Saraswati - Knowledge that flows

Saraswati - Knowledge that flows

Saraswati is the Goddess of Knowledge.  She is the wife of Brahma from whom the Vedas originated. In olden days, people followed the Gotra system where the gene was supposed to be transferred from the father to the generations through the mother. Therefore, if Brahma was the father of the Vedas, it had to be carried out through the Mother who is his wife called 'Saraswati'. 

Saraswati is flow.  It is masculine characteristic to accumulate while it is feminine characteristic to distribute. If knowledge does not flow down, that knowledge is useless.  In other words, it is not those who have knowledge would be respected; but those who impart the knowledge that is worthy of worship.  That is probably the reason why there are hardly any temples dedicated to Brahma while there are many to Saraswati. 

Without knowledge however, Saraswati wouldn't have been there at all.  That is why it is said that Brahma only created Saraswati.  Thus Brahma the knowledge then became engaged with the flow of knowledge which gave rise to many knowledge branches (Rishis / Maharshis).   Were these Rishis / Maha-Rishis actually human beings?   Or were they reputed Universities where knowledge at different levels were researched?  We probably do not know.  It is said that Maharshi Viswamitra created the rats. Today we know that rats are the best of creations we could use for conducting research on, particularly in those branches of science pertaining to maintaining our health.  Could it be that the King turned Maha-rishi was christened Viswamitra thanks to this great achievement of his, that he became the Mitra (= Friend) of the Viswa (=Universe)?

There is also the story of Vishnu as Lord Hayagriva who restored the Vedas from the asuras Madhu & Kaitabha.  The vedas were then delivered to Saraswati who propagated it. Thus Lord Hayagriva is considered the Guru of Godesss Saraswati.

jñānānanda mayaṃ devaṃ nirmala sphaṭikākṛtiṃ
ādhāraṃ sarvavidyānaṃ hayagrīvaṃ upāsmahe

ज्ञानानन्द मयं देवं निर्मल स्फटिकाकृतिं
आधारं सर्वविद्यानं हयग्रीवं उपास्महे

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References: 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayagriva

http://hindumythologybynarin.blogspot.in/2012/11/story-lord-hayagriva-less-known-form-of.html

http://www.apamnapat.com/articles/Devibhagavata010.html