Vidya

This article is about the concept in Hinduism. For other uses, see VIDYA.

for the Bollywood film see Vidya (film)

Sarasvati, Vidya goddess.

Vidya, Vidhya (vidyA in Romanized transliteration) is a Sanskrit name for knowledge. It is frequently used in Hinduism as honorific stemming from the Puranic conception of knowledge and learning. Vidya is an epithet of the Hindu goddess Sarasvati, consort of Brahma according to Hindu beliefs. She has superior spiritual feminine energy or the Param Prakriti, which purifies, empowers and uplifts the individual. Hence, She is called the Goddess of Learning.

Vidya as the Absolute Supreme

त्वमेव माता च पिता त्वमेव त्वमेव बन्धुश्च सखा त्वमेव ।
त्वमेव विद्या द्रविणं त्वमेव त्वमेव सर्वं मम देवदेव ॥

—Vishwanath Suprabhatam

Translation: You are my mother, my father you are, You are my brother(relative), and my (every) friend; You are knowledge and my wealth you are, You are (in) everything to me, God of all Gods.

Festivals

During Navaratri, on the 9th day, every house ceremoniously keeps books and all musical instruments near the puja place early at dawn and worship her with special prayers. On this day no studies or any performance of arts is carried out, as it is considered that the Goddess herself is blessing the books and the instruments. When the festival concludes on the tenth day of Navaratri or Vijaya Dashami as its popularly known, the goddess is worshipped before the books and the musical instruments are removed.

Small children of 2-3 years start studying on this day which is called Vidyarambham (Commencement of Knowledge). Each person will wear new clothes and traditional attire and start learning something new on this day. Gurus (teachers) are worshipped on this day as the embodiments of Goddess Sarasvati.

Opposite of Vidya (right Knowledge) is Avidya (ignorance/wrong knowledge/misinformation/disinformation)