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Upanishads · Sarasvatīrahasya 3.3
॥
Devanāgarī
अक्षसूत्राङ्कुशधरा पाशपुस्तकधारिणी । मुक्ताहारसमायुक्ता वाचि तिष्ठतु मे सदा
Transliteration (IAST)
akṣasūtrāṅkuśadharā pāśapustakadhāriṇī | muktāhārasamāyuktā vāci tiṣṭhatu me sadā
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
अक्ष-सूत्र-अङ्कुश-धराakṣa-sūtra-aṅkuśa-dharāholding the rosary and the goad
पाश-पुस्तक-धारिणीpāśa-pustaka-dhāriṇīholding the noose and the book
मुक्ता-हार-समायुक्ताmuktā-hāra-samāyuktāadorned with a pearl necklace
वाचि तिष्ठतु मे सदाvāci tiṣṭhatu me sadāmay she always abide in my speech
Translation
Holding the rosary and the goad, holding the noose and the book, adorned with a pearl necklace — may she always abide in my speech.
Version
2decda3208f2 · published Aug 12, 2026, 5:00:00 AM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
It is worth examining what is in her hands, for the four objects are not chosen at random. Akṣa-sūtra — the rosary: a sign of repetition. Pustaka — the book: a sign of learning.
Aṅkuśa — the goad, with which an elephant is driven. Pāśa — the noose, the lasso. The first two are understandable and fitting for the goddess of learning; the second two are unexpected, and it is worth saying what they mean.
The goad and the noose are instruments of taming: with them one directs an elephant and catches. That is, in two hands the goddess of speech holds learning, and in two, instruments of restraint; and this is interpreted to mean that speech both teaches and restrains. This interpretation, to my mind, is correct and worth voicing.
The word is indeed an instrument of power: with it one directs, with it one restrains, with it one catches; and anyone who has been governed by a word knows the goad is no metaphor here. The Vaiṣṇava side holds this too, and that the tongue is counted both the chief hindrance and the chief instrument was discussed when reading the Hayagrīva (2.p5). Let us add the last line: vāci tiṣṭhatu me sadā, "may she always abide in my speech."
What is asked is not that she come into the house or into the heart, but that she settle in speech; and this, to my mind, is the precise request of a person who knows his craft: he asks not for inspiration in general, but that it be said.