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Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)

by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words

This page relates ‘Kohala and Natya (3): The concept of Vritti� 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 Nāṭya (3): The concept of Vṛtti

1 ṛtپ for Rasas

यत्त� “शृङ्गारहास्यकरुणैरि� कैशिकी स्यात्� इत� कोहलेनाक्त� तन्मुनिमतविरोधादुपेक्ष्यमे�, तस्य तु यत्र यत्रानुल्बणा चित्तवृत्तिः सा सा कैशिकीत्यशयः � एव� प्रहसनभाणयोरपि वाग्व्यापारप्राधान्यादेव भारतीवृत्ति�, मूर्च्छादौ तु व्यापाराभावे वृत्त्यभाव एव � � हि सर्व� नाट्यं वृत्तिब्रह्मतय� समर्थनीयमित्यलमतिप्रसक्त्या �

yattuśṛṅⲹ첹ṇa 첹śī iti kohalenākta� tanmunimatavirodhādupekṣyameva, tasya tu yatra ⲹٰԳܱṇ� ٳٲṛtپ� sā sā 첹śītyaśaya� | eva� prahasanaṇayorapi vāgprādhānyādeva īṛtپ�, mūrcchādau tu vyāpārābhāve vṛttyabhāva eva | na hi ṭy� ṛtپbrahmatayā samarthanīyamityalamatiprasaktyā |

(󾱲Բī, Commentary on 18.111, GOS Vol. II, p.452) 

Abhinavagupta discusses the different ṛtپ to be used in order to bring out different rasas

In addition to the four ṛtپ namely, ī, ٱī, 첹śī and ṭ�, he refers to a fifth ṛtپ called �phala ṛtپ� (perhaps mentioned by another scholar) but finally ends by saying that only four are to be accepted. 

� फलवृत्तिर्वा काचिदिति चतस्� एव वृत्तय� (इत�) �

na phalaṛtپrvā kāciditi catasra eva vṛttaya� (iti) |

ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 2001: Comm. on 18.111 GOS Vol. II: p.452

Subsequently he presents his own views on the matter by saying everything in ṭy does not have to have a ṛtپ. The stage does not have a ṛtپ, instruments like ṛdṅg, 貹ṇa and ṃśa do not have a ṛtپ, and though a 屹ⲹ is governed by ṛtپ, nothing which does not involve ‘action� on the stage needs to be described along with a ṛtپ

Abhinava states that since there is more Դ- (mind-related activity) in some states such as intoxication and unconsciousness, the ٳٱī ṛtپ is to be used. In the case of 첹ṇ� rasa, though both mano- and deha-貹 (body-related activity) are present, due to the profuseness of vāg- (speech—related activity), the ī ṛtپ is to be used. 

In this context Abhinavagupta quotes a statement of Kohala

शृङ्गा�-हास्�-करुणैरिह कैशिकी स्यात्

śṛṅ--karuṇairiha 첹śī

Meaning that in the case of śṛṅ, and 첹ṇ� rasas, the 첹śī ṛtپ is to be used. Abhinava says that this view is contradictory to that of Bharata’s and should therefore be discarded. According to Bharata, 첹śī ṛtپ is only to be employed in circumstances where there is a non-intense and peaceful mental state (Գܱṇ� cittaṛtپ). Therefore even prahasana and ṇa, due to the abundance of vāg-貹 (dialogues) have to use only the ī ṛtپ. And depiction of states such as unconsciousness does not need any ṛtپ at all.

M. R. Kavi has given the entire verse of which Abhinava’s citation is just a part. The verse runs as follows:

वृत्तिषु रसविभागः
वीराद्भुतप्रहसनैरि� भारती स्यात्सात्त्वत्यपी� गदिताद्भुतवीररौद्रैः �
शृङ्गारहास्यकरुणैरपि कैशिकी स्यादिष्टा भयानकयुतारभटी सरौद्र� �
‶Ϥोहलः

ṛtپṣu rasavibhāga�
vīrādbhutaprahasanairiha ī sāttvatyapīha gaditādbhutaīraudrai� |

śṛṅⲹkaruṇairapi 첹śī syādiṣṭā 󲹲Բ첹yutṭ� saraudrā ||
dz󲹱�[1]

According to this verse, Kohala has prescribed the ī ṛtپ for ī, adbhuta and ⲹ rasas, ٳٱī ṛtپ for adbhuta, ī and raudra rasas, 첹śī ṛtپ for śṛṅ, ⲹ and 첹ṇ� rasas and ṭ� ṛtپ for 󲹲Բ첹 and raudra rasas. M. R. Kavi gives this verse under the name of Kohala, but does not mention the source from which he obtained it.

2 ṛtپ for Rūpakas

तत्र वृत्तिन्यूनानि रूपकाण्याह वीथीत्यद� � शेषाणि रूपाणीति वक्तव्ये प्रतिपदं नामग्रहण� ज्ञापयति � एतदनुक्तान्यपि रूपकाण� संभवन्ति अत एव रूपकविशेषगणनमाभ्यो विनिस्सृतमित� लक्षणस्योदाहरणमात्रम� � ते� वृत्तीना� विनियोगविकल्पसमुच्चयैः वृत्त्यङ्गानां � बहवो रूपकभेदा भवन्ति � तेषा� पर� कोहलादिभिर्नाममात्रं प्रणीतम� � लक्षणे� त्वि� सङ्गृहीता एव ते �

tatra ṛtپnyūnāni rūpakāṇyāha vīthītyadi | śeṣāṇi rūpāṇīti vaktavye پ貹岹� 峾ṇa� jñāpayati | etadanuktānyapi rūpakāṇi saṃbhavanti ata eva rūpakaviśeṣagaṇanamābhyo vinissṛtamiti ṣaṇasyodāharaṇamātram | tena vṛttīnā� viniyogavikalpasamuccayai� vṛttyaṅgānā� ca bahavo rūpakabhedā bhavanti | teṣāṃ 貹� kohalādibhirnāmamātra� praṇītam | lakṣaṇena tviha saṅgṛhītā eva te |

�(󾱲Բī, Commentary on 18.7-8, GOS Vol. II, p.410)

Bharata gives the respective ṛtپ to be used for all the 岹śū貹첹. For instance, ṭa첹 and 첹ṇa have to have all four ṛtپ. Abhinava also gives the examples of the drama ѳܻṣa as one devoid of 첹śī ṛtپ and ձṇīs as having only ٳٱī and ṭ� ṛtپ. Abhinava, while discussing ṛtپ examines the use of these in the different varieties of ū貹첹. In this context he says that Kohala has mentioned the names of other varieties of plays, but by ṣaṇa, they are all already included as part of the 岹śū貹첹. Even though Bharata does not mention the names or the ṣaṇas of these additional varieties of dramatic forms, Abhinava says that their characteristic features are all already contained within the framework of the 岹śū貹첹. He is trying to say that the major dramatic forms are only ten in number, but the minor ones are also to be treated as part of these because their ṣaṇas are already included in those of the 岹śū貹첹.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

󲹰ٲś: 1999: p. 634

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