In Hindu mythology, Saraswati is the goddess traditionally depicted playing the veena.
Saraswati is associated with knowledge, learning, music, speech, and the arts. Images commonly show her dressed in white and holding a veena, a stringed instrument with deep roots in South Asian musical traditions. The instrument represents creative knowledge and disciplined artistic practice.
Her other familiar symbols include a book, prayer beads, and a white swan or peacock. Saraswati is especially honored during Vasant Panchami, a festival connected with learning and the arrival of spring in many regions. Lakshmi is associated with prosperity, while Parvati represents a broad range of maternal and divine powers. Those goddesses may appear with different attributes, but the veena is the distinctive instrument most strongly linked with Saraswati.