While we worship Devi in all her forms during Navarathri, on the last two days - Saraswathi puja and Vijaya Dasami – we particularly worship Devi Saraswathi, Goddess of Learning, focusing on what is especially important for all of us – medha sakthi. We often say ‘So and so is a medhai’ in Tamil. Such a person is one who has madha sakthi.

Very significantly, we recite Medha Suktam, and, pray:

‘Mayi medham, mayi prajam, mai Agni, Tejo dadhathu; Mayi medham, mayi prajam, mai Indro, Indriam dadhathu; Mayi medham, mayi prajam, mai Suryo, Brajho dadhathu’

‘Medha’ encompasses several things:

• Intellect: capacity to think, learn and absorb
• Memory: capacity to store and retain in our memory that we need to and be able to access it – which, the older one is, the tougher it becomes!
• Intuition: ability to draw upon our internalised wisdom (in turn result of wide learning and retention).

We need all three to think properly, think logically, and, think laterally, especially creatively. Medha suktam addresses all three. We pray to the three presiding deities

• to Agni devata, or fire god, as the source of energy;
• to Indra as the ultimate controller of our physical faculties; and,
• to Surya or Sun God, as the ultimate Brilliance.

To these presiding deities, we pray, for ourselves and our children and everyone else, for

• the energy and brilliance of the fire, or tejas;
• physical strength and vigour;
• enlightenment and wisdom, the radiance of the Sun.