Sri Saraswati Namostute

A direct salutation to Saraswati, moving from divine praise to the quiet of a contemplative mind.

Music	Detail
Composer	Muttuswami Dikshitar
Raga	Arabhi
Tala	Rupaka
Type	Kriti
Language	Sanskrit

Lyrics

Pallavi

śrī sarasvati namō’stu tē
varadē para dēvatē
śrī pati gaurī pati guru guha vinutē
vidhi yuvatē

Samashti Charanam

vāsanā traya vivarjita
vara muni bhāvita mūrtē
vāsavādyakhila nirjara
vara vitaraṇa bahu kīrtē
dara hāsa yuta mukhāmburuhē
adbhuta caraṇāmburuhē
saṃsāra bhītyāpahē
sakala mantrākṣara guhē

Meaning

Saraswati is addressed as a giver of blessings and the companion of Brahma. The song turns toward sages whose habitual attachments have fallen away, then toward the goddess’s smile, lotus-like feet and power to dispel existential fear. Its closing image locates the syllables of sacred utterance within her.

Musical context

The composition has a pallavi and a samashti charanam rather than three separate sections. Nearly every phrase is an address to Saraswati, giving the longer second section the continuity of one sustained salutation.