Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism

Sarasvatï 166

language and the Devanägarï script,

patroness of the arts and sciences, usu-

ally represented as seated on a lotus,

with a vïna (lute) in one of her hands.

Sarasvatï (2)

Celebrated in the Vedas as a mighty

river, flowing from the Himälayas to

the sea, it later disappeared in the sands.

Recent satellite photography has pro-

duced evidence of its course. It is

believed to join underground the

GA¢GÄand the YAMUNÄat the SA¢GAM

(1) in Präyäga. As the most sacred of the

Vedic rivers, it formed the eastern

boundary of the original Äryävarta, the

homeland of the Vedic people.

sarga (‘creation’)

One of the pañcälak•ana (five topics of

a PURÄŒA). Most Puräæic accounts of

creation speak of several creations.

ÿarïra

SeeBODY.

Ÿarïraka-bhä•ya

The title of Ÿaökara’s commentary on

the Brahmasütras.

sa-rüpa

(‘having the same form [as the Lord]’)

One of the qualities of a released

VAIÆŒAVA, who receives an incorrupt-

ible body like that of Vi•æu.

Ÿarva

A name of ŸIVA, derived from ÿaru

(arrow). Ÿarva symbolizes the power of

Ÿiva to kill, and is often invoked togeth-

er with YAMA, the custodian of the

underworld. Ÿarva is the embodiment of

cruelty.

Sarva-darÿana-saƒgraha

(‘Synopsis of all philosophical systems’)

A famous work by the Advaitin

MÄDHAVA, in which he reviews and cri-

tiques 15 different systems (besides

CÄRVÄKA and several schools of

Buddhism and Jainism, he deals with all

major Hindu systems).

Sarva-loka

SeeBRAHMA-LOKA.

ÿästra (‘teaching’, ‘rule’)

An authoritative source for Hindu

DHARMA, used either as a collective term

or as designation of a single work, espe-

cially one dealing with law.

sat, also satya (‘being’, ‘truth’)

As in SACCIDÄNANDA, the designation of

the supreme being as ‘being/truth, con-

sciousness, bliss; or in sat-guru, the ‘true

master’, i.e. the supreme.

Sarasvatï.

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