Volume : V, Issue : IX, September - 2015

Bhasa’s Style in the Pratimanataka

Dr. C. Palaiah

Abstract :

Bhasa was one of the very early Sanskrit dramatists known from literary sources. Even though he was known from secondary sources, the texts authored by him were lost in the ravages of time. It was in the year 1909 that Mahamahopadyaya T. Ganapatisastri found a collection of his dramas in a kearala temple and published then through the Trivandruam Sanskrit Series. The set of manuscripts, among others, included Svapnavasavadatta which is well known to be a drama by Bhasa. Mahamahopadyaya Sastri established the identity of Bhasa’s authorship of all the plays not only on the evidence of the above manuscript collection in a single codex, but also on internal evidences in the dramas, like the dramatic structure, content and stylistic peculiarities. He derived materials for his plays from epic histories and Puranas as also from popular folk–lore, with his own modification to suit the dramatic purpose well. At first sight, the greatness of Bhasa becomes evident from his masterly handling of as many as seven types of dramatic art in Indian conception. These dramas may be divided into political – Pratijna, Dutavakya and Dutaghatotkaca, Social plays – Avimaraka, Swpna, Religious plays – Abhiseka, Pratima and Balacarita, Sociological plays – Madhyamavyayoga and Carudatta, and Ethical plays – Karnabhara, Pancaratra and Urubhanga. There is pure comedy like Avimaraka, pure tragedy and Urubhanga, serious comedy of morals like Pratima and Abhisheka with tragic incidents interwoven, and also plays like Karnabharam with tragedy ooding over it, but not actually bursting.

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Article: Download PDF   DOI : 10.36106/ijar  

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Dr. C. Palaiah Bhasa¥s Style in the Pratimanataka Indian Journal of Applied Research, Vol.5, Issue : 9 September 2015

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