Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)
by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words
This page relates ‘Citations of Kohala in the Kalanidhi� 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.
Part 15 - Citations of Kohala in the Ծ
Ծ (1450 C.E.) is a commentary on ṅgīٲٲ첹 by Catura Kallinātha. This work is the one that gives us the largest volume of reference material about Kohala. In the commentary on ٲⲹ, Kallinātha quotes a large number of śǰ첹 on 첹ٲ (ref.para 2.2.4.1), 첹 (ref.para 2.2.5.1) and madhupa īs (ref.para 2.2.10.1). This material according to him is from a work called ṅgīٲ written by Kohala. This work is presented in the format of a conversation between sage Śū and Kohala, where the former asks questions and the latter answers them. Kallinatha, while speaking about the 첹 brings out the possible reason for Śṅg𱹲 having left out a delineation of this subject in his work.
He feels that this was because they were so popular in practice that the author (Śṅg𱹲) did not see the necessity to do so.
तेषा� लक्ष्यप्रसिद्धत्वात्ते तत एवावगन्तव्या इत्यत्� ग्रन्थकारे� नोक्ता� ।तेषां केषांचित्स्वरूपपरिज्ञाना� कोहलोक्तान� लक्षणानि लिख्यन्त�
teṣāṃ lakṣyaprasiddhatvātte tata evāvagantavyā ityatra granthakāreṇa noktā� |teṣāṃ keṣāṃcitsvarūpaparijñānāya kohaloktāni lakṣaṇāni likhyante
—ṅgīٲٲ첹 of Śṅg𱹲: 1953: Vol. IV: p. 110
The material of ṅgīٲ is one of the few instances where a concept related to Kohala is found repeated many times in different texts. As seen above, Kallinātha quotes Kohala in three subjects viz. ܱ貹ī-s, ٲ and 첹. The material in ܱ貹īs and ٲ is seen in ṛtⲹ of Aśokamalla and ṅgīٲᲹ of Mahārāṇa Kumbha. The material on 첹 is found in ṛtⲹ and ṅgīٲԳ峾ṇi of Vema ū貹. In fact, Kumbha even mentions that he has directly quoted this material from Kallinātha’s commentary on ṅgīٲٲ첹. However, Aśokamalla presents the material in his own words and in the case of the ܱ貹ī (which he calls ḵ貹 ī), he has given just the list of names without their definitions (like the ones in ṅgīٲ).
It is a significant fact that the title of Kohala’s work has been given by Kallinātha. The use of the term �ṅgīٲ� in the title is indicative of the fact that this work belonged to a period later than the 11th century C.E. It was works like ṅgīٲūḍāmṇi which were forerunners of the tradition using the prefix �ṅgīٲ� for works on music and dance. Therefore, from the very title �ṅgīٲ�, it becomes clear that this Kohala had nothing to do with the Kohala who was the contemporary of Bharata.
But in the following statement of Kallinātha�
एतासां चतुष्पञ्चाशच्चारिणां देशीत्वं भरतानुक्तत्व� सत� कोहलाद्युक्तत्वात् द्रष्टव्यम� �
etāsā� catuṣpañcāśaccāriṇāṃ śītva� bharatānuktatve sati kohalādyuktatvāt draṣṭavyam |
The juxtaposition of the views of Bharata and Kohala does hint that he perhaps held the opinion that ṅgīٲ was indeed written by Bharata’s pupil. Even a work like ṛtٲٲ屹 of ⲹ 貹پ which belongs to the 12th century C.E. and speaks about aspects of dance, does not mention any of these concepts.
The subjects of ٲ, 첹 etc. are concepts that perhaps developed only after ṅgīٲٲ첹 and so they would fall under the śī tradition. The references to Kohala in earlier works like Բī and 屹śԲ speak of Kohala on subjects of the tradition. The completely śī complexion of Kohala in this work is also an indication that ṅgīٲ was a later work which was attributed to a Kohala.
Based on the above discussions it can be inferred that this work was probably written sometime around the 13th century C.E, to which the name of Kohala became associated. It is possible that at that time there existed an author who was also called Kohala, or might just be a work attributed to an established authority in order to garner some fame for the work. V. Raghavan says that ṅgīٲ might be that work of Kohala’s which Abhinava mentions. This theory cannot be justified, because there are simply no common readings between the two works. But it is reasonable to say that at the time of Kallinātha, a work by the name of ṅgīٲ attributed to a Kohala did exist. Based on the fact that no other earlier work mentions this treatise by name it can be assumed that this was a later work which went under the name Kohala.