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Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)

by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words

This page relates ‘Manuscript Details of the Abhinayashastra / Kohaliyam� 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 5.1 - Manuscript Details of the Abhinayaśāstra / dz󲹱īⲹ

Among the manuscripts attributed to Kohala, 󾱲Բⲹśٰ/ dz󲹱īⲹ is the only one that deals entirely with the subject of dance. The New Catalogus Catalogorum and the unpublished doctoral thesis of V. Premalatha mentions four manuscripts which bear the title 󾱲Բⲹśٰ. Of these, only one is attributed to Kohala. 

The details of the manuscripts of 󾱲Բⲹśٰ are given in the table below.

S.No. Title Name of Library Acc. No PL/Paper
i. Բⲹśٰ GOML D12986 Paper
ii. Բⲹśٰ GOML D12987 Paper
iii. Բⲹśٰ GOML D12988 Paper
iv. Բⲹśٰ-dz󲹱īⲹ GOML D12989 Paper

 

󾱲Բⲹśٰ—D12986 is a paper manuscript which is in good condition. The manuscript has been written in telugu script and the handwriting is good. This codex contains the manuscript of 󾱲Բⲹśٰ from folio 1a up tp 13a. The other manuscripts in this codex are 󲹰ṇa (Folio 13a to 30) and ṛtٲṣaṇa (From folio 30a). All these works are incomplete. The manuscript begins quite abruptly in the middle of a śǰ첹 and then proceeds to list our the ṃyܳٲ hastas, a ṃyܳٲ hastas and Nṛtta hastas. Subsequently, each of these hasta-s are explained in detail giving the definitions and viniyoga. ղṣa bhedas are taken up next and the manuscript ends with the beginning of 鲹ṅgū

The New Catalogus Catalogorum mentions that the contents of this manuscript could be from ṅgīٲܻ첹 of Haripāla. Also there is mention of authorities like Abhinavagupta and Śṅg𱹲 prove that this manuscript cannot be that of Kohala.

󾱲Բⲹśٰ—D12987 is also a paper manuscript. It is in very good condition and has been written in Telugu script in a very clear hand

The codex contains the following manuscripts 

-) 󾱲Բⲹśٰ � From fol. 1a
-) 󲹰ṇa � From fol. 8a and fol. 28a
-) Bharatārthacandrika � From fol. 23b
-) ṛtٲṣaṇa � From fol. 36b 

The manuscripts are incomplete. It is interesting to note that D-12986 also contains the very same titles, but the content of the manuscript of 󾱲Բⲹśٰ in each of these is different. The contents of D-12987 appear to begin where D-12986 have ended. Hence, it is possible that it is a continuation of D-12986. The manuscript of 󾱲Բⲹśٰ (D-12987) starts in the middle of a sentence. The subject being discussed appears to be 鲹ṅgū. This is followed by a detailed treatment of 貹ī, Ծñ첹 lakṣaṇam, kuṇḍalāsya lakṣaṇam etc. There is mention of the names of Bharata

The manuscript also contains the name of Ჹ𱹲.

मोहनारिदिं संज्ञोसौ कथित� हरिभूभुज�

mohanāridi� saṃjñosau kathito haribhūbhujā

This suggests that this manuscript could be a part of ṅgīٲܻ첹 of Ჹ𱹲. This work is yet to be published.

The portion of this manuscript that contains the description of 貹ī is found to match exactly with that which appears in 󲹰ṇa. In the case of 󲹰ṇa, the reading is as follows�

करणान्यनुकृत्यदि तालादिनर्तनं भवेत� �
देशी आलापचारीत्थं कथित� कोहलादिभिः �

karaṇānyanukṛtyadi tālādinartana� bhavet |
deśī 貹īttha� kathitā kohalādibhi� ||
[1]

The very same śǰ첹, in the present manuscript reads �󲹱徱�� instead of �dz󲹱徱��. It is a known fact that the works ṅgīٲܻ첹 and 󲹰ṇa have much material in common and therefore it is very probable that the present manuscript is a part of ṅgīٲܻ첹, which also happens

344 󲹰ṇa of Ի徱ś:1989: p.502

to include the views of Kohala on 貹ī. This manuscript therefore, cannot be ascribed to Kohala.

󾱲Բⲹśٰ�D 12988 is a paper manuscript of 13 folios and according to the catalogue is incomplete. From the descriptive catalogue, it contains material about ṃyܳٲ and aṃyܳٲ hastas and is slightly different from the content of D-12986. This manuscript is a part of the codex numbered D-12983. Unfortunately this entire codex is missing.

󾱲Բⲹśٰ�D12989 is the only manuscript amongst all those which have the title 󾱲Բⲹśٰ to be attributed to Kohala The catalogue also gives an alternate title namely dz󲹱īⲹ. It is a paper manuscript written in Telugu script. This manuscript is also part of the codex described under D-12983 and is currently missing. This research scholar has seen this manuscript in 2009. Most of the pages were in powder form. Even in a few remaining bits, the writing had become very dull and unintelligible. According to the New Catalogus Catagorum this manuscript also had a telugu commentary. The authorities of GOML also state that IGNCA has not made a copy of this manuscript It is unfortunate that the only manuscript of this title is now lost to us.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

󲹰ṇa of Ի徱ś:1989: p.502

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