Legends have it that Sage Agastya was also a Vina exponent and once had a competition with Ravana in Vina, wherein Maha Meru stood in judgement. Lankeswara Ravana, who was musically inclined, was also an accomplished Vina player. As per legend, to appease Lord Siva, he once cut one of his heads and also his body nerves, made a Vina and played Samagana.
In the 66th sloka of the Soundarya Lahari, there is beautiful anecdote which goes thus. Once, Goddess Saraswati is singing the praises of Pasupati through her Vina in the presence of Devi Parvati, who at an exhilarated moment vocally exclaims at the beauty of the music. That simple exclamatory ‘Aaha’ of Devi is sweeter than the music itself, making Saraswati blush and stop playing and she silently wraps her instrument.
In Lalitha Sahasranamam, Lord Hayagreeva refers to the same incident in sloka 11, by saying ‘Nija Sallapa Madhurya Vinirbhartsita Kacchapi’. Mahakavi Kalidasa is believed to have commenced his poetic streaks with his famous ‘Manikkya Vinam Upalayantim’. In Rajarajeswari Ashtakam, Adi Sankara has mentioned ‘Vinavenu vinoda manditakara veerasana samasthita’.
Coming to Tamil literature, perhaps an early reference can be traced to Tiruvalluvar’s well-known Tirukkural in verses 66 and 279, wherein the pure Tamil word Yazh is used to refer to Vina. In the 70th song of Abhirami Andadi, Bhattar extols the beauty of Goddess Parasakti who is seen by him, among other things, with a Vina in her hands.
Talking of legends, one very important personality who needs mention, in a discussion on Vina, is Guru Raghavendra of Mantralaya. There is a story that he sang his own Bhairavi composition ‘Indu enage Govinda’, playing Vina just before entering Brindavana, for which song, his golden vigraha (idol) of Santanagopalamoorty came alive and danced in full public view. This happened just about 300 years ago.
saraswathiveena 