Kohala and Gītā (9): The concept of Rāga

1 Gauḍa rāga

गौडस्य द्वैविध्यं कोहलीये—
तुरुष्कगौडो द्राविडगौड इति ।
तुरुष्कगौडस्तु औडवे वक्ष्यते ।
मूर्तिस्तु निबन्धान्तरे ।

gauḍasya dvaividhyaṃ kohalīye—
turuṣkagauḍo drāviḍagauḍa iti |
turuṣkagauḍastu auḍave vakṣyate |
mūrtistu nibandhāntare |

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. I, p.88) 

This reference to Kohalīya occurs in the work Saṅgītanārāyaṇa in the section describing the lakṣaṇa and mūrtis (images) of the ṣāḍava rāgas. 

This statement forms a vṛtti on the following verse describing the lakṣaṇa of drāviḍagauḍa rāga.—

निषादांशग्रहन्यासः षड्जपञ्चमसङ्कुलः ।
गेयो द्राविडगौडोऽयं वीरशृङ्गारयोर्निशि ॥ १.१८५ ॥

niṣādāṃśagrahanyāsaḥ ṣaḍjapañcamasaṅkulaḥ |
geyo drāviḍagauḍo'yaṃ vīraśṛṅgārayorniśi || 1.185 ||

(Trans: Drāviḍagauḍa has ni as graha, aṃśa and nyāsa, and prominent use of sa and pa. It is sung at night in vīra and śṛṅgāra rasas^[1])

At this juncture the author mentions that the work Kohalīya speaks of two varieties of gauḍa-rāga—namely—

1. drāviḍagauḍa and
2. turuṣkagauḍa.

And also says that the description of turuṣkagauḍa can be found under the auḍava-rāgas.

तुरुष्कगौडः—
वीरे च रौद्रे च तुरुष्कगौडो निषादांशो रिपवर्जितश्च ।
मूर्तिस्तु निबन्धान्तरे—
तुरुष्कगौड आरूढहयः पक्वेष्टकारुचिः ।
शारचापधरश्चण्ड उष्णीषी क्वचावृतः ॥ १.२९३ ॥—इबिद्.: प्.१४८

turuṣkagauḍaḥ—
vīre ca raudre ca turuṣkagauḍo niṣādāṃśo ripavarjitaśca |
mūrtistu nibandhāntare—
turuṣkagauḍa ārūḍhahayaḥ pakveṣṭakāruciḥ |
śāracāpadharaścaṇḍa uṣṇīṣī kvacāvṛtaḥ || 1.293 ||—ibid.: p.148

2 Auḍuva-rāga

उडूनि वान्तीत्युडुवाभिधानं व्योमेरितं तत् खलु पञ्चमं स्यात् ॥ १.५८२ ॥
भूतेषु तस्मादिह पञ्चसंख्या जातौ च संख्या पुनरस्ति येषाम् ।
अमी स्वरास्ते स्वरनामधेया जाताश्च ते यत्र तदेव गीतम् ॥ १.५८३ ॥
मुनीश्वरैरौडुविताभिधानं निरूपितं याष्टिककोहलाद्यैः ।

uḍūni vāntītyuḍuvābhidhānaṃ vyomeritaṃ tat khalu pañcamaṃ syāt || 1.582 ||
bhūteṣu tasmādiha pañcasaṃkhyā jātau ca saṃkhyā punarasti yeṣām |
amī svarāste svaranāmadheyā jātāśca te yatra tadeva gītam || 1.583 ||
munīśvarairauḍuvitābhidhānaṃ nirūpitaṃ yāṣṭikakohalādyaiḥ |

—(Saṅgītasudhā, p. 62)

In the section on jāti, Govinda Dīkṣita deals with śuddā jātis, vikṛta-jātis and saṃsargajā jātis. He then starts explaining the thirteen aspects of rāga (rāgāṇām trayodaśa lakṣaṇam’) while commenting that these are applicable to the jātis as well as to rāgas (which are off-shoots of the jātis). 

The thirteen characteristic features of rāga according to Govinda Dīkṣita are:

1. Graha;
2. Aṃśa;
3. Tāra;
4. Mandra;
5. Nyāsa;
6. Apanyāsa;
7. Sanyāsa;
8. Vinyāsa;
9. Bahutva [Bahutvam];
10. Alpatva [Alpatvam];
11. Antaramārga;
12. Ṣāḍava;
13. Auḍuva;

Each of these characteristic features has then been explained individually, the last of which is auḍuva. Govinda Dīkṣita traces the etymology of the word auḍuva. He says that the word ‘uḍu’ means ‘star’. The place where these stars move freely (uḍūni vānti iti) is the sky (uḍuvam). Since the sky is the fifth among the elements, this word has been used to indicate the pentatones. Thus a group of five notes is called auḍuva and a song based on these is termed as ‘auḍuvita’. And, Govinda Dīkṣita says that this has been established by Yāṣṭika and Kohala. The verses of Govinda Dīkṣita appear to be a mere paraphrasing of Śārṅgadeva’s definition of auḍuva. 

Abhinavagupta seems to be the first to propose such a vyutpatti for this term. He says—

तत्प्रयोगात् पञ्चस्वरा औडुविकाः, उडवो नक्षत्राणि, वान्ति गच्छन्त्यस्मिन्निति उडुवमाकाशं, तेव पञ्चसंख्या, तैः सप्त लक्ष्यन्ते ।

tatprayogāt pañcasvarā auḍuvikāḥ, uḍavo nakṣatrāṇi, vānti gacchantyasminniti uḍuvamākāśaṃ, teva pañcasaṃkhyā, taiḥ sapta lakṣyante |^[2]

Śārṅgadeva, following Abhinava’s footsteps also gives this vyutpatti for the term auḍuva in his work—Saṅgītaratnākara. Also, neither Abhinava nor Śārṅgadeva mention Yaṣṭika, Kohala or any other authority in this regard.

Govinda Dīkṣita’s source for making such a claim seems to be doubtful. Also, Śārṅgadeva has given this (auḍuva) as one of the sāmānya-lakṣaṇa for jātis, but perhaps due to the greater currency of rāgas (and outdated-ness of the jātis) during his times, Govinda Dīkṣita calls all these lakṣaṇas for rāgas while just making a passing mention of their relevance to jātis also.

3 Sampūrṇa-rāga-gāna-phala

एतद्गानफलमाह कोहलः
आयुर्धर्मयशः-कीर्ति-वृद्धि-सौख्य-धनानि च ।
राजाभिवृद्धिः सन्तानः पूर्णरागेषु जायते ॥ १.१६० ॥

etadgānaphalamāha kohalaḥ
āyurdharmayaśaḥ-kīrti-vṛddhi-saukhya-dhanāni ca |
rājābhivṛddhiḥ santānaḥ pūrṇarāgeṣu jāyate || 1.160 || 

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. I, p.74) 

Puruṣottama Miśrā brings out the fruits of singing pūrṇa-rāgas by quoting the above verse of Kohala. He says that as a result of singing pūrṇa rāgas, one gets long life, merit, fame, good repute, success, health, wealth and long lineage which brings prosperity to the kingdom^[3]. 

It is interesting that the very same verse is also found in the second chapter of the work Saṅgītārṇavacandrika but it does not acknowledge Kohala:

अथ सम्पूर्णरागगायनफलमाह कोहलः
आयुर्धर्मयशः कीर्तिबुद्धिः सौरव्यधनानि च ।
राजाभिवृद्धिः सन्तानः पूर्णरागेषु जायते ॥ २. ४५ ॥

atha sampūrṇarāgagāyanaphalamāha kohalaḥ
āyurdharmayaśaḥ kīrtibuddhiḥ sauravyadhanāni ca |
rājābhivṛddhiḥ santānaḥ pūrṇarāgeṣu jāyate || 2. 45 ||

—Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā: 1995: p.52

4 Ṣāḍava-rāga-gāna-phala

षाडवगणने फलमाह कोहलः
संग्रामे वीरतारूप-गुणलावण्यकीर्त्तनम् ।
गाने षाडवरागानां गदितं पूर्वसूरिभिः ॥ १.२२४ ॥

ṣāḍavagaṇane phalamāha kohalaḥ
saṃgrāme vīratārūpa-guṇalāvaṇyakīrttanam |
gāne ṣāḍavarāgānāṃ gaditaṃ pūrvasūribhiḥ || 1.224 || 

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. I, p.108) 

The benefits of singing ṣāḍava rāgas is brought out through the above verse of Kohala. He says that according to the ancient seers/sages, one would acquire valour in battle and can glorify virtue and beauty by singing ṣāḍava rāgas. This verse is found verbatim in the works Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā^[4] as well as Saṅgītasaraṇi^[5] and both these works acknowledge the authorship of Kohala.

5 Auḍava-rāga gāna-phala

औडवगणने फलमाह कोहलः
व्याधिनाशे शत्रुनाशे भयशोकविनाशने ।
औडवास्तु प्रगातव्या ग्रहशान्त्यर्थकर्मणि ॥ १.२६८ ॥

auḍavagaṇane phalamāha kohalaḥ
vyādhināśe śatrunāśe bhayaśokavināśane |
auḍavāstu pragātavyā grahaśāntyarthakarmaṇi || 1.268 || 

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. I, p.33) 

The phala of singing auḍava rāgas according to Kohala is brought out by Puruṣottama Miśrā in Saṅgītanārāyaṇa. He says that the singing of auḍava rāgas can bring about eradication of diseases, destruction one’s enemies, destruction of fear and sorrow and appeasement of the planets. This verse is also found verbatim in Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā^[6] as well as Saṅgītasaraṇi^[7]. The former does not mention the name of Kohala whereas the latter does.

6 Time theory of rāgas

6.1 Sūryāṃśa-Candramāṃśa rāgas

दाक्षिणात्यस्तु कोहलनामग्राहं पठन्ति
देशाख्या भैरवी शुद्धा शारङ्गाख्या च भैरवी ।
देवक्री रक्तहंसी च माहुला रक्तरञ्जिका ॥ १.२८७ ॥
एताः सूर्यांशुतो जाताः सायंकालेषु निन्दिताः ।
प्रभाते येन गीयन्ते स नरः सुखमेधते ॥ १.२८८ ॥
शुद्धा नट्टा च सारङ्गी शुद्धा नट्टा वराडिका ।
वरालिका द्राविडी च तथा नागवरालिका ॥ १.२८९ ॥
छाया गौली तथा चान्या बाहुल्यान्दोलिता तथा ।
मल्लारिका तथा छाया-गौली कर्णाटिकाह्ववया ॥ १.२९० ॥
गौलो मालवगैलश्च रामकिरीस्तथैव च ।
छायाराम कृते रञ्जी छायासर्ववरालिका ॥ १.२९१ ॥
कर्णाटाह्ववयवङ्गाल इत्येते चन्द्रमोंऽशुजाः ।
एते रागाः विशेषेण प्रातःकालेषु निन्दिताः ।
सायमेषान्तु गानेन महतीं श्रियमाप्नुयात् ॥ १.२९२ ॥

dākṣiṇātyastu kohalanāmagrāhaṃ paṭhanti
deśākhyā bhairavī śuddhā śāraṅgākhyā ca bhairavī |
devakrī raktahaṃsī ca māhulā raktarañjikā || 1.287 ||
etāḥ sūryāṃśuto jātāḥ sāyaṃkāleṣu ninditāḥ |
prabhāte yena gīyante sa naraḥ sukhamedhate || 1.288 ||
śuddhā naṭṭā ca sāraṅgī śuddhā naṭṭā varāḍikā |
varālikā drāviḍī ca tathā nāgavarālikā || 1.289 ||
chāyā gaulī tathā cānyā bāhulyāndolitā tathā |
mallārikā tathā chāyā-gaulī karṇāṭikāhvavayā || 1.290 ||
gaulo mālavagailaśca rāmakirīstathaiva ca |
chāyārāma kṛte rañjī chāyāsarvavarālikā || 1.291 ||
karṇāṭāhvavayavaṅgāla ityete candramoṃ'śujāḥ |
ete rāgāḥ viśeṣeṇa prātaḥkāleṣu ninditāḥ |
sāyameṣāntu gānena mahatīṃ śriyamāpnuyāt || 1.292 || 

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. I, p.166,168)

Puruṣottama Miśrā lists out the names of rāgas based on the time they are to be sung. 

He says that these prescriptions differ from one region to another and then proceeds to enumerate the views of Dāmodara, Nārada (Pañcamasārasamhitā), Kohala, Lakṣmaṇabhaṭṭa and Kaumudī:

अत्र केष्वपि रागेषु गानसमय उक्तः । तथापि प्रतिदेशं भिन्नतया क्वचिद् दृष्ट्वत्वात्तद् विवेकाय शिशुबोधनाय च पुनर्लिख्यते ।

atra keṣvapi rāgeṣu gānasamaya uktaḥ | tathāpi pratideśaṃ bhinnatayā kvacid dṛṣṭvatvāttad vivekāya śiśubodhanāya ca punarlikhyate |

—Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol. I: Vṛtti on V. 1.321: p.162

In this context Kohala has classified rāgas as sūryāmāṃśa (rāgas to be sung in the day time) and candramāṃśa (rāgas to be sung at night). 

He says that the [following] rāgas are born of the sun’s rays and therefore should not be sung in the evening:

1. deśākhyā, 
2. bhairavī, 
3. śuddhā, 
4. sāraṅgā,
5. bhairavī, 
6. devakrī, 
7. raktahamsī, 
8. māhulā and
9. raktarañjikā. 

One who sings these rāgas in the morning attains joy.

[The following rāgas] are born of the rays of the moon and should not be sung in the morning:

1. śuddhā,
2. naṭṭā, 
3. sāraṅgī, 
4. śuddhā-naṭṭa-varāḍikā, 
5. varālikā, 
6. drāviḍī, 
7. nāgavarālikā, 
8. chāyā,
9. gaulī, 
10. bāhulyā, 
11. āndolitā, 
12. mallārikā, 
13. chāyāgaulī, 
14. karṇāṭikā, 
15. gaula, 
16. mālavagaula,
17. rāmakiri, 
18. chāyārāmakṛti, 
19. rañjī, 
20. chāyāsarvavarālikā and
21. karṇāṭavaṅgāla. 

Singing these rāgas in the evening brings about great prosperity. 

It is interesting to note that the same verses are found in the manuscripts of Kohala-mata [Kohalamatam]^[8] and Kohala-rahasya [Kohalarahasyam]^[9]. This could be presumed as an indication that the work of Kohala which Puruṣottama Miśrā and other Orissa authors referred to and the works Kohalamata and Kohalarahasya were one and the same (or at least had the same source material). 

Also the [following] statement is of interest—

दाक्षिणात्यास्तु कोहल-नाम-ग्राहं पठन्ति

dākṣiṇātyāstu Kohala-nāma-grāhaṃ paṭhanti

“The Southerners attribute this to Kohala”.

This would mean that the above extract was known as the work of Kohala in South India. The manuscripts of Kohalamatam and Kohalarahasyam also belong to South India. So there exists a possibility of a link between the work Kohalīya (mentioned in the Orissa works) and the manuscripts of Kohalamatam and Kohalarahasyam. But on the other hand, the rest of Kohala’s material available in the Orissa works finds no match in the manuscripts of Kohalamatam and Kohalarahasyam and vice-versa. Therefore, no concrete theories about these works can be made out based on this solitary instance of commonality. At best, it can be considered that these works bear a link to each other.

6.2 Time theory of Rāgas (Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā)

कोहलीये
रागे यत् प्रोक्तमस्माभिः समयादि रसादि च ।
तत् सर्वमन्यथापि स्याद्राज्ञामाज्ञावशादिव ॥ २.१२५ ॥

kohalīye
rāge yat proktamasmābhiḥ samayādi rasādi ca |
tat sarvamanyathāpi syādrājñāmājñāvaśādiva || 2.125 ||

—(Saṅgītārṇavacandrika, p.65) 

Having spoken about the time-theory and prescription of rasas to rāgas, Nīlakaṇṭha quotes a verse from Kohalīyam which states that they (the rāgas) can be performed otherwise also. In other words, he seems to indicate that adherence to these regulations is optional. This optionality has been put across in a simple way through this citation from Kohalīyam. However, the comparison of this optionality to the order of a king (rājñām ajñā) is unclear.

7 Parihāra for not singing ragas in the prescribed time

परिहारमाह कोहलीये
लोभान्मोहाच्च ये केचिद् गायन्ति च विरागतः ।
सुरसा गुज्जरी तस्य दोषं हन्तीति कथ्यते ॥ १.२९९ ॥

parihāramāha kohalīye
lobhānmohācca ye kecid gāyanti ca virāgataḥ |
surasā gujjarī tasya doṣaṃ hantīti kathyate || 1.299 || 

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol.I, p.33) 

After mentioning the time for singing the different rāgas, Puruṣottama Miśrā proceeds to explain the doṣas which will accrue by neglecting the time theory. Then, he mentions the remedial solution in case of singing in the wrong time as found in the work Kohalīya. Here, Kohala says that the charming Gujjarī destroys the doṣas of those who sing the wrong rāgas due to greed or ignorance. The same verse is also found in Saṅgītasaraṇi^[10] and Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā^[11] but only the former acknowledges Kohala.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol. I: p.89

[2]:

Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: 2006: Comm. on 28.31: p. 25

[3]:

Translation of terms as given by Mandakranta Bose

[4]:

ibid.: V. 2.24: p. 49

[5]:

Saṅgītasaraṇi: 2002: pp.79-80

[6]:

Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā:1995: V.2.32: p.50

[7]:

Saṅgītasaraṇi: 2002: p.80

[8]:

Kohalamatam: ORI Tvm: Acc. No. T822: Fol.13-14

[9]:

Kohalarahasyam: GOML: Acc. No. R787: Fol. 2

[10]:

Saṅgītasaraṇi: 2002: p.87

[11]:

Saṅgītārṇavacandrikā: 1995: V. 2.126: p.65