Indological Studies

Author(s): H C Bhayani
Publisher: Parshva Prakashan

Page 52

Literary and Performing Arts
21. Some six Caccaris or Cācaris are known to us from Early Gujarāti literature. They were composed in the 14th Century. Some details about them are given below25 :
Title
Author Form and extent
Subject Carcarikā
Solana 38 Dohās Pilgrimage to
Mount Girnar. Caccari
Anonymous 30 ., Dharma-Caccari
20., Jain religious
practices and
Vows. Besides, Jinacandrasūri-carcari by Hemabhūşaņa (25 Dohās about the greatness of Guru), Jinaprabodhasūri-carcari by Somamūrti (a eulogy in 16 Dohās) and a Caccari by Jinaprabhasūri are still in the manuscript form.
22. These Carcaris in Apabhramsa and Early Gujarāti were didactic works composed by Jain authors on the model of contemporary popular and purely literary compositions. They indicate that during its long course of evolution Carcari got transformed from a short festive lyrical song to a substantial poem with some narrative and deseriptive content. The connection with the festival and dance also altered substantially and the original metrical form and structure too changed beyond recognition.
23. These general observations about Carcari with some inevitable elements of surmise can be verified only when huge gaps in our information are filled up, and that depends upon finding out actual specimens of Carcari from classical texts belonging to the period between the sixth to the thirteenth century. It was also a part of the purpose of the present paper to show that a close scrutiny of published Prakrit and Apabhraíśa works is likely to be rewarding in such matters.
Postscript 1. In the marrative of Nāgadatta in the Katha-kośa-prakarana, a snake-charmer is described as employing a snake-charm to cure