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926
SAHRDAYĀLOKA By T. M. Trivedi, in his commentary on the Kuttani-mata (pp. 345), observes Dr. Raghavan, carcari is explaind as a Tāla, a kind of Vädya, a kind of song, a kind of metre, exhilarating sport, etc. etc. In the Ratnāvali itself, 'carcari' is used both as a song and as a name of a type of playing on the Mțdanga, over and above its being used as the name of dance of the spring festival :
paurāņām sam uccarati carcari-dhvanih, - suvstta-mardalóddāma-carcarīśabda - tataḥ praviśataḥ madanalīlām nāțayantyau dvipadī-khandam gāyantyau cetyau.
"mām apy etam carcarīkam śikṣayatha", and see also, "na khalv esā carcari, dvipadikhandam khalv etat.”
A spring-time dance with reference to cupid's festival is seen here. This shows drinking and merrymaking by citizens in couples, and ladies dancing and striking their lovers with water.
We have noticed elsewhere that the Sattaka, which is similar to Nātikā, has a lot of dance and music in it. The carcari is seen in the Karpūra-mañjari-saţtaka of Rājasekhara. The act IV introduces a vata-sāvitrī-vrata celebration in the summer season. Various kinds of dances are performed by women in this celebration. Lāsya is mentioned along with another dance viz. danda-rāsaka performed by thirty two nartakīs. This can be placed with the 'tippanī dance prevelent in Saurashtra, Gujarat. Another dance is one wherein girl-dancers divide themseleves into two rows facing each other. There is also a variety of comic dance and also a dance by women dressed as hunters over and above the graceful lāsya dance-varieties. Also part of dance is the terrible dance of the anubhāvas or consequents of the raudrarasa, with human flash - 'nara-māmsa' in hand. This is termed śmaśānābhinaya. There are also facial masks of demonesses as part of such a dance. Vocal and instrumental music also accompanies this dance and also 'hudukkās' and mặdangas, both tālavādyas - are mentioned. Vinā is placed and then an additional dance called yoginī-valaya-nartana-keli is also seen here for the first time. Sāradātanaya has taken note of danda-rāsaka (Ch. X), a variety of lāsya, perhaps seeking inspiration from Rājasekhara's drama. Besides this danda-rāsaka, we have two more rāsakas such as mandala-rāsaka and nātya-rāsaka, mentioned by Sāradātanaya, without clearly describing the same.
Dance with a 'carcarī is thus introduced by the Karpūra-mañjarī : (tataḥ pravišati carcari) -
“muktāphalā”bharaṇoccayaḥ lāsyávasāne calitámśukāḥ,
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