddha

Tantric Practice Type: Dhyana

Bhakti & Stuti

Stuti Type: Stotra

Recitation Occasion: Daily

Phala Shruti: null

Devotee Offering Stuti: Yajnavalkya

Cosmic Feminine

Maya Aspect: null

Creation Role: null

Shakti Philosophy: null

Relation To Brahman: null

Vyasa-Janamejaya Dialogue

Narrator: Vyasa

Listener: Janamejaya

Dialogue Context: Narrating Yajnavalkya's prayer to Sarasvati

Narrative Layer: sub-embedded

Ritual Context

Text: Used to revere the Goddess before beginning any study of grammar, phonetics, or scripture.

Philosophical Significance

Text: Identifies the Goddess with Sabda Brahman. She is not just what is spoken, but the very structural elements (Bindu, Nada, Matra) that make speech and thought possible.

Characters & Entities

• Vani (Sarasvati)
• Visarga
• Bindu
• Matra

FAQs

What is Sarasvati's relationship to knowledge in this verse?

She is declared to be the 'Sarvavidyadhidevi', the supreme presiding deity over all forms of knowledge.

How is she connected to language?

She is the presiding presence within the very building blocks of the Sanskrit language and sound, specifically the visarga (aspiration), bindu (nasalization), and matras (vowel measures).