There is archaeological evidence to suggest that Minerva was worshipped not only in a formal civic fashion, but also by individuals on a more personal level. [21] Roman coinage [ edit ] S, Prasad (2019). River and Goddess Worship in India: changing perceptions and manifestations of sarasvati. New York: New York: Routledge. p.280. ISBN 978-0-367-88671-4. A sculpture of Minerva by Andy Scott, known as the Briggate Minerva, stands outside Trinity Leeds shopping centre. In Book 2 of Taittiriya Brahmana, Saraswati is called "the mother of eloquent speech and melodious music". [16] Epic literature As a patron goddess of wisdom, Minerva frequently features in statuary, as an image on seals, and in other forms at educational institutions. Listings of this can be found on Minerva in the emblems of educational establishments.

Hay, Jeff (6 March 2009). World Religions. Greenhaven Publishing LLC. p.284. ISBN 978-0-7377-4627-3. Tibetan Buddhism teaches numerous mantras of Saraswati. Her seed syllable is often Hrīṃ. [150] In a sadhana (ritual text) revealed by the great Tibetan female lama Sera Khandro, her mantra is presented as: [151] Williams, George M. (27 March 2008). Handbook of Hindu Mythology. OUP USA. p.137. ISBN 978-0-19-533261-2.York, Michelle (2005-09-06). "Wells College: Newly, and Uneasily, Coed". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331 . Retrieved 2017-03-09. Other names include: [17] Ambika, Bharati, Chandrika, Devi, Gomati, Hamsasana, Saudamini, Shvetambara, Subhadra, Vaishnavi, Vasudha, Vidya, Vidyarupa, and Vindhyavasini. Whapiya/ Wóhpe, Lakota spirit of knowledge, wishes, dreams, visions, prophecy and the wife of Okaga the south wind

According to Catherine Ludvik, Saraswati's earliest appearance in a Buddhist text is in the 1st century CE Mahayana Golden Light Sutra (of which there are different versions / translations). This text is first attested in a Chinese translation in 417 CE and includes an entire chapter devoted to the goddess, which is our best source for the earliest Buddhist depictions of Saraswati. [111] In the Golden Light Sutra A Japanese depiction of Saraswati as a protector deity with eight arms holding various weapons (c. 1212), University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Arts. A bronze statue of Minerva stands in Monument Square (Portland, Maine). "Our Lady of Victories Monument" dedicated in 1891, features a 14-feet-tall bronze figure by Franklin Simmons atop a granite pedestal with smaller bronze sculptures by Richard Morris Hunt. [30] [31] Shaw lists various epithets for Saraswati used by Buddhist source including: "Emanation of Vishnu," "Gandharva Maiden," "Swan Child," "Daughter of Brahma", "Lady of the Lake", "Sister of the Moon", "Goddess of Speech", "Divine Lady Who Empowers Enlightened Speech", "Goddess Rich with the Power of Adamantine Speech", "Bestower of Understanding", "Goddess of Knowledge", and "Wisdom Goddess." [109] a b c d e Muir, John (1870). Original Sanskrit Texts on the Origin and History of the People of India – Their Religions and Institutions. Vol.5. pp.337–347 – via Google Books.Minerva is featured on the coinage of different Roman emperors. She often is represented on the reverse side of a coin holding an owl and a spear among her attributes. [22] Worship in Roman Britain [ edit ] A small Roman shrine to Minerva stands in Handbridge, Chester. It sits in a public park, overlooking the River Dee. The goddess Saraswati is often depicted as a beautiful woman dressed in pure white, often seated on a white lotus, which symbolizes light, knowledge and truth. [72] She not only embodies knowledge but also the experience of the highest reality. Her iconography is typically in white themes from dress to flowers to swan – the colour symbolizing Sattwa Guna or purity, discrimination for true knowledge, insight and wisdom. [1] [73] While Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and justice, is considered to be the Roman counterpart to the Greek goddess Athena, it is important to note that Minerva’s origins were more Etruscan than Greek. As with many other Roman gods and goddesses, she took on aspects of Athena after the conquest of Greece. She is believed to have first become a significant figure when she was incorporated into the Capitoline Triad, which was probably from Etruscan religion as well. Puranas like the Matsya also contain iconographic descriptions of Saraswati, which provide the basis for her classic four armed form holding a book (representing the Vedas), mala, veena, and a water pot while being mounted on a swan ( hamsa). [55] Association with Brahma

Augustine, of Hippo, Saint, 354–430. (2008) [1950]. The city of God. Catholic University of America Press. ISBN 978-0-8132-1108-4. OCLC 647919892. {{ cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list ( link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list ( link) The temple of Sulis Minerva was known for having a miraculous altar-fire that burned coal as opposed to the traditional wood. [23] Carrawburgh [ edit ] The U.S Military Medal of Honor for the Army, Navy/Marine Corps, and Coast Guard depicts Minerva in the center of it. The Air Force uses the head of the Statue of Liberty instead. [26] Minerva is displayed as an 11-ft statue in Jean-Antonin Carlès's 1895 "James Gordon Bennett Memorial" in New York City's Herald Square. [33] a b www.wisdomlib.org (28 January 2019). "Story of Sarasvatī". www.wisdomlib.org . Retrieved 9 August 2022.The Minerva Roundabout in Guadalajara, Mexico, located at the crossing of the López Mateos, Vallarta, López Cotilla, Agustín Yáñez, and Golfo de Cortez avenues, features the goddess standing on a pedestal, surrounded by a large fountain, with an inscription that says "Justice, wisdom and strength guard this loyal city". In the Hindu epic Mahabharata, "Sarasvati appears above all as a sacred river, along which pilgrimages are made. She is also represented as goddess of speech and knowledge." [46] She is called "the best of rivers and greatest of streams", and with calm and tranquil waters, in contrast to the mighty torrential Vedic Sarasvati. [46] Her banks are filled with priests and sages ( rishis) who practice asceticism and sacrifices on her banks. [47] There are numerous depictions of people making pilgrimages to the river to perform sacrifices and bathe in her waters and she often appears in her human form to great seers like Vasishtha. [48]

Sharma, Bulbul (June 2010). The Book of Devi. Penguin Books India. pp.67–71. ISBN 978-0-14-306766-5. Tridevi - the three supreme Goddess in Hinduism". Hindu FAQS | Get answers for all the questions related to Hinduism, the greatest religion!. 18 March 2015.

Hades

In some later Mahayana Buddhist sources like the Sādhanamālā (a 5th-century collection of ritual texts), Saraswati is symbolically represented in a way which is similar to Hindu iconography. [11] The description of the deity (here called Mahāsarasvatī) is as follows: Citizen, Erik Sorensen / Special to The. "Wells College to graduate its first males this weekend". Auburn Citizen . Retrieved 2017-03-09. Goddess Benzaiten, A-to-Z Dictionary of Japanese Buddhist / Shinto Statues". www.onmarkproductions.com . Retrieved 4 November 2023.