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Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)

by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words

This page relates ‘Regarding the title of the Talalakshanam� 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.

Part 3.3 - Regarding the title of the ṣaṇa

The available title of this work, i.e �ṣaṇa� is obtained from the relevant manuscript catalogues. It is a reasonably common practice to assign generic names such as �Rāgalakṣaṇam�, “ṣaṇa�, “Rāgaprakaraṇam�, �ⲹ��, etc., depending on the subject matter, to manuscripts whose titles are unknown. This could have been the reason that this work was titled �ṣaṇa�.

Another possibility can be gleaned from the nāndī śǰ첹 of this work.

विष्णु� लोकगुरुं प्रणम्� शिरस� षण्मार्गसन्दर्शकम्
कीर्तिप्रीतिकर� जनस्� लघुन� काले� कामप्रदम� �
सेव्यं सद्यतिभिर्धृतप्लुतपद� न्यासात्तलोकत्रयम्
तालाना� कथयामि लक्षणमहं पूर्वोक्तशास्त्रक्रमात� �

viṣṇu� lokaguru� praṇamya śirasā ṣaṇmārgasandarśakam
kīrtiprītikara� janasya laghunā kālena kāmapradam |
sevya� sadyatibhirdhṛtaplutapada� nyāsāttalokatrayam
tālānā� kathayāmi lakṣaṇamaha� pūrvoktaśāstrakramāt ||

In this śǰ첹 the author says �tālānā� kathayāmi lakṣaṇamaha�� which could have led to the naming of this work as �ṣaṇa�.&Բ;

It is a fact that none of the manuscripts containing this work have any mention of the title—ṣaṇa. Thus it is possible that the title ṣaṇa is a generic one, and not particular to this work and was given to this work at a later date. If ṣaṇa is not the title, then what is? 

M. R. Kavi mentions a work called Tālakalāvārdhi/ 첹 of Acyutarāya in his book 󲹰ٲś

V. Premalatha says:

From the scholarly references made by the modern writers on music literature, mentioned earlier, it can be inferred that there really exists a work called 첹, written by Acyutarāya. However, there are a few problems regarding the authenticity of the name of the work and its authorship. Both the manuscripts which are taken for this study presently bear the title, �ṣaṇa� and are accompanied by a Telugu commentary. Both deal with the Tāladaśapraṇa-s exclusively. When their contents are studied, there does not appear any colophon or any other indication regarding the title of the work, though the titles of various other works which have been quoted as paraphrases are found in many places in the manuscripts. For example, the Tālakalāvilāsa (p.51), Raṅgarāja-bharata-vyākhyā, Nṛttacūḍāmaṇi (p.35) and so on in R7979. Under these circumstances it is quite curious how the title, 첹 was assigned to this work. Perhaps there was some other source (another manuscript) that was available to Ramakrishna Kavi based on which he assigned the title to the work.�[1]

Though we find that the readings in 󲹰ٲś under the name Acyuta, and those found in the manuscripts of ṣaṇa are a perfect match, the fact still remains that none of the manuscripts bear any title, be it ṣaṇa, or 첹屹. Some modern scholars such as V. Raghavan, R. Sathyanarayana, T. V. Mahalingam mention the work and the author Acyutarāya. But no one appears to have had access to the content of the work. Our only source of information regarding the textual content of this work, the title as well as the name of the author is Ramakrishna Kavi through his book, 󲹰ٲś. Even in this case, what evidence Ramakrishna Kavi possessed, on whose strength he equated this work, its title viz. and its author viz. Acyutarāya is still unknown.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

of Acyutarāya: 2009: Vol 80: p.98

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