Veena Rahasya!

THE SECRET OF VEENA-

"Playing veena is considered one of the highest forms of yoga as it connects the jeevatma to the paramatma, especially when the player handles the veena through the sheer power and force of his 'Prana' ( life-force energy)or 'kundalini shakti' that arises from the mooladhara chakra at the base of the spine.The veena yogi handles the instrument in perfect breath control and goes through the process of 'poorakam' (inhalation),'kumbhakam' (retention of breath), 'rechakam' (exhalation) and gradually into long stages of 'antara kumbhakam' (retention of breath after inhalation) and 'bahya kumbhakam' (retention of breath after exhalation).It is therefore possible to attain the state of samadhi through veena nada yoga.

Aithreya Brahmana states in the fifth chapter of the second part of the "AITHREYAARANYAKA"

ATHAH KHALVIYAM DEIVEE VEENAA BHAVATHI

THADANUKRUTHI MAANUSHI VEENA BHAVATHI!

The spinal chord extends from down the pelvis right upto the brain,sustaining the backbones.This is like the trunk of the veena.Just as there are 24 divisions in the veena,there exists similar assortment of 24 vertebrae in the spinal chord.The 24 vertebrae of the column are grouped as under by the scientists of the west in their treatises on anatomy.

DESCENDING ORDER ON VEENA:-

CERVICAL:-(7 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-S,N2,N1,D2,D1,P,M2

DORSAL:-(12 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-M1,G2,G1,R2,R1,S,N2,N1,D2,D1,P,M2

LUMBAR:-(5 NOTES AND VERTEBRAE)-M1,G2,G1,R2,R1

Thus totalling 7 joints(cervical belonging to the neck,dorsal belonging to the back and lumbar belonging to the loins).In the veena we see the mansions are large and roomy as they begin from the lower pitch. But as we proceed to the top pitch the frets shrink in size till towards the very end where they are rather minute.The division found near the lion-face(foot) are larger than those near the brain. Similarly,the vertebrae in the column are large and thick near the region of the waist,dwindling more and more in size and thickness as they approach the head.In vedas,the spinal chord is described as veenadanda. As already stated the lower end of the veena is termed as simha-mukha or lion-face.Even the lower end or basal stand of the vertebrae is shaped like veena's simha-mukha.

Physiology tells that the cerebral chord or naadi runs inside the thin hollow tube embedded in the centre of the vertebral column.This cerebral chord is gross.This is not the 'Brahmarandra naadi' or the subtle super physical nerve.The mystic nerve exists as pure ethereal power in this gross cerebral chord.The sukshma nerve is beyond our ken.No x-ray or any other mechanical device can ever hope to discover this ethereal chord in the gross cerebral tendril. Man can only perceive the movements or excitation of the body,but never the forces which cause the movement or excitation.

If inside the gross body we did not possess an ethereal non-physical double, our bodies are but dead.Therefore,inside our corporeal frames there do exist nerves embodying psychic power such as the 'sushumna' or the 'brahmarandra naadi',surya-chandra naadis known as the ida-pingala naadis or the right and left sympathetic chords,the six psychic lotuses known as 'shat chakras' all these enshrining deep occult currents.

In the mysteries concerning the presence of Omkara in the sushumna naadi, one can perceive the deep esoteric varieties that vitalize the veena held in the hands of Goddess Sharada Devi.The power of the manifest (aahatha) sound,issuing as sweet music from the strings of the veena on which we play, reside in the gross nerve fabrics enveloping the mystic sushumna chord.This means that the power of psychic music which brings out the earthly music, resides in the unseen sushumna veena, while the power of the earthly veena resides in and vitalizes the peripheral nervous fibres around the sushumna.Between these two veenas rises the wall of the cerebral spinal chord of utmost fineness which envelops the sushumna naadi even as a glass chimney divides the light of a wick from its atmospheric surroundings.

The timbre of the veena strings has for their prototype the sound of the vedas interfused in the undefined,unmanifest anaahatha or omkara vibration.The seven swaras are rooted in the Cardinal psychic centres of the sushumna naadi viz Mooladhara,Swadhishtana,Manipura,Anaahatha,Vishuddha,Aagna,Sahasraara .Even though the seven swaras have each of their particular habitats yet in manifestation they interact with one another and reign collectively over the whole sushumna region as the power of the Primal Omkara."(click on photo to enlarge). Courtesy- Yedathore Subbaraya Sharma