ABSTRACT
The Mahabharata emphasizes the sacredness of Sarasvati as a river and catalogues holy spots on her banks. The pilgrimage of Balarama described in the Mahabharata also suggests the course followed by this river from the point of her origin to her disappearance. The Puranas, reinforce and magnify through legends and folklore, these aspects of Sarasvati and also conceptualize her as a goddess of learning, eloquence and fine arts. The Puranic versions of Sarasvati's origin are embedded in legends and has a mythological flavour. These versions may not lend themselves to any serious scholastic scrutiny. Further, there are different versions about the origin of the Sarasvati in different Puranas. There are numerous instances in the Puranas which depict the mutable character of Goddess Sarasvati. The Vadhava legend is one such instance where she transformed herself from a goddess to a river for carrying Vadhava fire to the ocean.
