Is Saraswati actually a Persian Goddess Anahita?

"Yaa Kundendu tushaara haaradhavalaa, Yaa shubhravastraavritha

Yaa veenavara dandamanditakara, Yaa shwetha padmaasana

Yaa brahmaachyutha shankara prabhutibhir Devaisadaa Vanditha

Saa Maam Paatu Saraswatee Bhagavatee Nihshesha jaadyaapahaa"

Saraswati (Nimai) of Jodhpur

          English Translation

"May Goddess Saraswati, who is fair like the jasmine-colored moon, and whose pure white garland is like frosty dew drops; who is adorned in radiant white attire, on whose beautiful arm rests the veena, and whose throne is a white lotus; who is surrounded and respected by the Gods, protect me. May you fully remove my lethargy, sluggishness, and ignorance."

In rig-veda Saraswati is explained as "Saaram vaati iti saraswati" - "She who flows towards the absolute is saraswati" - thus edifying the ability of knowledge and communication to steer one towards spiritual absolutes. River swaraswati was one of the major water causeways in the 3rd and the 4th millennium, BCE. It spread from Gulf of Khambat throughout Surkotada and Kotda and upward through Nara-Hakara-Ghaggar-Sawasvati channels, right through to Mathura. It flowed directly through Marusthali desert, one of the largest deserts in the world. This river was described in the Vedas as the "Mother of all rivers", being considered the most pure and auspicious. When this river dried up due to prevailing monsoon winds, the civilization that lived on its banks migrated to Kubha River, and renamed that river to the Avestan Saraswati (Harahvati). In Upanishads it is believed that when there was a need by the Gods to move Agni/fire to the sea, the responsibility was given to Saraswati for the purity of its water. Though the task was accomplished, some believe that the river dried up in the process.    

The Persian connection

Aredvi Sura Anahita (Arədvī Sūrā Anāhitā); the Avestan language name of an Indo-Iranian cosmological figure venerated as the divinity of 'the Waters' (Aban) and hence associated with fertility, healing and wisdom. Aredvi Sura Anahita is Ardwisur Anahid or Nahid in Middle- and Modern Persian, Anahit in Armenian. Just like Saraswati, Anahita is believed to marry her father Ahura Mezda (brahma), and both are  trivalent corresponding to elements of three functions. George Dumezil a philologist working on power structure in proto-Indo-European religion stated that Anahita in yast V 85-87 is evoked by the warriors as 'the humid, the strong and the immaculate', elements reflecting the third, the second and the first function. And he noticed a similar structure in case of Vedic Goddess Vac, defied speech, who represents herself as maintaining male gods Mitra-Varuna(first function), Indra-Agni (second function) and the two asvins (third function). It is said about Saraswati that she is the on who plants the embryo in the mother's womb.

 

Artemis, the virgin huntress

In Mithraic cult, Anahita was considered as the virgin mother of Mithra. Does it sound familiar?, it should be as it is believed that the earliest Christianity copied a lot of features of Mithra and attributed it to Jesus, so is the virgin birth. It is interesting to observe that December 25th a famous Persian winter festival came in to Christianity from Maithraic traditions and celebrated a Christmas.Mithraism was so popular in the Roman Empire and so similar in important aspects to Christianity that several Church fathers were compelled to address it, disparagingly of course. These fathers included Justin Martyr, Tertullian, Julius Firmicus Maternus and Augustine, all of whom attributed these striking correspondences to the prescient devil. In other words, anticipating Christ, the devil set about to fool the Pagans by imitating the coming messiah. In reality, the testimony of these Church fathers confirms that these various motifs, characteristics, traditions and myths predated Christianity.    

  Sarasvati in Japan

Benzaiten is the Japanese name for the Hindu goddess Saraswati. Worship of Benzaiten arrived in Japan during the 6th through 8th centuries, mainly via the Chinese translations of the Sutra of Golden Light, which has a section devoted to her. She is also mentioned in the Lotus Sutra and often depicted holding a biwa, a traditional Japanese lute in contrast to Saraswati who holds a stringed instrument known as a veena.    

 Saraswati and Ushas in the Harappan Seals

One of the frequently occurring signs in the seal is the compound symbol  which occurs on 236 seals. Many scholars have held that the Indus symbols are often conjugated. Thus the symbol can be seen as a compound between  and the symbol  which may represent the sceptre which designated royal authority and may thus be read as ‘Ras’. The symbol-pair   occurs in 131 texts and in many copper plate inscriptions which shows its great religious significance. The ending ‘Tri’ or ’Ti’ is significant and cannot but remind one of the great Tri-names like Saraswati and Gayatri.  As Uksha was often shortened to ‘Sa’ the sign-pair  becomes Sarasa-tri or Sarasvati.