Devi Sarasvati & Vasant-Panchami -- Yaa kundendu Tuṣhaar haar dhavalaa

This morning, I got some comments and questions about Vasant-Panchami and its association with the goddess Sarasvati.
Why is the goddess Sarasvati associated with Vasant (Basant) - 

which is basically a season - a part of the yearly calendar.
Another friend from Toronto sent a beautiful prayer to Sarasvati in Sanskrit as greetings for the Vasant Panchami - and asked for its meaning.
                                             ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

First of all - we must remember that the ancient Indian scholars were quite fond of using emblems.
They used symbolic language and images to explain everything elegantly.

Maa Sharda or Sarasvati Devi is considered the goddess - a symbol of knowledge and wisdom.
And Vasant is the beginning of a new season after the winter.
Just as Vasant is the beginning of a new season - 

Wisdom is the beginning of a new life - a new lifestyle.

Here is the Shloka - the famous prayer that will further explain this point.

      "Yaa kundendu tushaar haar dhavalaa yaa Shubhra Vastraavrataa
      Yaa Veena vardand mandit kraa - yaa shvait padmaasanaa
      Ya Brahmaachyut Shankar prabhratirbhirdevaih sadaa vandita
      Saa maam paatu Sarasvati Bhagvati nisheshyaa jaadyaa pahaa"

                                          English Translation
The one who is as white as the Kund flowers, full moon, snow, and a garland of pearls 
Who is embellished with white garments and ornaments
Who is holding Veena in her hands - sitting on the white lotus flower
The one who is adored and worshipped even by Brahma, Vishnu, and Shankar.
That mother Saraswati - Bhagwati Sharda - may remove our inertia and ignorance 

and protect us by removing all evil from our hearts.
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                                            My views and analysis 

Remember - ancient Indian scholars were fond of using emblems.

They used beautiful and meaningful images and symbolic language to explain everything elegantly.
To interpret the images and writings of the ancient Rishis, we have to decode the metaphors behind them.

As we know, Sarasvati is considered the goddess of knowledge and wisdom.
Notice how everything about her in this Shloka is white.
The color of her skin and every garment and ornament she is wearing is white.

White is a symbol of purity - peace, and harmony.
It illustrates that Gyana brings purity and honesty -peace and harmony to one's mind and in the world as well.

Sarasvati is holding a musical instrument in her hand called Veena.
Veena here is an emblem of Sangeet - the music.
Music is an expression of the soul - emotions, and sentiments.
The pure expression of the soul is peace, harmony, and stability.
Veena indicates that the Gyana can help us bring out the untinted expression of the soul - that wisdom can provide us stability and harmony in our life.

Even Brahmaa, Vishnu, and Mahesh adore and worship Sarasvati -

meaning they all advocate the importance of Gyana - the wisdom in our life - 

which is eminent in the writings of Vedas and Bhagavad Geeta.

Ignorance creates divisions and animosity - while wisdom brings harmony and togetherness.
It provides understanding and tolerance for others' opinions and traditions.

It's a beautiful prayer through this emblem that - 

May the mother Sarasvati - the Gyana, the wisdom remove our inertia and ignorance and protect us by removing all evil from our hearts.
May we not just talk about Gyana, but practically adopt it in our lives.
May we remember that wisdom is pure as white - untinted - without the lenses of any color whatsoever.

Just like Sarasvati sits on a lotus flower - Gyana stays above the muddy waters of misconceptions and misinterpretations - hatred and aversion of any kind.

The word 'Jadataa' means stillness - stationary or immovability. 

But in this Shloka, it is used in a negative connotation.
It's used in the sense of Jad-Buddhi - the mind that is stuck in blind faith and ignorance.

                                 "Nisheshyaa jaadyaa pahaa"

May our minds become free from inertia and blind faith

May our minds become open and enlightened to see everything clearly through the eyes of Gyana.
May the Gyana and wisdom protect us from misconceptions and aversions by removing all ignorance.
Peace.
                                        ' Rajan Sachdeva '

या कुन्देन्दु तुषार हार धवला या शुभ्रवस्त्रावृता
या वीणावरदण्ड मण्डितकरा या श्वेत पद्मासना
या ब्रह्माच्युत शंकर प्रभृतिभिर्देवै: सदा वन्दिता
सा मां पातु सरस्वती भगवती निशेश्य जाड्या पहा