Kohala and Nṛtya (3): The concept of Hasta

1 Kapittha Hasta

तर्जनी शिखराख्यस्य वक्राङ्गुष्ठाग्रपीडिता ।
यदा तदा कपित्थः स्यात्स एवेत्यह कोहलः ॥ ३.३६९ ॥

tarjanī śikharākhyasya vakrāṅguṣṭhāgrapīḍitā |
yadā tadā kapitthaḥ syātsa evetyaha kohalaḥ || 3.369 ||

—(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol II, p. 572)

Puruṣottama Miśrā presents Kohala’s definition of the kapittha hasta. He says that—

‘According to Kohala when the forefinger of śikhara is bent touching the thumb it is known as kapittha’^[1].

The author also gives another definition for the kapittha hasta from the work Saṅgītakalpataru.

सङ्गीतकल्पतरौ तु- अङ्गुष्ठवामभागं तु तर्जनी पीडयेद्यदि । इत्युक्तम्,

saṅgītakalpatarau tu- aṅguṣṭhavāmabhāgaṃ tu tarjanī pīḍayedyadi | ityuktam,

—Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol. II: p. 574

According to Puruṣottama Miśra, the kapittha hasta is to be used to depict bows and arrows, discus, spears called tomar and kunta, mace, javelin, thunderbolt, shield, axe and others.

He also mentions an interchangeable relationship between the kapittha and śikhara hastas.

शरचापचक्रतोमरकुन्तगदाशक्तिवज्रचर्माणि ।
शस्त्राण्यभिनेयानितु कार्यं मिथ्या च सत्यं च ॥ ३.३७० ॥
परशुतुर्यादिकमपि यदि खलु भल्लादिकं चापि ।
केचित्तु शिखरकपित्थावितरे कार्यकारिणौ प्राहुः ॥ ३.३७१ ॥

śaracāpacakratomarakuntagadāśaktivajracarmāṇi |
śastrāṇyabhineyānitu kāryaṃ mithyā ca satyaṃ ca || 3.370 ||
paraśuturyādikamapi yadi khalu bhallādikaṃ cāpi |
kecittu śikharakapitthāvitare kāryakāriṇau prāhuḥ || 3.371 ||

—Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol. II: p. 574

Bharata’s definition of the kapittha hasta coincides with the definition of Kohala presented in this work:

अस्यैव शिखराख्यस्य ह्यङ्गुष्ठकनिपीडिता ।
यदा प्रदेशिनी वक्रा स कपित्थस्तदा स्मृतः । ९.५९ ॥
असिचापचक्रतोमरकु न्तगदाशक्तिवज्रवर्गाणि ।
शस्त्राण्यभिनेयानि तु कार्यं पथ्यं च सत्यं च ॥ ९.६० ॥

asyaiva śikharākhyasya hyaṅguṣṭhakanipīḍitā |
yadā pradeśinī vakrā sa kapitthastadā smṛtaḥ | 9.59 ||
asicāpacakratomaraku ntagadāśaktivajravargāṇi |
śastrāṇyabhineyāni tu kāryaṃ pathyaṃ ca satyaṃ ca || 9.60 ||

—Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: 2001: GOS Vol. II: p. 40

M. M. Ghosh translates the term kapittha as the elephant-apple gesture and explains that it is represented by the thumb pressing a bent forefinger of the śikhara hasta.

The same definition is also found in Nandikeśvara’s Abhinayadarpaṇa.

अङ्गुष्ठमूर्ध्निशिखरे वक्रिता यदि तर्जनी ॥ ३०६च्द् ॥
कपित्थाख्यः करः सोऽयं कीर्तितो नृत्तकोविदैः ॥ ३०७अब् ॥

aṅguṣṭhamūrdhniśikhare vakritā yadi tarjanī || 306cd ||
kapitthākhyaḥ karaḥ so'yaṃ kīrtito nṛttakovidaiḥ || 307ab ||

—Abhinayadarpaṇam of Nandikeśvara: 1997: p.191

It is interesting to note that though the definitions of Bharata and Kohala in the case of the kapittha hasta are the same, Puruṣottama Miśrā has opted to mention Kohala’s opinion instead of Bharata’s.

2 Nṛtta hasta

चतुरश्रावथोद्वृत्तौ हस्तौ तलमुखाभिदौ ॥ ८४च्द् ॥
स्वस्तिकौ विप्रकीर्णाख्यावरालकटकामुखौ ।
आविद्धवक्त्रौ सूच्यासौ रेचितावर्धरेचितौ ॥ ८५ ॥
नितम्बौ पल्लवौ केशबन्धावुत्तानवंचितौ ।
लताख्यौ करिहस्तश्च पक्षवंचितकाभिधौ ॥ ८६ ॥
पक्षप्रद्योतकौ दण्डपक्षौ गरुडपक्षकौ ।
ऊर्ध्वमण्डलिनौ हस्तौपार्श्वमण्डलिनावपि ॥ ८७ ॥
उरोमण्डलिनौ स्यातामुरः पार्श्वार्धमण्डलौ ।
मुष्टिकस्वस्तिकावन्यौ नलिनीपद्मकोशकौ ॥ ८८ ॥
अलपद्मावुल्वणौ च वलितौ ललिताविति ।
नृत्तहस्ता मतास्त्रिंशन्नृत्तप्रायाः प्रसिद्धितः ॥ ८९ ॥
एतानभिनयेऽप्याहुराचार्याः कोहलादयः ।
शास्त्रेषु सम्प्रदायेषु प्रयोज्यन्ते विचक्षणैः ॥ ९० ॥

caturaśrāvathodvṛttau hastau talamukhābhidau || 84cd ||
svastikau viprakīrṇākhyāvarālakaṭakāmukhau |
āviddhavaktrau sūcyāsau recitāvardharecitau || 85 ||
nitambau pallavau keśabandhāvuttānavaṃcitau |
latākhyau karihastaśca pakṣavaṃcitakābhidhau || 86 ||
pakṣapradyotakau daṇḍapakṣau garuḍapakṣakau |
ūrdhvamaṇḍalinau hastaupārśvamaṇḍalināvapi || 87 ||
uromaṇḍalinau syātāmuraḥ pārśvārdhamaṇḍalau |
muṣṭikasvastikāvanyau nalinīpadmakośakau || 88 ||
alapadmāvulvaṇau ca valitau lalitāviti |
nṛttahastā matāstriṃśannṛttaprāyāḥ prasiddhitaḥ || 89 ||
etānabhinaye'pyāhurācāryāḥ kohalādayaḥ |
śāstreṣu sampradāyeṣu prayojyante vicakṣaṇaiḥ || 90 ||

—(Saṅgītasūryodaya, Chapter II, p.128)

Lakṣminārāyana, in the above verses list out the names of the Nṛttahastas. They are:

1. caturaśra;
2. udvṛtta;
3. talamukha;
4. svastika;
5. viprakīrṇa;
6. arālakhaṭakāmukha;
7. āviddhavaktra;
8. sūcīmukha;
9. recita;
10. ardharecita;
11. nitamba;
12. pallava;
13. keśabandha;
14. uttānavañcita;
15. latā;
16. karihasta;
17. pakṣavañcita;
18. pakṣapradyotaka;
19. daṇḍapakṣa;
20. garuḍapakṣa;
21. ūrdhvamaṇḍalin;
22. pārśvamaṇḍalin;
23. uromaṇḍalin;
24. uraḥpārśvārdhamaṇḍalin;
25. muṣṭikasvastika;
26. nalinīpadmakośa;
27. alapadmaka;
28. ulbaṇa;
29. valita;
30. lalita;

Having listed the thirty varieties of nṛtta hastas, Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa mentions that Kohala and others ācāryas have said that these nṛtta hastas should be used in abhinaya also by ones skilled in the art of dance, by following the rules (śāstras) and traditions (sampradāyas). Lakṣaṇagranthas, right from the time of Bharata have prescribed the use of nṛtta hastas for representation as well. Lakṣmīnārāyaṇa adds Kohala also into this list.

3.1 Adhika hasta (Abhinavabhāratī)

क्वचित्तु हस्तसदृशहस्तानन्तरस्वीकाराय हंसपक्षश्च सन्दंश इति
सन्दंशशब्दान्तरं चकारेण
अङ्गुष्ठमध्यमाग्रनिष्पीडिताग्रमर्मतर्जनीलक्षणोऽपि
शून्यभास्वरविद्युदाद्यभिनयविषये नृत्ताचार्यप्रवाहसिद्धः
कोहललिखितोऽपि हस्तः सङ्गतो भवतीति हस्तानन्तराण्युत्प्रेक्षाणि । ते त्वसंयुता अपि भवन्ति ।

kvacittu hastasadṛśahastānantarasvīkārāya haṃsapakṣaśca sandaṃśa iti
sandaṃśaśabdāntaraṃ cakāreṇa
aṅguṣṭhamadhyamāgraniṣpīḍitāgramarmatarjanīlakṣaṇo'pi
śūnyabhāsvaravidyudādyabhinayaviṣaye nṛttācāryapravāhasiddhaḥ
kohalalikhito'pi hastaḥ saṅgato bhavatīti hastānantarāṇyutprekṣāṇi | te tvasaṃyutā api bhavanti |

—(Abhinavabhāratī, Commentary on 9.6, GOS Vol. II, p.26)

The above is a commentary on the following verse of Bharata where he is enumerating the asaṃyuta hastas.

काङ्गूलकोऽलपद्मश्च चतुरो भ्रमरस्तथा ।
हंसास्यो हंसपक्षश्च सन्दंशो मुकुलस्तथा ॥ ९.६ ॥

kāṅgūlako'lapadmaśca caturo bhramarastathā |
haṃsāsyo haṃsapakṣaśca sandaṃśo mukulastathā || 9.6 ||^[2]

Abhinavagupta interprets the ‘ca’kāra between haṃsapakṣa and sandaṃśa (in the above verse) to indicate additional hastas that have been mentioned by great nṛttācāryas such as Kohala. He gives the example of one saying that this hasta is performed by using the tip of the middle finger to squeeze the thumb and the middle finger. He also gives the viniyoga of this hasta saying that it can be used to depict śūnya (void), effulgence and lightning. Abhinava says that it is only proper that such hastas which have been mentioned by other great authorities like Kohala be included along with those mentioned by Bharata. He says that these could be of the asaṃyuta variety also. Therefore, many other hastas (especially the ones mentioned by Kohala), are to be visualized along with the ones that have been mentioned by Bharata. It is interesting that Abhinava gives a clear description of this hasta of Kohala along with its viniyoga, but does not mention its name. It is common to find lists of names of many technical aspects without any explanation/ definition. It is perhaps in this rare instance that an explanation of a hasta without its name is found.

It is interesting to note that there are many ca-kāras in the list of asaṃyuta hastas. Why does Abhinava pick out this particular ca-kāra (the one between haṃsapakṣa and saṃdaṃśa hasta) to indicate the inclusion of some extra hastas? What could be its significance? Perhaps this particular gesture bears some similarities to these two hastas.

This statement of Abhinava strengthens the theory that there indeed were other schools of nāṭya that were flourishing at the time of Bharata, prominent among these being the school of Kohala. And from the hints that Abhinavagupta drops, it can be inferred that Kohala’s work was one of great detail and depth and he had explained many subjects (even those that fell under the head of mārga) that Bharata left unsaid. Abhinavagupta does not seem to use the term ‘adhika hasta’ for these additional hand gestures, though this term is found in later works such as Saṅgītaratnākara, Nṛtyādhyāya etc. Even though works like Saṅgītaratnākara speak of adhika hastas, none of those matches the description of Abhinava found here.

3.2 Adhika hasta (Abhinavabhāratī)

असंयुता इति । असंयुतास्तावदेते भवन्ति । नत्वेतेऽसंयुता एव । नाप्येत एव कोहलादिभिरन्येषां दर्शनात् ।

asaṃyutā iti | asaṃyutāstāvadete bhavanti | natvete'saṃyutā eva | nāpyeta eva kohalādibhiranyeṣāṃ darśanāt |

(Abhinavabhāratī, Commentary on 9.126, GOS Vol. II, p.55)

Having completed his exposition on asaṃyuta hastas, Bharata says—

असंयुताः करा ह्येते मया प्रोक्ता द्विजोत्तमाः ।
अतश्च संयुतान् हस्तान् गदतो मे निबोधत ॥ ९.१२६ ॥

asaṃyutāḥ karā hyete mayā proktā dvijottamāḥ |
ataśca saṃyutān hastān gadato me nibodhata || 9.126 ||^[3]

At this juncture, Abhinavagupta tries to point out that these are not the only asaṃyuta hastas. He says that this is so, because Kohala and others have shown many other hastas. This is another mention of extra hastas described by Kohala that Abhinavagupta brings out. Like the previous extract, this one also appears to be linked to the asaṃyuta hastas. Could that mean that Kohala described extra varieties of the asaṃyuta hastas alone and not the saṃyuta or nṛttahastas? Also this mention of hastas is yet another clear indication that Bharata’s was not the only tradition in vogue in the ancient times. But only this tradition has come down to us. Though there seem to have been many hastas which were being used (in lakṣya), there is not much documentation of any, except the ones mentioned by Bharata. Even Abhinava does not mention the names of all the other hastas or make out a list of adhika hastas that were current in his time. By the time of Saṅgītaratnākara, the concept of including additional hastas seems to have entered the lakṣaṇa sampradāya.

Śārṅgadeva mentions three extra hastas namely—

1. nikuñcaka,
2. dviśikhara and
3. varadābhaya.

Later works like Nṛtyādhyāya and Nṛttaratnāvalī also list out a few adhika hastas.

3.3 Adhika hasta (Saṅgītanārāyaṇa)

तथोक्ता ये मतङ्गाद्यैरधिकं तान् प्रचक्ष्महे ॥ ३.५३० ॥
असंयुतास्त्रिशिखोऽर्धमुष्टिर्वृषभवृश्चिकौ ।
कलिहस्तः संयुताद्यास्त्रि संख्यावबोधकाः ॥ ३.५३१ ॥
पताकस्य तु हस्तस्य यदि वक्रा कनीयसी ।
तदा स्यात् त्रिशिखो योज्यस्त्रिशिखावति वस्तुनि ॥ ३.५३२ ॥
इति त्रिशिखः निपीड्याङ्गुष्ठमध्यान्तं मध्यपर्वद्वयेन तु ।
प्रदेशिनीमध्यमयोरर्ध मुष्ठिः करो मतः ।
दोहने स्यान्महिष्युष्ट्रयोः शृङ्गचापापकर्षणे ॥ ३.५३३ ॥
इत्यर्धमुष्टिः अनामिका कनीयस्यावुपर्यङ्गुष्ठपीडिते ।
शेषे यत्रोर्ध्वविरले कुटिलो वृषभः करः ॥ ३.५३४ ॥
गो महिष्यादयः शृङ्गयुजोऽन्ये श्वापादाश्च ये ।
दर्शनीया मुनिश्रेष्ठ धेनुर्द्वौ खटकामुखौ ॥ ३.५३५ ॥
तथा वत्सतरी वत्सावर्धचन्द्रावधोमुखम् ।
जानुनोर्निकटं कृत्वा अभिनेयौ सुबुद्धिना ॥ ३.५३६ ॥
इति वृषभः कपित्थस्य यदाङ्गुष्ठो मध्यमोपरिपीडितः ।
तदोक्तो वृश्चिकस्तेन कुन्ताङ्कुशकुठारकम् ॥ ३.५३७ ॥
कुद्दालं लाङ्गलं शस्त्रं पेरणादि च दर्शयेत् ।
इति वृश्चिकः तर्जन्यौ तिर्यगाकारे मिथुनं मध्यपर्वणि ।
ईषच्च कुटिले सूच्यौ तदोक्तः कलिहस्तकः ॥ ३.५३८ ॥
कलहे विग्रहे द्वेषे प्रयोज्यः शत्रुदर्शने ।
इति कलिहस्तः केचिदाहुर्द्विशिखरं शिखरद्वयसंयुते ।
शपनार्थाङ्गुलिस्फोटे स्त्रीणामनुमतेस्तथा ॥ ३.५३९ ॥
नास्तित्यर्थे तु संयोज्ये वियुक्तं शिखरद्वयम् ।
इति मतङ्गकोहलोक्ताः अधिकहस्तकाः

tathoktā ye mataṅgādyairadhikaṃ tān pracakṣmahe || 3.530 ||
asaṃyutāstriśikho'rdhamuṣṭirvṛṣabhavṛścikau |
kalihastaḥ saṃyutādyāstri saṃkhyāvabodhakāḥ || 3.531 ||
patākasya tu hastasya yadi vakrā kanīyasī |
tadā syāt triśikho yojyastriśikhāvati vastuni || 3.532 ||
iti triśikhaḥ nipīḍyāṅguṣṭhamadhyāntaṃ madhyaparvadvayena tu |
pradeśinīmadhyamayorardha muṣṭhiḥ karo mataḥ |
dohane syānmahiṣyuṣṭrayoḥ śṛṅgacāpāpakarṣaṇe || 3.533 ||
ityardhamuṣṭiḥ anāmikā kanīyasyāvuparyaṅguṣṭhapīḍite |
śeṣe yatrordhvavirale kuṭilo vṛṣabhaḥ karaḥ || 3.534 ||
go mahiṣyādayaḥ śṛṅgayujo'nye śvāpādāśca ye |
darśanīyā muniśreṣṭha dhenurdvau khaṭakāmukhau || 3.535 ||
tathā vatsatarī vatsāvardhacandrāvadhomukham |
jānunornikaṭaṃ kṛtvā abhineyau subuddhinā || 3.536 ||
iti vṛṣabhaḥ kapitthasya yadāṅguṣṭho madhyamoparipīḍitaḥ |
tadokto vṛścikastena kuntāṅkuśakuṭhārakam || 3.537 ||
kuddālaṃ lāṅgalaṃ śastraṃ peraṇādi ca darśayet |
iti vṛścikaḥ tarjanyau tiryagākāre mithunaṃ madhyaparvaṇi |
īṣacca kuṭile sūcyau tadoktaḥ kalihastakaḥ || 3.538 ||
kalahe vigrahe dveṣe prayojyaḥ śatrudarśane |
iti kalihastaḥ kecidāhurdviśikharaṃ śikharadvayasaṃyute |
śapanārthāṅgulisphoṭe strīṇāmanumatestathā || 3.539 ||
nāstityarthe tu saṃyojye viyuktaṃ śikharadvayam |
iti mataṅgakohaloktāḥ adhikahastakāḥ

(Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, Vol. II, p. 654-658)

Puruṣottama Miśrā describes five varieties of additional hastas according to the views of Mataṅga and Kohala. It is interesting that Mataṅga has been brought in as an authority on nṛtta. The available text of Bṛhaddeśī does not have the chapter on dance. Mataṅga-s views on dance can be seen in later works (like Saṅgītarāja etc.). As seen earlier, from the time of Abhinavagupta, Kohala is known to have spoken of many hastas that were not a part of the tradition of Bharata. Puruṣottama Miśrā, in his work gives the names and definitions of some of these additional hastas that Kohala has spoken of.

Puruṣottama Miśrā says that he will give an account of the hastas that have been described by Mataṅga and others.

The single-handed gestures are—

1. triśikha,
2. ardhamuṣṭi,
3. vṛṣabha,
4. vṛścika and
5. kalihasta.

When both hands are joined, it is used to indicate happiness and numbers.

Triśikha is when the little finger of the patāka hand is bent. This hasta is used to indicate three-headed objects. When the thumb is pressed with the forefinger and the middle finger, it is known as the ardhamuṣṭi. This is is used to indicate milking and dragging a buffalo or a camel by holding their horns. When the ring and little fingers are pressed by the thumb and the rest of the fingers are separated, extended and curved, it is known as the vṛṣabha hasta. This hasta is used to indicate cows, buffaloes and other animals with horns are shown. Vṛṣabha hasta is when two khaṭakāmukha hastas are used to indicate cowsed to enact the weaning of calves, young calves. When the ardhacandra hasta pointing downwards are brought down near the knee, it is called vṛṣabha hasta.

Vṛścika hasta is when the thumb of a kapittha hand presses on the middle finger. This hasta is used to indicate a spear, a hook, an axe, a spade, a plough, a weapon, a peraṇa dance etc.When two forefingers of sūcī hands are joined obliquely at the middle-joint and are slightly bent, it is known as the kali hasta. It is used in quarrel, fighting, envy and in pointing at an enemy. Puruṣottama Miśrā says that the dviśikhara hasta is performed by joining two śikhara hastas. It is used in cursing, cracking the fingers and in asking for approval from a woman. The śikhara hasta, when joined and then separated, indicates negation. He says that these extra hand-gestures have been told by Mataṅga and Kohala^[4].

It is interesting to note that Saṅgītanārāyaṇa does not mention the adhika hastas such as nikuñcaka and varadābhaya which are found in earlier works such as Saṅgītaratnākara. The gesture called dviśikhara alone has been explained by Puruṣottama Miśrā and that too after the other five have been explained.

Kohala appears to have a strong link to these adhika hastas. Right from the time of Abhinava there has been mention of Kohala in relation to this subject. Kohala perhaps used several more hand gestures, many of which were not found in the tradition of Bharata. What is interesting is that though there has been mention of Kohala’s adhika hastas in Abhinavabhāratī and Saṅgītanārāyaṇa, each account seems to be different from the others.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol. II: p. 573

[2]:

Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: 2001: GOS Vol. II: p.26

[3]:

Nāṭyaśāstra of Bharatamuni: 2001: GOS Vol. II: p.55

[4]:

Saṅgītanārāyaṇa: 2009: Vol II: pp. 655-659