Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)
by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words
This page relates ‘Kohala and Gita (13): The concept of Tala� of the thesis dealing with Kohala’s contribution to the Sanskrit textual tradition of ancient Indian performing arts. The study focuses specifically on music (Gita), dance (Nritya), and drama (Natya). Although Kohala’s original works have not been found, numerous references to him across Lakshana-Granthas (treatises) and works by modern scholars indicate his significance.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Kohala and Gītā (13): The concept of Tāla
1 Uttara Tāla
उत्तरः पञ्चपाण्याख्यः षट्पितापुत्रकाक्षर� � १२� �
अयुग्मोत्थ� प्लुताद्यन्तस्तथ� चाहात्� कोहल� �
द्वौ तु चाचपुट� कृत्वा द्वितीयोपान्त्यक� क्रमात� � १२� �
आद्यन्तयोर्नियुज्यैन� षट्पितापुत्रकं विदु� �
सन्निपातश्� तालश्च तस्याद्यन्तौ यथाक्रमम� � १२� �
द्विर्मध्य� तालशम्ये � पातादिभ्यो कलाविधिः ।१३०� �ܳٳٲ� 貹ñpāṇyākhya� ṣaṭpitāputrakākṣara� || 127 ||
ܲdzٳٳ� plutādyantastathā cāhātra kohala� |
dvau tu 峦ṭau kṛtvā dvitīyopāntyake kramāt || 128 ||
ⲹԳٲǰԾⲹԲ� ṣaṭpٰܳ첹� � |
ԲԾٲśca śca tasyādyantau yathākramam || 129 ||
dvirmadhye śamye ca pātādibhyo kalāvidhi� |130a |�(Dattilam, p.26)
Dattila presents the following definition of the uttara . He says that the uttara which is also called 貹ñṇi is formed using the ṣa of ṣaṭpٰܳ첹. It is born of the ayugma (峦ṭa). The first and last syllables are pluta. Having said this, he proceeds to give Kohala’s definition of the same.
Mukund Lath translates this passage thus�
“Having juxtaposed two 峦ܳٲḥs, place the first syllable at the second in 峦ܳٲ� and the final in the last but one in 峦ܳٲ�, such is known as ṣaṭpٰܳ첹��[1].
Dattila also says that this begins with a ԲԾٲ, ends with a and has in the middle, a couple of the set of & ś. These are the 첹 in this .
According to Dattila, Kohala places two 峦ṭas one after the other. Then he places the first syllable of ṣaṭpٰܳ첹 under the second syllable of 峦ṭa.
cā ca pu ṭa� cā ca pu ta�
ṣa� pi tā put ra ka�
In this case, the formation of the ṅg will be as follows�
S I I S S I I S
Ś I S S I Ś
The structure of the two s, when studied in this manner seem to match quite well. For instance the first and last plutas of ṣaٱ辱ٰܳ첹 can be assumed to be made from the sum of the guru and laghu in the beginning and the end of the 峦ܳٲ (S+I=Ś). This sort of syllabic correspondence is perhaps the reason Dattila says that this is the off-shoot of 峦ṭa. Mukund Lath feels that Dattila quotes Kohala in this context, because this was an easy and practical method to understanding the reason this was believed to be �ܲdzٳٳ��.&Բ;
It is interesting to note that Kohala has explained a laya called (ref. para 2.1.14.7). The definition of has been given by M. R. Kavi as a footnote in his edition of ṭyśٰ[2]. This particular laya also has a form that is similar to juxtaposing two 峦ṭa s. Since it seems that Kohala was well versed and has expounded several ṅg -s, layas etc., his thought process of trying to interpret a also in the same manner (juxtaposing two 峦ṭas) is not surprising. Kohala appears to have explained a , using the mind-set of one who follows a different tradition (that of the ṅg s).
2 ٱ貹ī
देशनियममुक्त्व� कालनियममप्यौत्सर्गिक� तावदाह चतुष्कलो हीति � तथ� चेति तेनोत्क्षेपे� यत्पादस्यपतन� तदुत्तमाना� चतसृभि� कलाभिः यस्मात्तदर्धार्धक्रमेण मध्यमाधमयो� परिभाषित इत्युत्सर्गतयेति भावः � तत्र गीतिचतुष्टयं मागध्याद� वक्ष्यते यत्तत्रार्धमागध्यादौ क्रमेण चित्रादित्रयविनियोगात् � “निमेषाः पञ्च मात्रा स्यात्� इत� कलासामान्यलक्षणलब्� औत्सर्गिकः सर्वत्� ध्रुवकमार्गो मन्तव्यः � विशेषादभिधान� ते� ध्रुवकमाने� चतुष्कलः पादपात�, तथ� चोत्तमपरिग्रहे द्विपदी कोहलेनोक्त� स्यादुत्तमानां द्विपदी चतुर्गुरुसमन्वित� � तत्रोत्क्षेपनिपाताभ्या� यस्मात्पादद्वय� भवेत� � इत�
deśaniyamamuktvā kālaniyamamapyautsargika� tāvadāha catuṣkalo hīti | tathā ceti tenotkṣepeṇa yatpādasyapatana� taduttamānā� catasṛbhi� kalābhi� yasmāttadardhārdhakrameṇa madhyamādhamayo� 貹ṣiٲ ityutsargatayeti 屹� | tatra īپcatuṣṭaya� māgadhyādi vakṣyate yattatrārdhamāgadhyādau krameṇa citrāditrayaviniyogāt | �Ծṣāḥ 貹ñ ٰ � iti 첹āmānyalakṣaṇalabdha ܳٲ첹� sarvatra ܱ첹 Գٲⲹ� | viśeṣādabhidhāne tena dhruvakamānena ٳṣk� 岹ٲ�, tathā cottamaparigrahe 屹貹ī kohalenoktā syāduttamānā� 屹貹ī caturgurusamanvitā | tatrotkṣepanipātābhyā� yasmātpādadvaya� bhavet || iti
�(Բī, Commentary on 12.11, GOS Vol. II, p.133)
In chapter 12 of ṣṭⲹśٰ, Bharata describes the entry of the different ٰ (actors) onto the stage, the postures to be adopted, and the prescribed interval between their feet.�
पादयोरन्तर� कार्यं द्वौ तालावर्धमे� � �
पादोत्क्षेपस्त� कर्तव्यः स्वप्रमाणविनिर्मित� � १२.� �
चतुस्ताल� द्वितालष्चाप� एकतालस्तथै� � �
चतुस्तालस्तु देवाना� पार्थिवाना� तथैव � � १२.� �
द्वितालश्चैव मध्यानां तालः स्त्रीनीचलिङ्गिनाम� � १२.१०अब� �岹ǰԳٲ� ⲹ� dvau tālāvardhameva ca |
pādotkṣepastu kartavya� svapramāṇavinirmita� || 12.8 ||
catustālo dviṣcāpi ekastathaiva ca |
catusstu devānā� pārthivānā� tathaiva ca || 12.9 ||
dviścaiva madhyānā� � strīīliṅginām | 12.10ab |�ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 2001: GOS Vol. II: pp.131-132
This is followed by Bharata’s explanation of the time taken for each step in the case of the different dramatis personae (uttama, madhyama and adhama ٰ). It is in this context that the above excerpt of Բī occurs.
On the time taken for each step, Bharata says�
चतुष्कलो ह्वयुत्तमाना� मध्यानां द्विकल� भवेत� �
तथ� चैककलः पातो नीचाना� संप्रकीर्तितः � १२.११ �catuṣkalo hvayuttamānā� madhyānā� dvikalo bhavet |
tathā caikakala� pāto nīcānā� saṃprakīrtita� || 12.11 ||[3]
The uttama characters should take the time measure of ٳṣk, madhya ٱ�dvikala and ī characters should take a duration of ekakala.
Abhinava explains that the time taken by uttama-ٰ is ٳṣk and the subsequent ones (madhyama and adhama) take half the time of the previous one. He then says that among the four īپ, 岵ī, 屹 and ṛtܱ must follow the citra, پ첹 and 岹ṣiṇa s respectively. The general rule of 첹 that says �Ծṣāḥ 貹ñ ٰ � (five Ծṣa make a ٰ) is to be understood to refer to the dhruvaka . This movement of feet in ٳṣk must be done in the duration prescribed in the dhruvaka . At this point Abhinava mentions that Kohala, in the case of uttama-ٰ has prescribed 屹貹ī.
According to Kohala, 屹貹ī is to be used by the uttama characters. It is made up of four gurus. Of these, two gurus are to be used for lifting a foot up and the other two to place it down.
In the tradition of Bharata, when a was changed from ekakala to dvikala or ٳṣk, the entire form of the will undergo a change. For instance when caccatpuṭa (SSIŚ) is rendered in dvikala, each of the 첹 of the is transformed in to two gurus[4]. Now the will have four 岹岵 with Bharata says that interval between the two feet must be two and a half s. Here, refers to a unit of measurement which Abhinava later defines as the distance between the middle finger and the thumb of an stretched-out palm (� ٲ-ⲹṅgṣṭԳٲ) two gurus each. Catuṣkala caccatpuṭa will have four 岹岵 with four gurus each. Thus, the entire form of the gets transformed. However, in the case of , caccatpuṭa when rendered in citra will have a guru of the duration of two ٰs[5], in the پ첹 , this guru takes the duration of four ٰs, and in dakṣina a guru is of the duration of 8 ٰs. But in each of these cases, the form of the (caccatpuṭa) remains the same—i.e. SSIŚ. The only exception is in the case of dhruva . If the above mentioned rules for are followed, then dhruva will have a guru of one ٰ duration (the resultant form would have 1+1+ ½ +1 ½ = 4 ٰs), but instead it has all four gurus (SSSS).
Abhinava mentions that citra, پ첹 and 岹ṣiṇa s are to be used in the case of 岵ī, 屹 and ṛtܱ īپ. By this, he perhaps is trying to show that the 岵ī īپ is to be rendered on dhruvaka alone. The dhruvaka has four kalas and is made up of four gurus. On comparison, it can be seen that Kohala too, mentions a duration of four gurus (caturguru samanvitā) for uttama characters. It is just that he uses the name 屹貹ī for this whereas neither Bharata nor Abhinava give names for these. Incidentally V. Raghavan says that 屹貹ī is the name of a laya, a musical composition and a dance based on it[6]. In this case Kohala’s definition pertains to the variety of laya. It appears that this discussion of Abhinava is intended at ensuring that ٳṣk is understood as referring to the dhruvaka . He says that placing of the feet in ٳṣk using the citra is not acceptable. And it is in this context perhaps, that he mentions the view of Kohala in order to bring out the similarity between ٳṣk in the dhruvaka and Kohala’s 屹貹ī.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
A Study of Dattilam: 1978: pp.327-328
[2]:
ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 2001: GOS Vol. II: p. 155
[3]:
ibid.: p. 132
[4]:
The dvikala form of Caccatpuṭa will be -SS SS SS SS
[5]:
The duration of five Ծṣa or the time to utter five short syllables (ka-kha-ga-gha-ṅa or ka-ca-ṭa-ta-pa) is one ٰ. The term ٰ has different connotations when used in the field of ٲⲹ and ṅgīٲ. In ٲⲹ, one ٰ would refer to one hrasva syllable. But the ٰ in ṅgīٲ would be of the duration of five ṣa. In the period of Bharata, the term ٰ used in literature and music were different.