स होवाचाश्वलायनः । अस्य श्रीसरस्वतीदशश्लोकीमहामन्त्रस्य । अहमाश्वलायन ऋषिः । अनुष्टुप् छन्दः । श्री वागीश्वरी देवता । यद्वागिति बीजम् । देवीं वाचमिति शक्तिः । प्रणो देवीति कीलकम् । विनियोगस्तत्प्रीत्यर्थे । श्रद्धा मेधा प्रज्ञा धारणा वाग्देवता महासरस्वतीत्येतैरङ्गन्यासः ॥ नीहारहारघनसारसुधाकराभां कल्याणदां कनकचम्पकदामभूषाम् । उत्तुङ्गपीनकुचकुम्भमनोहराङ्गीं वाणीं नमामि मनसा वचसा विभूत्यै
sa hovācāśvalāyanaḥ | asya śrīsarasvatīdaśaślokīmahāmantrasya | ahamāśvalāyana ṛṣiḥ | anuṣṭup chandaḥ | śrī vāgīśvarī devatā | yadvāgiti bījam | devīṃ vācamiti śaktiḥ | praṇo devīti kīlakam | viniyogastatprītyarthe | śraddhā medhā prajñā dhāraṇā vāgdevatā mahāsarasvatītyetairaṅganyāsaḥ || nīhārahāraghanasārasudhākarābhāṃ kalyāṇadāṃ kanakacampakadāmabhūṣām | uttuṅgapīnakucakumbhamanoharāṅgīṃ vāṇīṃ namāmi manasā vacasā vibhūtyai
Āśvalāyana said: "of this great ten-verse mantra of Sarasvatī the sage is I, Āśvalāyana; the meter is anuṣṭubh; the deity is the mistress of speech. The imposition on the limbs is by the words: faith, aptitude, discernment, retention, the deity of speech, the great Sarasvatī. — Radiant like frost, pearl, camphor, and the moon, giver of good, adorned with a wreath of golden champaka, beautiful of form — Speech I honor with mind and word, for abundance."
af205c66ed5c · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
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It is worth noting the five names by which the imposition is performed: śraddhā, medhā, prajñā, dhāraṇā, vāgdevatā. This list is worth examining, for it is, in essence, an inventory of what is needed for learning. Śraddhā — "faith": without it one does not sit down to study.
Medhā — "aptitude, quickness of grasp": the ability to understand at first hearing. Prajñā — "discernment": the ability to see connections. Dhāraṇā — "retention," that is, memory.
Vāgdevatā — "the deity of speech": the ability to say what has been understood. That is, five faculties are listed in order: to believe, to grasp, to understand, to retain, to utter; and this order, to my mind, is precise and holds true to this day. Let us add that faith stands first.
This detail matters and is foundational in Vaiṣṇava practice: śraddhā is the first step of her ladder, discussed when reading the Jābāla-darśana (10.4). Its definition was cited when reading the Saubhāgyalakṣmī (2.1), and let us repeat it briefly: faith is the confidence that by doing one thing, one will accomplish everything; and without it no work begins, however well known all the techniques may be. Let us add the contemplation: she is described entirely as white — frost, pearl, camphor, moon.
Whiteness in this literature is the color of clarity and learning; and that the form of learning should be white and cool was discussed when reading the Hayagrīva (1.4).