Monier-Williams: A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (p. 1182)
sarasvatī, f. (of sarasvat q.v. under saras) a region abounding in pools and lakes, MBh. i, 7745; N. of a river (celebrated in, RV. and held to be a goddess whose identity is much disputed; most authorities hold that the name Sarasvatī is identical with the Avestan Haraquaiti river in Afghanistan, but that it usually means the Indus in the, RV., and only occasionally the small sacred rivers in Madhya-deśa [see below]; the river-goddess has seven sisters and is herself sevenfold, she is called the mother of streams, the best of mothers, of rivers, and of goddesses; the ṛishis always recognize the connection of the goddess with the river, and invoke her to descend from the sky, to bestow vitality, renown, and riches; elsewhere she is described as moving along a golden path and as destroying Vṛitra &c.; as a goddess she is often connected with other deities e.g. with Pūshan, Indra, the Maruts and the Aśvins [1182,3]; in the Āpri hymns she forms a triad with the sacrificial goddesses Iḍā and Bhātrati; accord. to a myth told in the, VS. xix, 12, Sarasvatī through speech [vAcā] communicated vigour to Indra; in the BrShmaṇas she is identified with vAc, 'Speech', and in later times becomes goddess of eloquence see below), RV. &c. &c.; N. of a well-known small river (held very sacred by the Hindūs; identified with the modern Sursooty, at, d formerly marking with the Dṛishadvatī one of the boundaries of the region Ārya-deśa and of the sacred district called Brahmāvarta [see, Mn. ii, 17] in, RV. vii, 95, 2, this river is represented as flowing into the sea, although later legends make it disappear underground and join the Ganges and Jumnā at Allahibād; see tri-veNī, prayAga) ib.; N. of various rivers (esp. of rivers which in sacredness are equal to Sarasvatī and which are three accord. to, AV. vi, 101, and seven accord. to, MBh. ix, 2188); any river Naigh. i, 13; N. of the goddess of eloquence and learning (cf. above; she is opposed to Śri or Lakshmī [cf. Vikr. v, 24], and sometimes considered as the daughter and also wife of Beahmā, the proper wife of that god being rather Sāvitri or Gāyatri; she is also identified with Durgā, or even with the wife of Vishṇu and of Manu, and held to be the daughter of Daksha), Mn., MBh. &c.; speech or the power of speech, eloquence, learning wisdom, MBh., Kāv. &c.; a celestial or oracular voice, Kālid., Kathās., Rājat.; a cow, VS. viii, 43; an excellent woman (= strI-ratna), L.; N. of various plants (Cardiospermum Halicacabum, Egle Marmelos, Ruta Graveolens &c.), L.; N. of a twoyear-old girl representing Durgā at her festival, L.; of a poetess Cat.; of various other women (esp. of the wives of Dadhica, Śaṃkarācārya, Maṇḍaṇamiśra &c.) ib.; of one of the ten mendicant orders traced back to Śarnkaracārya (whose members add the word sarasvatī to their names).