I was reminded of the Ugly duckling story, who grows up to be a beautiful swan one day! Beyond that, I have not thought about swans and they did not capture my interest in any specific way!

Recently, I was listening to someone speaking on a youtube video and made a reference to a swan.

It seems a swan has the unique ability to separate milk from water when mixed together and given. The analogy was that, we should be able to separate out the good and bad from all that the world has to offer and like a swan, develop the ability to pick up and absorb only the good from it.

This is why Goddess of Knowledge Saraswathi in Hindu mythology sits on a swan it seems. We process a lot of information and gain a lot of knowledge about multiple aspects as we grow. Being able to filter the good and bad and choosing to absorb, process and retain the good from the bad is a critical capability. It does not come easily, but is very much necessary. Not only was I amazed by the concept, but by the analogy and the linkage to mythology and why animals play an important role in every Hindu God, what do they signify and why? My curiosity was triggered and I started reading up more about them.

Then onwards, when I see a swan, I realize I am not just admiring the beauty, but amazed by its unique capability as well. Will share what I learned about other animals and birds and other species in the upcoming posts.