The Indian Veena has always been considered as an instrument of the Gods and hence the name ‘Divine instrument’ has been attributed to it. From the earliest times, the Veena has been a guiding star for the development of Indian Music in general. But Carnatic music cherished the Veena and the Yazh as gifts of the gods and through centuries of study and experiment, coaxed out of them a system of music that has no parallel in the whole world. Veena Vocal Classes in Chennai

Veena is the favourite instrument of several important deities including Saraswathi, the goddess of arts and learning. The Veena handled by Goddess Saraswathi is known as ‘Kachchapi’. In the sloka ‘Vipanchya gãyanthi’ in Soundarya lahari, Jagadhguru Adi Shankaracharya portrays a beautiful scene in which Saraswathi plays the ‘Vipanchi’. Saraswathi is the goddess of all muses and is the Veena pustakadhaarini – one who holds the divine source of sound and wisdom. No picture, icon or poem of her or about her is therefore complete without the Veena and the pustaka (book).

Not only goddess Saraswathi, but goddess Parãshakthi also has a Veena in her hand. This is described by kãlidasa in the ‘Navarathnamala Sthothra’. He says that the goddess Parãshakthi plays the Veena with her fingertips and glows in the musical splendour created by the chaathurya of Saptha swaras. ‘sarigamapadani rathaan thaam veena sankratha kaantha hasthaan thaam’.

Mãthangi Devi, the goddess of Music is always depicted as holding a Veena in her hands. ‘Veena sankranta charu hastaa’. Goddess RajaMãthangi is the most important deity for Veena. She has to be worshipped fervently to understand the divine nuances of Veena. The ‘Mãthangi Shatkam’ is full of references to the Veena and we get phrases like ‘Veena Vadanavela Kampita siva sam’, ‘Veena rasanushangam’ and ‘Vama kucha nihita Veenam’. The sloka ‘Mãnikya Veenam upalalayantim’ is found as the last sloka of the ‘Mãthangi shatkam’ and the first sloka of the ‘Shyamala Dandakam’.