Saraswati and the Wisdom of Discernment
Jul 01, 2025
In today’s circle, we return to the goddess Saraswati, the radiant embodiment of wisdom, creativity and expression. But this time, we are guided by a particular quality she offers us so generously — discernment.
Saraswati reminds us that it is not enough to seek truth. We must also learn how to recognise it. She teaches that all that glitters is not gold, and not everything that appears nourishing will truly sustain us on the deepest levels.
Hamza the Swan: A Sacred Story of Discerning Nourishment
In many depictions, Saraswati is accompanied by Hamza, her glowing white swan. This swan is more than a symbol of grace. Hamza represents the ability to perceive clearly, to separate what is nourishing from what is not.
There is a beloved myth that tells us how the gods once wanted to teach humanity the art of discernment. They created a mixture of water, milk and honey in a large bowl and invited all the birds to drink from it. But the birds could not distinguish the nourishing elements from the diluted ones. They drank indiscriminately, unaware of what was truly beneficial.
Then Saraswati stepped forward and offered Hamza. The swan descended with luminous grace, dipped its beak into the bowl, and drank only the milk and honey. It knew instinctively what to absorb and what to leave behind.
This is what Saraswati asks of us. She calls us into a deeper relationship with our own inner knowing — a connection to the wisdom body within.
The Practice of Discerning Wisdom
Yoga and Ayurveda both remind us that we are not just physical beings. We are layered. Complex. Sacred. Within us are different koshers, or sheaths of being. One of these is the vijnanamaya kosha — the wisdom body.
This is the place from which right action arises. It is the part of us that can pause and reflect before reacting. It knows when something is in alignment, and when it is not. It can feel the difference between temporary pleasure and true nourishment.
To access this wisdom, Saraswati invites us to sit in stillness. To return to mantra. To study the sacred texts. To explore our creativity. To stay curious. And most of all, to observe.
When we slow down enough to observe, we begin to see clearly what is for us and what is not. We begin to notice which people, habits, foods and thoughts uplift us and which ones deplete our energy or pull us off our path.
Discernment in Service of the Greater Good
The beauty of Saraswati’s teachings is that they do not stop with the self. The wisdom she asks us to cultivate is not only for our own wellbeing. It is also for the collective.
We are not just discerning what is nourishing for me. We are also asking, “What serves the whole?”
This is where discernment becomes devotion. When we align our choices with what brings harmony, truth and vitality to all beings, we are living Saraswati’s path in its fullness.
The Invitation
As you move through your week, carry Saraswati’s swan with you.
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Pause before saying yes or no.
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Take a breath before you respond.
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Ask yourself: Is this truly nourishing?
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Is this aligned with my highest path?
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Does this serve not just me but the whole?
Saraswati does not demand perfection. She offers practice. Over time, as we return again and again to our inner wisdom, discernment becomes second nature. We begin to trust ourselves. We begin to act from a place of deeper knowing.
And slowly, gently, we become more and more aligned with the truth of who we are.
Let Hamza lead the way.
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