The etymology of the word, “Saraswati'' comes from the fusion of two Sanskrit words, “Saras” meaning water, loosely translated to "speech" and "Vati" meaning "She who reconciles the essence (of Parabrahman) with one's self".
In the beginning, there was chaos. Everything existed in a formless, fluid state. Brahma, the creator of this universe asked, "How do I bring order to this disorder?"
"With Knowledge", said Devi.
Heralded by a peacock, sacred books in one hand and a veena in the other dressed in white Devi emerged from Brahma's mouth riding a swan as the goddess Saraswati. The goddess uttered, “Knowledge helps man find possibilities where once he saw problems."
Under her tutelage, Brahma acquired the ability to sense, think, comprehend and communicate. He began to look at the chaos through the wisdom he had acquired and saw the beautiful potential that lay therein. He discovered the melody of mantras in the cacophony of chaos. In his joy, he named Saraswati Vagdevi, the goddess of speech and sound.
The sound of mantras filled the universe with vital energy or prana. The cosmos began to acquire shape and structure. The sky was dotted with stars and rose from the heavens, the sea sank into the abyss below and the earth materialised and stood still.
Saraswati was the first being to come into Brahma's world. It wasn’t long before Brahma began to see her with desire and lust. His actions were motivated by desire, confined consciousness and excited the ego. Saraswati turned away saying, "All I offer must be used to elevate the spirit, not indulge the senses." Brahma couldn’t control his amorous thoughts and his infatuation grew. He gave himself four heads facing every direction to feast his eyes on Saraswati's beauty. Saraswati tried to escape Brahma's gaze, taking the form of a cow. Brahma then followed her as a bull. Saraswati then changed into a mare; Brahma gave chase as a horse. Every time Saraswati turned, Brahma followed her as the corresponding male equivalent. No matter how hard Brahma tried he could not catch Saraswati in any of her forms. The goddess with multiple forms came to be known as Shatarupa. She personified material reality, alluring yet fleeting.
Angered by his display of unbridled lust, Saraswati cursed Brahma, "You have filled the world with longing that is the seed of unhappiness. You have fettered the soul in the flesh. You are not worthy of reverence. May there be hardly any temple or festival in your name." Undaunted by the curse, Brahma continued to cast his lustful looks upon Saraswati. He gave himself a fifth head to enhance his gaze. It disturbed the serenity of the cosmos and roused Shiva, the supreme ascetic from his meditation. Shiva sensing Saraswati's discomfort turned into Bhairava, Lord of Terror in a fit of rage. He lunged towards Brahma and cut off Brahma's fifth head.
The violence subdued Brahma's passion. Brahma's decapitated head seared through Bhairava's flesh and clung to his hand removing all his strength and driving him mad. Saraswati, pleased with Bhairava's timely action, rushed to his rescue. She nursed him like a child with her gentle touch, restoring his sanity. Brahma, sobered by the encounter, sought an escape from the maze of his desire.
Saraswati revealed that he must conduct a yagna to purify himself and start anew. A wife's support was essential for the successful completion of the yagna. Brahma decided to choose Saraswati as his wife, thus leading to their reconciliation. We understand that the birth of Saraswati, though necessary, was a complex process, showcasing the much darker facets of Hindu mythology.
-An excerpt from Brahmanada Purana
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