SARASWATHI

Avvaiyar lived during the Sangam period ( 1st and 2nd century CE) and had cordial relation with the Tamil chieftains Paari and Athiyaman. She wrote 59 poems in the Purananuru. She wrote literary works that targeted children in her later years.

In the midst of a large, full bloomed white lotus flower sat Saraswathi, the goddess of learning, arts and literature and the consort of Brahma, the creator. She was exquisitely in white silks and rich jewellery. She was playing the veena, her favourite musical instrument and accompanied it by singing in a sweet and melodious voice. Brahma, her husband was very busy in the process of creating the universe, which with its complex mechanism needed a lot of concentration. A little mistake here or there could spell a lot of trouble. Saraswathi was getting very bored and she felt that she had nobody to talk to. How many books could she read and how long could she go on singing? She longed for greater interaction with her husband. He never seemed to appreciate her and she was ignored by him for Lord Brahma was always busy with the work of creation. ‘Takes me for granted,' she thought. "How does it feel to be a mortal?" she suddenly asked her husband Brahma with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. She gently tuned the veena which she had stopped playing and was singing in her own sweet voice. "Only a mortal can answer that question of yours my dear wife, Saraswathi," said Brahma, turning only to smile at his pretty wife. "But no mortal can feel like us immortals," he once again laughed to his wife. "I want to be a mortal for sometime, "Saraswathi pleaded to her husband, Lord Brahma the creator of the universe. "Please make me a mortal and send me to the earth, I am sure life is a lot more exciting there than here." In a little harsh tone, "Don't be childish, Saraswathi," chided Brahma, "what on earth would you do there?" he sounded alarmed. But Saraswathi was very keen on the idea of being a mortal and requested to the creator, "Please don't say ‘no'. Saraswathi was getting more and more excited at the prospect. "It will be only for a short period, please consider my proposal Lord. Who knows? I might even become the immortal mortal." Here laughter was like the sweetness of honey mixed with the softness of the rose petals.

Brahma was enchanted and in a moment of weakness he said, "So be it." Once the creator has uttered something, there was no going back on his word. Sarawathi was really very excited and she had no words to thank her husband. "Thank you, thank you," Saraswathi jumped daintily out of the lotus, clapping her hands. "I shall get ready to go immediately." Suddenly, realizing the implication of his words, Brahma protested, "Oh no, Saraswathi. I did not mean it. How can I send you away? What will I do? I can't stay alone." But Sarawasthi at once said, "Oh that's not fair, my Lord. You have already consented and it is just a small wish. Don't worry, I will be back soon to accompany you. And there..she ...was GONE!

On distant earth, in the southern part of the country called India, a beautiful baby girl was born on an auspicious day in a family of silk weavers and the family was really very happy with the arrival of the new born. When the baby let out its first cry, everyone nearby wondered, "What a melodious cry!" and they said Saraswathi had arrived on earth! The girl was named Avvaiyar, which later got shortened to Avvai. As she grew with all the love and care of fond parents, she soon turned out to be a healthy and a contented child. As she ran about the house in pigtails and ankle length silk shirts, with silver anklets chiming musically, her parents were enthralled. She was the apple of their eyes and the centre of their existence. "That daughter of ours," observed the father on one day, "should be called eternal bliss, or joyous wonder," chimed the mother with heart full of happiness.


Wherever she went, they followed her with their eyes, so protectively that when she was around they had eyes for her and for her alone. As she grew older she astonished everyone with her versatility and intelligence. At a very early age, she had mastered a lot in tamil literature. And then she grew older still. It was the mother who noticed the change first and she was shocked. ‘My baby! Already a big girl!' she worried. "Why don't you get a suitable boy for our Avvai and invite our friends and family and arrange her marriage with a great a pomp", her mother asked her father while serving dinner one evening. That was the only time he seemed to relax after a hard day at the looms, weaving yards and yards of beautiful silk. "What is the hurry?" asked the father, "she is just a child." "A child?" protested the mother. "Do you ever look at your daughter? She is sixteen and well grown, bless her." The father looked at his daughter sitting next to him, quietly eating her dinner. ‘Yes, she has grown,' he thought to himself. "How is it I never noticed it all this time? I thought Avvai was still a child," he said aloud. "When do you men ever have the time for the family?" complained his wife. "It is always work, work and work for you." Avvai smiled to herself. It sounded like Brahmalok! "That is what you mothers are there for," Avvai's father was trying to save face, "after all, the woman is the queen of the household. What will we do without you?" he smiled.

"That's enough now," protested her mother even though she felt happy at the attention she got. "It would not be difficult for him to get a suitable groom and invite the whole town and conduct her marriage in style." Avvai's father was a very prosperous man. It would not be difficult for him to get a suitable groom for his daughter. But Avvai was very much worried for she had no inclination to get married. After her father had left the room she went straight to her mother. "Ma," she said, her eyes brimming with tears, "I don't want to get married please understand and in fact, I will never marry." "Never marry!" her mother was shocked with what Avvai told and in a very angry tone "What words for a girl to utter. How can you escape marriage? Every girl born on this earth has to get married." Avvai replied, "Not me. I don't have to." "What will you do then? Grow up into an old woman overnight?" Her mother walked away in a huff. She was getting irritated by this new the arguments of Avvai. But Avvai did just that. How could Lord Brahma's wife marry another man? There was only one way to escape. The next morning when she got up, her hair was all grey, her face had wrinkles and she also had a slight stoop! Her parents were shocked beyond belief and they had no words to talk for only tears rolled down from their eyes. Her mother fainted. When she recovered, Avvai was waiting beside her with a glass of cold water. "How did this happen, my child?" she cried. "Why?" The lovely sixteen year old daughter of yesterday an old woman today? "Ma," said Avvai gently. "I did not come into this to get married and lead an ordinary life. I have a lot to do and for that purpose this is the best guise for me." "What are you going to do?" "You will soon come to know."

Avvai, who was as you know was none other than Saraswathi, soon became famous as a renowned poetess. She wrote a number of poems in Tamil. The beauty and style of her language, its contents and perfection brought her fame and name. She was soon known throughout the length and breadth of the Chola and Pandya kingdoms. Avvai was enjoying every moment of her life. She basked in the limelight, attention name and fame. Isn't this what she missed and craved for in Brahmalok? In the meantime, Brahma was getting restless. Saraswathi seemed to have forgotten all about him as she showed no signs of returning. He sent her frequent signals, but no… she just did not care to respond. "I must find someway of getting her back." Brahma thought and thought and then hit upon an idea. Saraswathi as Avvai, was getting more and more conceited. Her profound knowledge and ability was getting too much attention from the mortals. She was getting carried away. "I must do something", he thought. Then he struck upon an idea! Yes, that was the only way. Deflate her conceit and arrogance. That will give her a jolt and bring her back to senses. Brahma felt like dancing with joy. If his plans worked, Saraswathi would soon be back with him. He then went in search of Parvathi's son Karthikeya and asked him "Will you go on an important errand for me?" and said something in a low tone for his ears alone. "Sure, I will do as you bid" and set off towards the earth.

It was a hot summer day. Avvai was travelling towards Madurai, the capital of the Pandya Kingdom. It was very, very hot. Avvai's tongue was dry and she felt dizzy, as she passed over a big rock. Looking down she noticed a tree full of jamuns, big, black, ripe juicy berries! "Thank God," she muttered to herself. "I can eat some fruit and quench my thirst." She looked up the juicy fruits. Alas! They were all high on the tall branches. How could she reach them? Just then, she noticed a little boy of 10 or 12 years old upon the tree! He was leaning against one of the tall branches, eating the fruit. He looked very smart and pleasant. "Son, can you drop some fruits for me?" entreated the aged lady. "I am feeling very, very thirsty. God will bless you for this." "Sure grandma," smiled the little brat, "just tell me whether you want cool fruits or hot fruits?" "Hot fruits?" asked an irritated Avvai. "Are you crazy? Can fruits be hot? "Don't play the fool now, I am thirsty." "Alright grandma," said the little boy, "don't get annoyed. I shall shake the branch and as fruits fall on the sand, pick and eat them."

The boy shook the branch vigourously. As they hit the sand they got squashed a little and the sand stuck to them. As she picked up the next fruit and blew at it, he said, "Grandma, are the fruits hot? Are you blowing at them to cool them?" Then he burst out laughing. Avvai was taken aback. It was the first defeat she had encountered on earth. Here she was, priding herself on intelligence, knowledge and ability, when a chit of a boy had so casually thrown a challenge at her. How could she claim to be a master of the language when she could not understand the hidden meaning in the child's question? "Dear child you have opened my eyes, forgive my arrogance in belittling you." She felt defeated. "Just tell me who you are," she pleaded. It was then that Karthik revealed himself. "It is time for you to return, Aunt Saraswathi," he smiled. Soon Saraswathi returned to Brahmalok. "It was fun as long as it lasted," she told her husband, "though I had started feeling bored towards the end." Brahma smiled. That was a secret between him and his dear Karthik.