अधिदैविक सार्थकत्व सरस्वती च आयुध पूजस्य (adhidaivika sārthakatva sarasvatī ca āyudha pūjasya - spiritual significance of sarasvati and ayudha puja)

 

Original	Transliteration	Translation
सरस्वती नमस्तुभ्यं वरदे कामरूपिणि। विद्यारम्भं करिष्यामि सिद्धिर् भवतु मे सदा॥ - सरस्वती स्तुतिः (1)	sarasvatī namastubhyaṁ varade kāmarūpiṇi| vidyārambhaṁ kariṣyāmi siddhir bhavatume sadā||	O Devī Saraswati I pray to You. You are the bestower of all desires. I shall begin to acquire knowledge (start studying). Please help me to acquire perfection at all times.
Sanskrit Reference: सरस्वती स्तुतिः (Saraswati stutiḥ (1)

One of the main events which is part of the नवरात्र पूजा (navarātra pūjā – nine nights worship) that needs special mention is the आयुध पूजा (āyudha pūjā- instrument worship). This event which is celebrated on the नवमी तिथि (navamī tithi – ninth day) encourages us to see the Omnipresent God in everything and everything in God. Personally, I strongly believe in the dictum that यदास्ति तत् सत्यम् यद् सत्यम् तत् ब्रह्म (yadāsti tat satyam, yad satyam tat brahma - whatever exists is real and whatever is existent is Brahman (God)). In other words, this can be summarized as follows:

• Everything is derived from God, stays in God and finally returns back to God. (God is the substratum or primary cause)
• Everything is made of God (God is the material cause of everything)
• Everything is made with God (God is the instrumental cause)
• Everything is created by God (God is the efficient cause)

    This fact is testified in the following verses from the sacred श्री अरविन्दोपनिषद् (śrī aravindopaniṣad) which declares thus: 

Original	Transliteration	Translation
ॐ। एकम् एव अद्वितीयं ब्रह्म। तत् सत्-असत्-रूपं सत्-असत्-अतीतं। तद् बिहाय अन्यत् किञ्चित् न अस्ति। त्रिकाल-घृतं त्रिकाल-अतीतं वा सर्वं तु खलु एकं ब्रह्म। जगत्यां यत् किञ्च अणु वा महत् वा उदारं वा अनुदारं वा तत् ब्रह्म एव ब्रह्म एव। जगत् अपि ब्रह्म तत् सत्यं न मिथ्या॥	om| ekam eva advitīyaṁ brahma| tat sat-asat-rūpaṁ sat-asat-atītaṁ| tad bihāya anyat kiñcit na asti| trikāla-ghṛtaṁ trikāla-atītaṁ vā sarvaṁ tu khalu ekaṁ brahma| jagatyāṁ yat kiñca aṇu vā mahat vā udāraṁ vā anudāraṁ vā tat brahma eva brahma eva| jagat api brahma tat satyaṁ na mithyā||	OM. There is Brahman alone, the One without a second. Being and non-being are its forms and it is also beyond Being and Non-Being. There is nothing else except That. All that is contained in the three times and all that is beyond the three times is indeed that One Brahman alone. Whatever is in the universe, small or large, noble or mean, is Brahman alone, Brahman alone. The world is also Brahman. It is true, not false.
Sanskrit Reference: श्री अरविन्दोपनिषद् (śrī aravindopaniṣad) (1)

    Again, the noble mystic poet-saint நம்மாழ்வார் (nam'māḻvār) in his magnum opus masterpiece of devotional mystic poetryதிருவாய்மொழி (tiruvāymoḻi) very categorically endorses this fact

Original	Transliteration	Translation
நாம் அவன் இவன் உவன் அவள் இவள் உவள் எவள் தாம் அவர் இவர் உவர் இது உது எது வீமவை இவை உவை அவை நலம் தீங்கு அவை ஆமவாய் அயவாய் ஆய நின்றனவே	nām avaṉ ivaṉ uvaṉ avaḷ ivaḷ uvaḷ evaḷ tām avar ivar uvar itu utu etu vīmavai ivai uvai avai nalam tīṅku avai āmavāy ayavāy āya niṉṟaṉavē	We, the masculine beings over here, as well as those at a distance, near at hand and in.between, the feminine species similarly situated, all things collectively seen here, there and everywhere, what can be individually pointed out as this, that and the othei-, the non-sentient things, good, bad, perishable and imperishable, things that were, are and will be, all these subsist in Him (English Translation by Satyamurthy Iyengar)
Tamil Reference : திருவாய்மொழி (tiruvāymoḻi)

The आयुध पूजा (āyudha pūjā) festival reminds us to pay respects to every आयुध (āyudha - object / instrument/ tool) that we leverage in life. Every little thing in life is but a Divine Gift from the all. merciful God. Let’s whole heartedly thank God.