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Dombika and Sidgaka
Of the three citations discussed so far, the first seems to be from the opening portion of the Cuḍāmāni Dombika,10 while the fourth comes from the concluding portion of the musical section of the Gunamālā Dombika.10 From these texts we can infer that the song-part of the Dombika was composed typically in Apabhramsa language and in the Rasaka metre. But it seems that it contained some Prakrit verses also, as we have to understand from citation No. 3. It seems to be in Prakrit language and Gāthā metre. With a proper selection of the readings, the text can be scanned as under :
पाआलअले सेसहि, णिहु जअ जअलच्छिवच्छथलमलिआ
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This is a regular pūrva-dala of the Gatha. And from the context in which this line is cited in the ABH., it appears that the line occurred in some Dombika in its later part at the time of some further dance sequence (after an apasara ?). But in the absence of a detailed and clear picture of the structure of the Dombika, it would be fruitless to speculate about this.
From the present discussion of the citations from the Dombikas called Cuḍāmāni and Gunamālā we have tried to establish that
(i) The song-part of the Dombikas was composed typically in the Rāsaka metre, which was quite characteristically an Apabhramsa metre.
(ii) the language of the musical texts of the Dombikas was typically Apabhramśa.
In this connection it is very significant to note a few points about two other Uparūpakas, viz., Rāsaka and Natya-rāsaka (the latter also known as Carcari). 12 These Uparupakas probably contained much of pure rhythmic dance, besides a few songs.13 Now there were also Apabhramśa literary compositions bearing the same names, Rasaka and Carcari. And eventhough the operatic and ballet-like Rasaka and Carcari have to be distin
