Om Aim Saraswatyai Namah

The mantra addressed to Saraswati, built on the bija aiṁ.

What it says

Aiṁ is the seed syllable associated with Saraswati and with speech. Sarasvatyai is the dative of Sarasvatī; namaḥ is the bow. Oṁ, aiṁ, I bow to Saraswati.

When it is chanted

Most visibly at Vasant Panchami, which marks her festival and is when instruments, books and tools are set before her rather than used. It is also chanted by students, musicians and writers as a daily practice, and in some households a child's first letters are written on that day.

How it is counted

One repetition per bead, 108 to a mala. Practitioners who keep it daily often do so in the morning, before work rather than after.

Saraswati is one of the three goddesses commonly invoked together — with Lakshmi and Durga — and some count all three in sequence, a mala each.

Counting it here

Root Jaap counts without interrupting: tap anywhere, and the interface goes quiet while you are counting. Nothing is sent anywhere and no account is needed.

Opens the counter with this mantra chosen. No account, works offline.