Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)
by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words
This page relates ‘Kohala and Nritya (1): The concept of Tandava� 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.
Kohala and Nṛtya (1): The concept of ṇḍ
तदुक्त� कोहलेन
सन्ध्यायां नृत्यत� शम्भोर्भक्त्याऽर्द्र� नारद� पुरा �
गीतवांस्त्रिपुरोन्माथं तच्चित्तस्त्वथ गीतक� �
चकाराभिनयं प्रीतस्ततस्तण्डु� � सोऽब्रवीत् �
नाट्योक्त्याभिनयेनेद� वत्स योजय ताण्डवम् � इत� �tadukta� kohalena
sandhyāyā� nṛtyata� śambhorbhaktyā'rdro 岹� ܰ |
gītavāṃstripuronmātha� taccittastvatha gītake ||
cakārābhinaya� prītastatastaṇḍu� ca so'bravīt |
nāṭyoktyābhinayeneda� vatsa yojaya ṇḍm || iti ||�(Բī, Commentary on 4.267, GOS Vol. I, p.178)
Abhinavagupta starts a discussion on whether ṛtٲ has the element of abhinaya.
Having substantiated that ṛtٲ is but a limb of ṭy, he proceeds to discuss forms such as 岵屹ⲹ which are predominantly ṛtٲ based.
एव� नाट्याङ्गत� नृत्तस्य गीतादिवदुपयोगश्च समर्थितः � अधुन� नृत्तप्रधानरागकाव्यादिर्विषय� काव्यं � नाट्याङ्गमित� दर्शयन्पुराकल्पच्छायया प्रकारान्तरमपि नृत्तस्य समर्थयितुमाह—देवेनेत्यदि � चकार एवकारार्थे � देवेनै� महेश्वरेणै� � तण्डुः सन्तोषपूर्वक� प्रकर्षेणादरेणोक्त� � किमित्यह—गीयत इत� गीतं काव्यम� � तस्य यः प्रकर्षे� योगस्तदर्थानुप्रवेशलक्षणस्तमाश्रित्य � छायाम् � आसामन्ताच्छ्रित्वा � अङ्गविक्षेपिताङ्गत्व� सामरस्यलयसत्त्वादिना नृत्तं तच्छब्दस्वभावमपि यदभूत्ताण्डवप्रभृत� (नृत्तं तद्गीयमानरूपकगतवर्णालङ्कारलयपदार्थवाक्यार्थसम्मिलित� यत्तत्प्रवर्त्यताम�) �
eva� nāṭyāṅgatā ṛtٲsya gītādivadupayogaśca samarthita� | ܲ ṛtٲpradhānarāgakāvyādirviṣaya� 屹ⲹ� ca nāṭyāṅgamiti darśayanܰkalpacchāyayā prakārāntaramapi ṛtٲsya samarthayitumāha�devenetyadi | evakārārthe | devenaiva maheśvareṇaiva | ٲṇḍ� santoṣapūrvaka� prakarṣeṇādareṇokta� | kimityaha�gīyata iti īٲ� kāvyam | tasya ya� prakarṣeṇa yogastadarthānupraveśalakṣaṇastamāśritya na chāyām | āsāmantācchritvā | aṅgavikṣepitāṅgatva� sāmarasyalayasattvādinā ṛtٲ� tacchabdasvabhāvamapi yadabhūtṇḍprabhṛti (ṛtٲ� tadgīyamānaū貹첹gatavarṇālaṅkāralaya貹ٳٳsammilita� yattatpravartyatām) |
�ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 1992: Comm. on 4.267: GOS Vol. I: p.178
He says that, in order to introduce another element into ṛtٲ, ղṇḍ was told by Lord Ś to delve deeply into the meanings of the īٲ and make a physical representation through the ṇḍ dance. He prescribes the performance of the dance called ṇḍ, with befitting bodily movements and balanced laya, in that variety of a ū貹첹 which has a combination of musical aspects of ṇa, ṅk and laya and brings out the combinations of the 貹ٳ (word-meaning) as well as ٳ (sentence-meaning).
In this context, Abhinava quotes a verse of Kohala which describes a scene where Lord Ś is dancing in the twilight. Sage 岹, drenched with feeling, is singing a song about �հܰDzԳٳ� (Killing of Tripura) with his mind fully focused on the īٲ첹. Lord Ś, being pleased, then performed abhinaya and tells ղṇḍ to add the element of abhinaya to ṇḍ. ṇḍ is a synonym of ṛtٲ. ṛtٲ is ṅgṣe貹, which essentially indicates non-representational dance.
But even Bharata while describing ṇḍ says that it has emerged from śṛṅ.
सुकुमारप्रयोगश्च शृङ्गाररससम्भव� � तस्य तण्डुप्रयुक्तस्य ताण्डवस्� विधिक्रियाम् � �.२६� �
sukumāraprayogaśca śṛṅsambhava� | tasya taṇḍuprayuktasya ṇḍsya vidhikriyām || 4.269 ||
—ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 1991: GOS Vol.I: p.180
But rasa is the aesthetic import of ṭy and not of ṛtٲ.
Bharata, in the ūṅg chapter, has also indicated performing of a dance for the īٲ첹.
प्रणम्� देवताभ्यश्� ततोऽभिनयमाचरेत� � यत्राभिनेय� गीतं स्यात्तत्र वाद्यं � योजयेत� � �.२७� �
praṇamya devatābhyaśca tato'bhinayamācaret | yatrābhineya� īٲ� syāttatra ⲹ� na yojayet || 4.276 ||
�ṭyśٰ of Bharatamuni: 1991: GOS Vol.I: p.184
These would imply that Bharata was perhaps aware of a variety of ṛtٲ which included abhinaya. He has just not said so in so many words. Therefore, Abhinava, in order to defend this stand of Bharata’s, takes up this discussion and also quotes the above verse of Kohala to add strength to the argument.
Abhinaya is employed in 屹, Գܲ屹 and ⲹ屹 in order to convey a particular rasa. This would make the four abhinayas the only medium to communicate any sentiment to the audience. But in the case of ṛtٲ, there is no sentiment that is being attempted to be communicated. Then, why would there be a need to use abhinaya in ṛtٲ? The abhinaya used in ṛtٲ is different from that used in ṭy. In the case of ṛtٲ, it is used purely to add aesthetics and beauty to the body movements. Abhinava quotes from Kohala just to bring out the fact that there can be two types of ṛtٲ—representational and non-representational.