Saraswati, known as Sraosha in Zoroastrianism is the guardian of earth. Sraosha (“obedience”) is also the wife and messenger of Ahura Mazda, and her role as the "Teacher of Daena", Daena being the hypostasis of both "Conscience" and "Religion". She is also called Druga for fighting off Drug (Drug, the name for female demon in ancient Veda, from the Sanskrit root druh "to be hostile").
In the East Indian states of Bihar, West Bengal, Orissa: Saraswati is considered to be a daughter of Durga along with her sister Lakshmi and her brothers Ganesha and Karthikeya. In the Rigveda, Saraswati is a river as well as its personification as a goddess. In the post Vedic age, she began to lose her status as a river goddess and became increasingly associated with literature, arts, music, etc. In Hinduism, Saraswati represents intelligence, consciousness, cosmic knowledge, creativity, education, enlightenment, music, the arts, eloquence and power.
A hamsa or goose is often located next to her feet.
The sacred bird, if offered a mixture of milk and water, is said to be able to
drink the milk alone. It thus symbolizes discrimination between the good and
the bad or the eternal and the evanescent. Due to her association with the
bird, Saraswati is also referred to as Hamsavahini, which means "she who
has a hamsa as her vehicle".
