Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)
by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words
This page relates 鈥楰ohala and Gita (16): The concept of Vadya鈥� of the thesis dealing with Kohala鈥檚 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鈥檚 original works have not been found, numerous references to him across Lakshana-Granthas (treatises) and works by modern scholars indicate his significance.
Kohala and G墨t膩 (16): The concept of V膩dya
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辫补帽肠补诲丑腻 ca 肠补迟耻谤诲丑腻 ca 迟谤颈惫颈诲丑补峁� ca mate mate
kohalasya mate khy膩ta峁� 辫补帽肠补诲丑腻 v膩dyameva ca |
蝉耻峁谤补峁� ca 驳丑补苍补峁� caiva carmabaddha峁� tathaiva ca
迟补苍迟谤墨驳腻苍补峁� pur膩 khy膩ta峁� 辫补帽肠补诲丑腻 v膩dyalak峁峁嘺m ||(础产丑颈苍补惫补产丑补谤补迟补蝉腻谤补蝉补峁単谤补丑补, p.2)
The work 础产丑颈苍补惫补产丑补谤补迟补蝉腻谤补蝉补峁単谤补丑补 of Mumma岣峣 Cikkabh奴p膩la begins with the classification of musical instruments. He presents his own views about the four-fold classification of instruments in tata, 蝉耻峁谤补, avanaddha and ghana 惫腻诲测补蝉. He then presents the views of Bharata, 贬补谤颈辫腻濒补, Kohala, Dattila and 狈腻谤补诲补. These views are summarised in the following table
| S. No. | Author | No. of classes | Names of the classes |
| i. | Bharata | 4 | Tata, Avanaddha, Ghana, Su峁ra |
| ii. | 贬补谤颈辫腻濒补 | 4 | Su峁ra, Tata, Vitata, Ghana |
| iii. | Kohala | 5 | Su峁ra, Ghana, Carmabaddha, 罢补苍迟谤墨, 骋腻苍补 |
| iv. | Dattila | 4 | 膧苍补诲诲丑补, Tata, Ghana, Su峁ra |
| v. | 狈腻谤补诲补 | 3 | 颁腻谤尘补峁嘺, 罢腻苍迟谤颈办补, Ghana |
Cikkabh奴pala quotes Kohala who says that 惫腻诲测补蝉 are classified by some into five categories, by some into four, and others into three categories.
According to Kohala鈥檚 views musical instruments are to be classified into five categories鈥�
- 蝉耻峁谤补 (wind instruments like the flute),
- ghana (metallic instruments like cymbals),
- carmabaddha (percussion instruments like 尘峁沝补峁単补),
- 迟补苍迟谤墨 (stringed instruments like the 惫墨峁嚹�) and
- 驳腻苍补 (the human voice).
The classification of instruments into wind, percussion, stringed and metallic鈥攊s what most authorites right from Bharata have followed (as can be seen in the above table also). The names of these classes might be altered a little by authors, but the fundamental concept remains the same. It is only 狈腻谤补诲补 (who omits 蝉耻峁谤补 惫腻诲测补蝉) and Kohala (who has added the human voice) who seem to have different opinions on this matter. It is interesting that Kohala presents an additional angle where he likens the human voice to a musical instrument. This appears to be in line with the ancient concept of the 鈥�艣膩r墨r墨-惫墨峁嚹�鈥欌�攚hich is supposed to be an imperceptible instrument. The human voice, though it has the basic features of a wind instrument (production of sound by a resonating column of wind), is unique in its own way which is probably why Kohala chose to introduce it as a separate class by itself. The addition of 驳腻苍补 to the commonly accepted four-fold types of instruments is an important contribution of Kohala.