From Intellectual Knowledge to Emotional Wisdom: Reading Emotional Intelligence in Kavita Kane’s Sarasvati’s Gift

Naresh R; Sasi Rekha SP; Suganya P

From Intellectual Knowledge to Emotional Wisdom: Reading Emotional Intelligence in Kavita Kane’s Sarasvati’s Gift

Author(s)	Mr. Naresh R, Dr. Sasi Rekha SP, Dr. Suganya P
Country	India
Abstract	Abstract Kavita Kane’s Sarasvati’s Gift (2021) reimagines the Hindu goddess Sarasvati not merely as an embodiment of knowledge but as an emotionally complex, intellectually independent, and ethically conscious woman. Although the novel has been widely approached through the critical frameworks of feminism, mythology, gender, and intellectual agency, its representation of emotional intelligence deserves closer attention. This paper argues that Kane constructs Sarasvati as a figure whose intelligence becomes meaningful through self-awareness, emotional regulation, empathy, relational understanding, and ethical decision-making. Drawing upon the theoretical framework of emotional intelligence developed by Peter Salovey and John D. Mayer and subsequently popularized by Daniel Goleman, the study examines Sarasvati’s responses to love, marriage, motherhood, betrayal, social expectations, and interpersonal conflict. The novel distinguishes intellectual ability from emotional maturity while ultimately suggesting that knowledge reaches its fullest significance when accompanied by emotional awareness and ethical responsibility. Sarasvati’s refusal to accept conventional definitions of womanhood demonstrates self-awareness and autonomy, while her interactions with Brahma reveal the difficulties involved in balancing emotional attachment with individual identity. The paper further argues that Kane’s mythological retelling transforms Sarasvati from a static symbol of wisdom into a psychologically nuanced subject whose emotional choices challenge patriarchal assumptions. Thus, Sarasvati’s Gift presents emotional intelligence as a form of inner knowledge and proposes that true wisdom requires the ability to understand both the self and others.
Keywords	Keywords: Kavita Kane, Sarasvati’s Gift, emotional intelligence, Sarasvati, feminism, mythology, self-awareness, emotional maturity
Field	Arts
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 5, September-October 2026
Published On	2026-09-03

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From Intellectual Knowledge to Emotional Wisdom: Reading Emotional Intelligence in Kavita Kane’s Sarasvati’s Gift

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