vasant panchmi ka utsav magh mas shukla paksh panchmi tithi ko dhumdham se manaya jata hai. is varsh angreji tarikh ke anusar, 4 farvri 2014 ko yah utsav hai. yah parva rituraj vasant ke ane ki suchna deta hai. is din se hi hori tatha dhamar git praranbh kiye jate hain. gehun tatha jau ki svarnim baliyan bhagvan ko arpit ki jati hain. nar-nari, balk-balikaen sabhi vasanti evan pit vastra dharan karte hain. vasant panchmi ko shri panchmi aur shri sarasvati jayanti ke nam se bhi jana jata hai. bhagvan vishnu, mata lakshmi aur man sarasvati ke pujan se abhisht kamnaen siddh ho kar sthir lakshmi aur vidya-buddhi ki prapti hoti hai. vasant panchmi ke agaman se sharir men sfurti aur chetnashakti jagrit hoti hai. bauraye am vrikshon par madhup (bhaunre) gunjar karte hain tatha koyal ki kuk mukhrit hone lagti hai.
gulab, malti adi ful khil jate hain. mand sugandh vali shital pavan bahne lagti hai. is ritu ke pramukh devta kam tatha rati hain. atah vasant ritu kamoddipak hota hai. charak sanhitakar ka kathan hai ki is ritu men striyon tatha vanon ka sevan karna chahie. kam tatha rati ki vishesh puja karni chahie. ved men kaha gaya hai ki ‘vasante brahman mupnyit‘. ved adhyayan ka bhi yahi samay tha. balkon ko isi din vidyalay men pravesh dilana chahie. keshar se kanse ki thali men ‘uen ain sarasvatyai namah‘ mantra ko nau bar likh kar thali men ganga jal dal kar, jab likhit mantra purnataya ganga jal men ghul jay, to us jal ko mand buddhi balak ko pila dene se uski buddhi prakhar hoti hai. magh shukla panchmi ko uttam vedi par navin pit vastra bicha kar akshaton ka ashtadal kamal banaen. uske agrabhag men ganesh ji aur prishth bhag men ‘vasant‘- jau, gehun ki bal ka punj (jo jal purn kalash men danthal sahit rakh kar banaya jata hai) sthapit kar sarvapratham ganesh ji ka pujan karen. punah ukt punj men rati aur kamdev ka pujan karen.
un par pushp se abir adi ke chinte laga kar vasant sadrish banaen. tatpashchat ‘shubha ratiah prakartavya vasantojjvla bhushna. nrityamana shubha devi samastabhrnairyuta.. vinavadnshila ch madakarpur charchita..‘ se ‘rati‘ ka aur kamdevastu kartavyon rupenapratimon bhuvi. ashtabahuah s kartavyah shankhapadm vibhushnah.. chapban karashchaiv madadchint lochnah. chatastrastasya kartavyaah patnyo rupmnohraah. chatvarashch karasttasya karya bharyasttanopgaah.. ketushch makrah karyah panchban mukho mahan. mantra se kamdev ka dhyan karke vividh prakar ke fal, pushp aur patradi samarpan karen, to grihasth jivan sukhamay ho kar pratyek karya men utsah prapt hota hai. vasant ritu rason ki khan hai aur is ritu men vah divya ras utpann hota hai, jo jar-chetan ko unmatt karta hai. iski katha is prakar hai: bhagvan vishnu ki agya se prajapti brahma ne srishti rachna ki. svayan dvara srishti rachna kaushal ko jab is sansar men brahma ji ne nayan bhar ke dekha, to chahun or sunsan nirjanata hi dikhayi di. udasi se sanpurn vatavaran muk sa ho gaya tha, jaise kisi ki vani hi n ho. is drishya ko dekhakar brahma ji ne udasi tatha sunepan ko dur karne hetu apne kamandal se jal chirka.
un jal kanon ke parte hi vrikshon se ek shakti utpann hui, jo donon hathon se vina baja rahi thi tatha do hathon men kramshah pustak tatha mala dharan kiye thi. brahma ji ne us devi se vina baja kar sansar ki udasi, nirjanata, mukta ko dur karne ko kaha. tab us devi ne vina ke madhur-madhur nad (dhvani) se sab jivon ko vani pradan ki. isi lie us achintya rup lavanya ki devi ko sarasvati kaha gaya. yah devi vidya-buddhi dene vali hai. atah is din ‘uen vina pustak dharinyai shrisarasvatyai namah‘ is nam mantra se gandhadi upcharon dvara pujan karen.