Wishing for a Pleasant Voice and the Ability to Gladden Others

"May my insight be unobstructed!  May my knowledge prosper in textbooks, verses, magic books, doctrinal books, and poems.  So be it: mahaprabhave hili hili mili mili.  May it go forth for me by the power of the blessed goddess Sarasvati!  Karate keyure keyurabati hili mili hili mili hili hili."
 

A mantra (dharani) and petitionary prayer in honor of the Goddess Sarasvati from the Golden Radiance Scripture, circa 400 CE. 

Translated by Miranda Shaw, PhD.  

Buddhist Goddesses of India  By Miranda Shaw.  Princeton, New Jersey, Princeton University Press, 2006.  Bibliography, notes, index, 571 pages.  ISBN:  0691127581.  VSCL.   Sarasvati mantra on p. 238.  For anyone interested in Buddhist and Hindu Goddesses of India, this scholarly book is an outstanding resource and very stylishly presented. 

Sarasvati (pronounced sah RAS wah TEE) is the Hindu and Buddhist Goddess who is the patron of students, scholars, speakers, musicians, poets, singers, artists, worshipers, and magicians.  Her iconographic images typically include a beautiful woman, with a lustrous white moonglow coloring, and she is holding a stringed instrument, a book, and a rosary.  She is surrounded by flowers, shown near a river or lake, and accompanied by a large bird (a swan, duck, or peacock).  Her main holiday is on the vernal equinox. She is the focus of Sanskrit alphabet rituals.  

"One will become learned in all scholarly treatises.
One will have no problem writing, debating, or teaching.
Any who pursues the five sciences (grammar, logic, art, medicine, and metaphysics),
Clarity of mind, mental stability,
A pleasant voice, and the ability to gladden others
Should practice Sarasvati."
-  Buddhist Goddesses of India, p. 242

Sarasvati should be the patron Goddess of bloggers.  

Keeping Your Head Warm in Kolhapur

Pheta Turbans are popular in Kolhapur, India.  It gets cool in Kolhapur.  Lots of local colleges and career schools in Kolhapur probably have handsome young men wearing some unique or zany turban to a party of some clique.  

In the colder winter months in Red Bluff, California, I wear a sock cap (beanie, knit soft cap, wool cap), scarf, winter gloves, sweat shirts, layer pants, and jacket.

   

Here is some old guy with jacket and turban trying to stay warm somewhere on this, at times, cold Earth.