Saraswati is the Hindu goddess of the arts and knowledge, including music, writing, speaking, and all forms of creative expression. Here is one of my favorite translations of Saraswati from Swami Satyananda: "She who swallows my sense of dullness and incompleteness." Count me in! Saraswati also translates as the "flowering one," the blossoming of creative action from idea to reality.

This painting is my third of Saraswati. I have always loved this rare depiction where her eyes are nearly closed as she revels in the internal beauty of her experience. For a reference, I used Faith Stone's moku hanga woodblock print and the murti from Eldorado Ashram.

Saraswati sits on the rocks of Boulder Canyon. The triangle of sky above her is like a funnel for creative energy that flows through like the rushing waters of the creek.

With two of her hands, she plays the vina, ancestor to the sitar. Her other two hands hold a mala or prayer beads and a book. Saraswati's vehicle is a beautiful peacock, resting by her foot.

Saraswati's mantra: Om Aim Saraswati-aye Namaha