Who gave veena to Narada muni?

Question

As a follow up to my recent question Where does Linga purana mentions Lord Krishna giving veena to Narada muni? Linga purana doesn't mention Lord Krishna giving Veena to Narada but teaching Him music.

And this comment also seems to be true:

"deva" is an epithet originally used for mahadeva ( for e.g. ref: sri sUktam upaitumAm dEvasakhaH ). Mahadeva is also the embodiment of nAda and the reigning deity of music/nAda yOga. So it can be interpreted as a vina given to him by Mahadeva/Lord Shiva. Iswara is also an epithet that applies only to Mahadeva as clarified by kanchi paramacharya Chandrasekharendra Saraswati swami.

So, now I'm undecided Who gave Him Veena. Is He Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva? And why?

Answer 1

According to Skanda purana - volume 7- chapter 50, Lord Krishna gave veena to Sage Narada.

Sage Narada requests Krishna to grant him a boon, ie., He would always sing glories of Lord and His devotees. Thus being requested by Sage, Krishna grants him boon and gave him Mahati Veena which helps him in singing.

लोकान्तरसुखं यत्तद्वैदिकैरेव कर्मभिः ।
देवैः पित्र्येद्र लभ्येत तच्चाप्यस्ति हि नश्वरम् ।।५५।।

नेच्छामि तदहं किञ्चित्सुखं त्चत्तः परं प्रभो ! ।
वरमेकं तु याचे त्वत्स्वेप्सितं वरदर्षभात् ।।५६।।

तवाथ तव भत्तानां सदैव गुणगायने ।
अत्युत्सुकास्ते मे बुद्धिस्त्वयि प्रीतिविवर्धनी ।।५७।।

   स्कन्द उवाच

तथास्त्चिति प्रतिश्रुत्य कृष्णस्तेनेति याचितम् ।
गानोपयुक्तां महतीं वीणां दत्त्वाऽब्रवीत्पुनः ।।५८।।

Other worldly pleasures obtained by performing the Vedic sacrifices, regarded highly by the Devatas and Manes, are momentary. (55)

Lord! I do not desire to have even a little of that great happiness from you. I beseech You, the greatest bestower of boons, to grant me only one boon. (56)

Let my mind be supremely enthusiastic inconstantly singing Your qualities and those of Your devotees. Let my love for You be even increasing". (57)

Skanda said:
Thus being prayed by Narada, Sri Krishna said - "Let it be so", and giving him a Mahati-Veena useful for singing, told him again. (58)

Answer 2

Veena of Narada Muni was given by Goddess Sarasvathi in Garga Samhita.

Austerity of Narada Muni towards Goddess Sarasvathi :

O queen of Vraja, for one hundred celestial years Narada performed austeries. Fasting from food and water, he meditated on Goddess Sarasvati.

Goddess Sarasvathi Gives Vina to Sage Narada :

Pleased, Goddess Sarasvati gave to the great saint Narada the vina named Devadatta, which was decorated with spiritual sound.

Goddess Sarasvathi Teaches Narada Muni Music :

Goddess Sarasvati, the dearest beloved of the Lord of Vaikunöha, then taught Narada the different ragas and raginis, their derivitives, the proper times and places for the different kinds of music, the different rhythms, the five-hundred-and-sixty-million divisions and numberless sub-divisions of scales, the various dances, the different musical instruments, and the different kinds of modulation.

CONCLUSION :

• Hence Goddess Sarasvathi gave Vina to Sage Narada and also became Guru to Narada Muni and taught him Music