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Classification of Poetry
929 kā’pi vādita-karāla-huddukā ramya mardala-raveņa mțgāksī, bhrūlatābhyām paripāti-calābhyām calli-karma-karane pravșttā.
The Abh. mentions cilli' or 'calli' as occurring in dombikā, along with the playing on the hudukkā. Rājasekhara also associates hudukkāvādana with 'calli'.
So, 'calli' or 'cilli' is a dance, nștta, with a nartakī playing on a drum or hudukkā. The Abh. (Vol. I. G.O.S. Edn. pp. 166-7) reads -
“kvacin nịtta-prādhānyam yathā dombikā”di-prayogánantaram hudukkāvādyávasare." ata eva tatra loka-bhāṣayā cillimārga (vi. 'callimārga' ft. n. 1, pp. 167) iti prasiddhiḥ.
Calli or Cilli is thus a dance i.e. nștta, with a drum, hudukkā, being played by a nartaki.
Rājasekhara also describes 'śmaśānábhinaya' and it is 'raudra-rasa-abhinaya' with masks of demoness-faces, terrible sounds of humkāra, phetkära etc., and with mahāmāmsa. Another set of damsels does the hunter's dance and produces laughter - 'hāsya-rasa-abhinaya'. Again, another kāla-vesa or dark make-up and a hāsya dance are described at the end. The 'yoginī-valaya-nartana-keli' is then next described as being done with vocal music and accompaniment of tāla, by nartakis with small bells or kinkinis at their feet.
So, carcari is mentioned by Sangīta-ratnākara as a name of a musical composition originally composed to a tāla called 'carcari' which is defined as -
“virāmānta-druta-dvandvān
yaştau laghu ca carcarī.” (Tāládhyāya, 235). Subsiquently, it came to be composed in other tālas also. According to śārnga deva, this Carcarī is composed in Hindolā-rāga (i.e. a Tāla associated with a swing), and tāla-carcari, a composition having many feet, is composed in sixteen mātrās, with alliteration, and in prākrta. It is sung in spring festival. According to others, it is a song in 'carcari metre and in kridā-tāla or in ghutrā and other metres. Read Sangīta-ratnākara, IV. 292-3 -
“rāgo hindolakaḥ tālas' carcari bahavonghrayaḥ, yasyām șodașa-mātrāḥ syuḥ dvau dvau ca präsa-samyutau. sā vasantotsave geyā
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