Kohala in the Sanskrit textual tradition (Study)
by Padma Sugavanam | 2011 | 95,782 words
This page relates ‘Kohala and Gita (11): The concept of Prabandha� 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.
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Kohala and Gītā (11): The concept of Prabandha
1 Prabandha (ṅgīٲᲹ)
मोदिन्यथानन्दिनी � दीपनी पाचनी तथ� � १८ �
तरावल्ली तु पञ्च स्युर्जातय� भारत� मत� �
कोहलस्� मत� तावत� श्रुतिर्नीतिस्तथैव � � १९ �
सेना � कवित� चै� चम्पूः पञ्चेत� सम्मता� �modinyathānandinī ca ī貹ī 峦ī tathā || 18 ||
tarāvallī tu pañca syurjātayo bhārate mate |
kohalasya mate tāvat śܳپrnītistathaiva ca || 19 ||
senā ca kavitā caiva campū� pañceti sammatā� |�(ṅgīٲᲹ, Gītaratnakośa, Prabandhollāsa, Sūḍaprabandha prakaraṇam, p.552)
Prabandhas are musical compositions that belong to the category of nibaddha Բ. There are two important aspects relating to prabandhas namely ٳ and ṅg.
Dhatu refers to the sections of the composition. They are four in number, viz.
The ṅgs or limbs of prabandhas �
i. Svara refers to the notes that are sung. These are to be pronounced as sa, ri, ga, etc.
ii. Biruda refers to the lyrics of the compostion which usually are in to form of expression of glories/ eulogies.
iii. Pada refers to the part of the lyrics apart from the eulogies. (i.e. svara, tenaka and ṭa)
iv. Tenaka refers to meaningless text, usually terms expressive of the auspicious.
v. ṭa refers to the syllables of instruments such as �ta�, �dhi�, �tom� etc.
vi. refers to the measurement of time in the form of a rhythmic cycle.
A Prabandha can have two, three, four, five or six ṅgs. Based on the number of ṅgs present, prabandhas are classified into five groups (پ). Śṅg𱹲 gives two sets of names of the پ of prabandhas[1].
These are presented in the following table:
S.No. | No. of ṅg | Prabandha Jāti | Alternate names for Prabandha Jātis |
i. | 6 | Ѵǻ徱ī | Śܳپ |
ii. | 5 | ĀԲԻ徱ī | īپ |
iii. | 4 | ī辱ī | |
iv. | 3 | 屹ī | |
v. | 2 | 屹ī | 䲹ū |
Kumbha has also followed Śṅg𱹲 in this regard. He also mentions two sets of names for the پ of prabandhas. The only difference between what has been said in ṅgīٲٲ첹 and ṅgīٲᲹ is that the پ which is called 屹ī by Śṅg𱹲 is called 峦ī by Kumbha, and similarly, 徱ī is called ǻ徱ī. Kumbha says that the nomenclature �ǻ徱ī� etc. is on the authority of Bharata while �śܳپ� etc. is on that of Kohala. Another instance of Kohala following a parallel tradition.
2 Pañcatāleśvara Prabandha
पञ्चतालेश्वरप्रबन्धः
पञ्चतालेश्वर� गेयस्तालैश्चाचपुटादिभि� � ४१� �
मार्गतालैर� पदैस्सप्तविंशतिभिस्तथा �
आदावतालालापः स्याद्विरयुक्त� तत� परम् � ४१� �
चंचत्पुटेन ताले� गातव्य� पदपंचकम् �
तत्र पूर्वोक्तनियमं वक्त� विट्ठलनन्दनः � ४२� �
पदमादौ स्वर� पश्चात्ततः पाटक्रमादिति �
गीत्वा पदान� चत्वार� पञ्चमे तु पदेऽन्तिमे � ४२� �
स्वरस्थन� तु पाटः स्यात् पाटस्थने स्वर� मत� �
तत� पर� त्वन्तराख्यः पाटै� पटहसंभवै� � ४२� �
विलम्बान्यलयेनैव द्विश्चंचत्पुटमानत� �
गेयः स्याद् धातुमातुभ्यामपुनर्वचनं यथ� � ४२� �
इत्युक्तपञ्चकं गेयं द्विवारं गीतवेदिभिः �
एव� चाचपुट� पंचपदे तत्रान्तिमेऽन्तर� � ४२� �
हौडुक्कसंभवा� पाटा� प्रयोज्याः पाटवेदिभिः �
षट्पितापुत्रकेणैवं गातव्य� पदपञ्चकम� � ४२� �
तत्रान्तराह्ववया� पाटा� शंखवाद्यसमुद्भवा� �
संपक्वेष्टाकताले तु पदषट्क� विधीयत� � ४२� �
तत्रान्तरे कांस्यतालोद्भवाः पाटा� प्रकीर्तिता� �
उद्घट्टे � विधीयन्त� षट्पदानि तदन्तर� � ४२� �
मुरजोद्भवपाटाः स्यु� पूर्ववदन्ययोजन� �
तत� परमाभोगस्त� तालेनान्ते� गीयत� � ४२� �
द्रुताख्ये� लयेनैव स्वाभिधानत्रयान्वितः �
तत्परं तेनक� गेयः श्रीरायुर्भाग्यदायकः � ४२� �
वाक्यमेक� तत� गेयमाशीर्वादपदात्मकम् �
स्यात्तालत्रयमुद्ग्राह� ध्रुवस्ताल� त्रयात्मकम� � ४३� �
अथवा प्रतिताल� � स्यादुद्ग्राहः पदद्वयम् �
शेषत्रयं ध्रुवं कुर्यादित्यहुः कोहलाद� �貹ñśԻ�
pañcatāleśvaro geyasiścācapuṭādibhi� || 418 ||
iratha padaissaptaviṃśatibhistathā |
ādāvatāl貹� syādvirayukta� tata� param || 419 ||
caṃcatpuṭena tālena gātavya� padapaṃcakam |
tatra pūrvoktaniyama� vakti viṭṭhalanandana� || 420 ||
貹岹岹 � paścāttata� ṭakramāditi |
gītvā padāni catvāri pañcame tu pade'ntime || 421 ||
svarasthane tu ṭa� syāt ṭasthane svaro ٲ� |
tata� para� tvantarākhya� ṭai� 貹ṭasaṃbhavai� || 422 ||
vilambānyalayenaiva dviścaṃcatpuṭamānata� |
geya� syād ٳܳٳbhyāmapunarvacana� yathā || 423 ||
ٲܰٲ貹ñ첹� ⲹ� dvivāra� gītavedibhi� |
eva� cācapuṭe paṃcapade tatrāntime'ntare || 424 ||
ḵ첹ṃb� ṭāḥ prayojyā� ṭavedibhi� |
ṣaṭpitāputrakeṇaiva� gātavya� padapañcakam || 425 ||
tatrāntarāhvavayā� ṭāḥ śaṃkhaⲹsamudbhavā� |
saṃpakveṣṭākatāle tu padaṣaṭka� vidhīyate || 426 ||
tatrāntare kāṃsyatālodbhavā� ṭāḥ īپ� |
udghaṭṭe ca vidhīyante ṣaṭpadāni tadantare || 427 ||
murajodbhavaṭāḥ syu� pūrvavadanyayojanā |
tata� paramDzstu tālenāntena gīyate || 428 ||
drutākhyena layenaiva svābhidhānatrayānvita� |
tatpara� tenako geya� śrīrāyurbhāgyadāyaka� || 429 ||
vākyameka� tato geyamāśīrvādapadātmakam |
syāttrayamudgrāho dhruvas� trayātmakam || 430 ||
athavā pratitāle ca syādܻ岵� padadvayam |
śeṣatraya� dhruva� kuryādityahu� kohalādaya ||�(ṅgīٲūǻ岹ⲹ, Chapter V, pp.413-414)
Pañcatāleśvara Prabandha is one of the varieties of āli prabandhās. Śṅg𱹲 describes it as the the tweny third variety of āli prabandhas. As the name indicates, this prabandha is based on the five s namely ñٱṭa, cācapuṭa, ṣaṭpitāputraka, sampakveṣṭāka and ܻ岵ṭṭ. Prem Lata Sharma mentions that it is noteworthy that prabandha belongs to the śī music, but s are also used in the composition and singing of certain prabandhas[2].
ṣmīⲹṇa says that the 貹ñś is to be sung with the five s such as 峦ٱṭa etc. It is constituted of twenty seven 岹. Initially an 貹 without is to be sung followed by the five padas rendered in ñٱṭa twice. The pada is sung in the beginning, followed by svara and ṭa in that order. After the initial four padas are sung, the fifth pada is also sung. ṭa is sung in the place of svara and vice-versa.
Next the antara is introduced with the ṭas of the 貹ṭa (an avanaddha ⲹ�percussion instrument). It is sung in a slow tempo for the duration of two ñٱṭa s. The ٳ (melodic aspect) and the ٳ (lyrical aspect) must be repeated and then, the five aspects mentioned above must be rendered twice. In this way, a composition of five padas is sung, followed by an antara which is rendered along with the ṭas of a ḵ (an avanaddha ⲹ). Subsequently, a composition of five padas is rendered in the ṣaṭpitāputraka , and here the antara is sung with the ṭas of the śṅk ⲹ (conch). In the sampakveṣṭāka , a composition of six padas has been prescribed and the antara herein is sung along with the ṭas of the kāṃsya- (bronze cymbals). Next, a compostion with six padas is to be rendered in the ܻ岵ṭṭ and here, an antara with the ṭas of the muraja (an avanaddha ⲹ) should be sung in the manner prescribed for the previous (sampakveṣṭāka).
Thereafter, the Dz section, which carries the name of the prabandha is to be rendered in druta laya in the ܻ岵ṭṭ , followed by tenaka which bestows prosperity, and an auspicious sentence. In the ܻ岵, the dhruva is to be used. Otherwise, according to Kohala and others, the initial two padas of the ܻ岵 can be sung in prati and the other three in dhruva . ṣmīⲹṇa’s delineation of the 貹ñś prabandha mostly follows what has been prescribed by Śṅg𱹲. But there are a few additional features that he has explained. For instance, the section called ܻ岵 is not mentioned in ṅgīٲٲ첹 at all.
ṣmīⲹṇa includes the ܻ岵 and in addition mentions the optional use of a combination of prati and dhruva (for the ܻ岵) by Kohala and others.
Even though this information is not found in ṅgīٲٲ첹, Kallinātha has explained it in his commentary on the 貹ñś prabandha.�
एतेष्वालापान्तराणि दश पदान्युद्ग्राह� कल्पनीयः � इतराणि ध्रुवः कल्पनीयः � आभोगस्तूक्� एव � तेनायं त्रिधातु� � अथवा अन्तरशब्देनात्� पृथगवयवो गृह्यत� � तद� प्रतितालमाद्यद्वयमुद्ग्राह� � उत्तरपदत्रयं ध्रुवः �
ٱṣvԳٲṇi 岹ś padānyܻ岵� kalpanīya� | itarāṇi ܱ� kalpanīya� | Dzstūkta eva | tenāya� triٳ� | athavā antaraśabdenātra pṛthagavayavo gṛhyate | ٲ pratimādyadvayamܻ岵� | uttarapadatraya� ܱ� |
—ṅgīٲٲ첹 of Śṅg𱹲: 1976: Vol. II: Comm. on V. 4.264: p. 309
He describes the ܻ岵 in the same way that ṣmīⲹṇa describes it. But he (Kallinātha) does not mention Kohala in this regard. Kallinātha was probably the actual source of information for ṣmīⲹṇa on this subject, unless both drew their information from another source. Perhaps ṣmīⲹṇa felt that attributing this to Kohala would increase the authority of his words.
This reference to Kohala in the context of prabandhas is significant because prabandha is a concept that falls unequivocally under the domain of śī music. And even here, it is noteworthy that Kohala steps in towards the end of the prabandha and for the ܻ岵 section, prescribes the optional use of prati and dhruva , both of which are śī s.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
ṅgīٲٲ첹 of Śṅg𱹲: 1996: V. 4.1.19-20: p.218
[2]:
ṅgīٲٲ첹 of Śṅg𱹲: 1996: V. 4.1.19-20: p.293