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Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit, predating Kalidasa. His name was already well-known by the 1st century BCE and he belongs to the late-Mauryan (322-184 BCE) period at the earliest, but the thirteen plays attached to his name are commonly dated closer to the first or second century CE. His plays had been lost for centuries until the manuscripts were rediscovered in 1913 by the Indian scholar Ganapati Shastri. Bhāsa had previously only been known from mentions in other works, like the '' Kavyamimamsa'' on poetics from 880–920 AD. In the Kavyamimamsa,
Rajashekhara Rajasekhara may refer to: * Rama Rajasekhara/Cheraman Perumal "Nayanar" (''fl.'' 9th century), theologian, devotional poet and ruler from south India * Rajashekhara (Sanskrit poet) Rajashekhara (; ) was a Sanskrit poet, dramatist and critic. H ...
attributes the play ''
Swapnavasavadattam ''Svapnavasavadattam'' ( sa, स्वप्नवासवदत्तम्, ) (English: ''The dream of Vasavadatta'') is a Sanskrit play in six acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhāsa. The plot of the drama is drawn from the romantic n ...
'' to Bhāsa. In the introduction to his first play ''Malavikagnimitram'',
Kālidāsa Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and t ...
wrote: "Shall we neglect the works of such illustrious authors as Bhāsa, Saumilla, and Kaviputra? Can the audience feel any respect for the work of a modern poet, a Kālidāsa?"


Date

Bhāsa's date of birth is uncertain, but his name was already known as a famous dramatist by the 1st century BCE. He belongs to the late-Mauryan period at the earliest and fourth century CE at the latest. Bhāsa's language is closer to
Kālidāsa Kālidāsa (''fl.'' 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's greatest poet and playwright. His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Vedas, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Mahābhārata and t ...
(5th century CE) than it is to
Aśvaghoṣa , also transliterated Ashvaghosha, (, अश्वघोष; lit. "Having a Horse-Voice"; ; Chinese 馬鳴菩薩 pinyin: Mǎmíng púsà, litt.: 'Bodhisattva with a Horse-Voice') CE) was a Sarvāstivāda or Mahasanghika Buddhist philosopher, ...
(1st-2nd century CE). Bhāsa's works do not follow all the dictates of the
Natya Shastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...
. This has been taken as a proof of their antiquity; no post-Kālidāsa play has been found to break the rules of the Natya Shastra. Scenes from Bhāsa present signs of physical violence on the stage, as in plays like ''
Urubhanga ''Urubhanga'' or ''Urubhangam'', ( Devanagari: ऊरुभङ्गम्), ( en, The Breaking of the Thighs, italic=yes) is a Sanskrit play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Based on the well-known epic, the ''Mahābhārata'', by ...
''. This is strictly frowned upon by Natya Shastra. However, these facts alone don't make chronology certain. Indu Shekhar states that, "Whatever the exact date f Natya Shastramay have been, it is significant that no direct reference to NS was made before the seventh century," when it became accepted as the subject of attention for many poets, writers, and theorists.


Discovery of his plays

In the year 1909 the play ''Swapnavasavadatta'' was discovered by Pandit Anandalvar of the Archeological Survey of Mysore. Two years later the Mahamahopadhyaya T. Ganapati Sastri came upon 13
Sanskrit plays Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...
that were used in the
Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient perfo ...
plays. The first discovery yielded ten complete manuscripts (''Svapnavasavadattam,
Pratijnayaugandharayana ''Pratijnayaugandharayana'' ( sa, प्रतिज्ञायौगन्धरायणम्, ) (English: ''The Pledge of Minister Yaugandharāyaṇa'') is a Sanskrit play in four acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhāsa. It is the oldes ...
, Pancharatra, Charudatta, Dootaghatotkacha, Avimaraka, Balacharita, Madhyamavyayoga, Karnabhara'' and ''Urubhanga'') and fragments of one. Later, he found two more: ''Abhisheka'' and ''Pratimanataka''. Finally, he found intact manuscript of ''Dootavakyam'', adding up to total thirteen plays believed to be authored by Bhasa. Unlike other classical plays, none of them mentioned the author, but one was the ''
Swapnavāsavadatta ''Svapnavasavadattam'' ( sa, स्वप्नवासवदत्तम्, ) (English: ''The dream of Vasavadatta'') is a Sanskrit play in six acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhāsa. The plot of the drama is drawn from the romantic ...
''. Comparing the style of writing and techniques employed in these plays and based on the knowledge that ''Swapnavāsavadatta'' was Bhāsa's work, all of them were credited to him. Some scholars have disputed Bhāsa's authorship of all the plays but over the years the plays have generally come to be ascribed to Bhāsa.


Plays of Bhāsa

The ''Uru-Bhanga'' and '' Karna-bhara'' are the only known
tragic Tragedy (from the grc-gre, τραγῳδία, ''tragōidia'', ''tragōidia'') is a genre of drama based on human suffering and, mainly, the terrible or sorrowful events that befall a main character. Traditionally, the intention of tragedy ...
Sanskrit plays in ancient India. Though branded the villain of the ''
Mahabharata The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the ''Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the Kuruk ...
'',
Duryodhana Duryodhana ( sa, दुर्योधन, ) also known as Suyodhana, is the primary antagonist in the Hindu epic ''Mahabharata.'' He was the eldest of the Kauravas, the hundred sons of the blind king Dhritarashtra and his queen Gandhari. Being ...
is the actual hero in ''Uru-Bhanga'' shown repenting his past as he lies with his thighs crushed awaiting death. His relations with his family are shown with great pathos. The epic contains no reference to such repentance. The ''Karna-bhara'' ends with the premonitions of the sad end of
Karna Karna (Sanskrit: कर्ण, IAST: ''Karṇa''), also known as Vasusena, Anga-raja, and Radheya, is one of the main protagonists of the Hindu epic '' Mahābhārata''. He is the son of the sun god Surya and princess Kunti (mother of the ...
, another epic character from ''Mahabharata''. Early plays in India, inspired by Natya Shastra, strictly considered sad endings inappropriate. The plays are generally short compared to later playwrights and most of them draw on themes from the Indian epics, ''Mahabharata'' and ''
Ramayana The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit literature, Sanskrit Indian epic poetry, epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th ...
''. Though he is firmly on the side of the heroes of the epic, Bhāsa treats their opponents with great sympathy. He takes a lot of liberties with the story to achieve this. In the ''Pratima-nataka'',
Kaikeyi Kaikeyi (Sanskrit: कैकेयी, IAST: Kaikeyī) is the second consort of King Dasharatha, and a queen of Ayodhya in the Hindu epic Ramayana. Out of Dasharatha's three wives, Kaikeyi exerts the most influence. Formerly the princess of Kek ...
who is responsible for the tragic events in the ''Ramayana'' is shown as enduring the calumny of all so that a far noble end is achieved.


Plays based on ''Ramayana''

* ''Pratima-nataka'': The statues * ''Yagna-Phalam'': * ''Abhisheka-natka'': The coronation


Plays based on ''Mahabharata''

* ''Panch-ratra'': The five-nights * '' Madhyama-vyayoga'': The middle one * ''Duta-Ghattotkacha'': Ghattotkacha as envoy * ''Duta-Vakya'' : The envoy's message * ''
Urubhanga ''Urubhanga'' or ''Urubhangam'', ( Devanagari: ऊरुभङ्गम्), ( en, The Breaking of the Thighs, italic=yes) is a Sanskrit play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Based on the well-known epic, the ''Mahābhārata'', by ...
'': The broken thigh * ''
Karnabharam Karnabharam or ''The Anguish of Karna'' (literally: ''The Burden of Karna'') is a Sanskrit one-act play written by the Indian dramatist Bhasa, an Indian playwright complimented even by the Kalidasa in the beginning of his play Malavikagnimit ...
'': Karna's burden * ''Harivamsa'' or ''Bala-charita'': Hari's dynasty or the tale of Childhood The ''Duta-Vakya'' and ''Bala-charita'' are perhaps the only Sanskrit plays by a famous playwright with
Krishna Krishna (; sa, कृष्ण ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme god in his own right. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love; and is one ...
as the central character. His other plays are not epic based. ''Avimaraka'' is a fairy tale, which later became part of a
Mani Kaul Mani Kaul (25 December 1944 – 6 July 2011) was an Indian director of Hindi films and a reputed figure in Indian parallel cinema. He graduated from the Film and Television Institute of India (FTII) where he was a student of Ritwik Ghatak and ...
film, ''
The Cloud Door ''The Cloud Door'' ( hi, बादल द्वार, german: Die Himmelspforte) is a 1994 short Indo-German drama film, directed by acclaimed Indian director Mani Kaul and featuring Hindu erotic literary themes. The film was produced by the ...
'' (1994). The unfinished ''Daridra-Charudatta'' (Charudatta in poverty) tells the story of the courtesan Vasantasena and is interesting for the same story was developed by Śhudraka into the more famous play '' Mrichakatika''. His most famous plays — ''
Pratigya Yaugandharayanam ''Pratijnayaugandharayana'' ( sa, प्रतिज्ञायौगन्धरायणम्, ) (English: ''The Pledge of Minister Yaugandharāyaṇa'') is a Sanskrit play in four acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhāsa. It is the oldes ...
'' (the vow of Yaugandharayana) and ''
Swapnavāsavadattam ''Svapnavasavadattam'' ( sa, स्वप्नवासवदत्तम्, ) (English: ''The dream of Vasavadatta'') is a Sanskrit play in six acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhāsa. The plot of the drama is drawn from the romantic n ...
'' (Vasavadatta in the dream) — are based on the legends that had grown around the legendary King Udayana, probably a contemporary of the
Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha, was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist tradition, he was ...
. The first play tells the story of how the king Udayana married the princess Vasavadatta (his first wife).The second play tells the story of how the king Udayana, with the help of his loyal minister Yaugandharayana, later married the princess Padmavati, a daughter of the king of Magadha, and thus made this king his ally rather than enemy. Though his plays were discovered only in the 20th century, two of them, ''Uru-Bhanga'' and ''Karna-bhara'', have become popular due to their appeal to modern tastes and have been performed in translation and in Sanskrit. Many of Bhasa's plays are staged in
Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient perfo ...
even now, like parts of ''Pratijna-Yaugandharayana'', ''Abhisheka-nataka'' etc.


Modern revival

The first person to revive Bhasa in modern
Indian theatre Theatre of India is one of the most ancient forms of theatre and it features a detailed textual, sculptural, and dramatic effects which emerged in mid first millennium BC. Like in the areas of music and dance, the Indian theatre is also define ...
was a Professor of Ancient Indian Drama at
National School of Drama National School of Drama (NSD) is a theatre training institute situated at New Delhi, India. It is an autonomous organization under Ministry of Culture, Government of India. It was set up in 1959 by the Sangeet Natak Akademi and became an indepe ...
, and theatre director,
Shanta Gandhi Shanta Kalidas Gandhi (20 December 1917 – 6 May 2002) was an Indian theatre director, dancer and playwright who was closely associated with IPTA, the cultural wing of the Communist Party of India. She studied with Indira Gandhi at a residenti ...
, who first directed productions of ''
Madhyamavyayoga '' Madhyamavyayoga'' or ''Madhyama Vyāyoga'' (Hindi: मध्यमव्यायोग), (''The Middle One'') is a Sanskrit play attributed to Bhāsa, a famous Sanskrit poet. There is no consensus regarding when the play was written, and it ...
'' (1966) ("The Middle One") and ''
Urubhanga ''Urubhanga'' or ''Urubhangam'', ( Devanagari: ऊरुभङ्गम्), ( en, The Breaking of the Thighs, italic=yes) is a Sanskrit play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Based on the well-known epic, the ''Mahābhārata'', by ...
'' ("The Broken Thigh") in Hindi. A decade later, his work was approached by playwright
Kavalam Narayan Panikkar Kavalam Narayana Panicker (1 May 1928 – 26 June 2016) was an Indian dramatist, theatre director, and poet. He has written over 26 Malayalam plays, many adapted from classical Sanskrit drama and Shakespeare, notably Kalidasa's ''Vikramorvasi ...
and theatre director,
Ratan Thiyam Ratan Thiyam (born 20 January 1948) is an Indian playwright and theatre director, and the winner of Sangeet Natak Akademi Award in 1987, one of leading figures of the "''theatre of roots''" movement in Indian theatre, which started in the 1970s ...
using Manipuri dance and theatre traditions, and traditional martial art of
Thang-Ta Huyen langlon is an Indian martial art from Manipur. In the Meitei language, means war while or can mean net, knowledge or art. consists of two main components: thang-ta (armed combat) and sarit sarak (unarmed fighting). The primary weapons ...
, who first performed ''Karna-bhara'' ("Karna's burden") in 1976, and later ''Urubhanga''. Dharwadker, p. 167 Waman Kendre did an adaptation of ''Madhyama Vyāyoga'' in three different languages: ''O My Love'' in English, ''Mohe Piya'' in Hindi and ''Piya Bawari'' in Marathi. The legendary
Natyasastra The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary ...
scholar and
Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient perfo ...
maestro Guru
Mani Madhava Chakyar Guru Mani Madhava Chakyar (IAST: ''Māṇi Mādhava Cākyār'') (15 February 1899 – 14 January 1990) was a celebrated master performance artist and Sanskrit scholar from Kerala, India, considered to be the greatest Chakyar Koothu and Koodiy ...
choreographed and started to perform ''Swapnavāsadatta'' and ''Pancharātra'' for the first time in the history of
Koodiyattam Koodiyattam ( ml, കൂടിയാട്ടം; IAST: kūṭiyāṭṭaṁ; ) is a traditional performing art form in the state of Kerala, India. It is a combination of ancient Sanskrit theatre with elements of ''Koothu'', an ancient perfo ...
.


See also

*
Sanskrit literature Sanskrit literature broadly comprises all literature in the Sanskrit language. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as s ...
*
Sanskrit drama The term Indian classical drama refers to the tradition of dramatic literature and performance in ancient India. The roots of drama in the Indian subcontinent can be traced back to the Rigveda (1200-1500 BCE), which contains a number of hymns in ...
* ''
Urubhanga ''Urubhanga'' or ''Urubhangam'', ( Devanagari: ऊरुभङ्गम्), ( en, The Breaking of the Thighs, italic=yes) is a Sanskrit play written by Bhasa in the 2nd or 3rd century CE. Based on the well-known epic, the ''Mahābhārata'', by ...
''


Notes


References

* Thirteen Trivandrum plays ascribed to Bhāsa( 2 Vols), translated by H.C.Woolner, Lakshman Sarup, 193 * * * ''Encyclopaedia of Indian Theatre: Bhasa'', by Biswajit Sinha, Ashok Kumar Choudhury. Raj Publications, 2000. .


Further reading

*A.D. Pusalker : Bhasa – a study. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers Pvt. Ltd. New Delhi, India 1968 * V. Venkatachalam : Bhasa (A monograph in the 'Indian Men of Letter Series'), Sahitya Akademi, New Delhi, 1986; Second Edn. 1994; (pp. 16+192) (Translated into Bengali, Gujarati, Kannada and Telugu-Pub. By Sahitya Akademi) {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhasa Sanskrit poets Ancient Indian poets Ancient Indian dramatists and playwrights Sanskrit dramatists and playwrights Indian male poets Indian male dramatists and playwrights Koodiyattam exponents 3rd-century Indian writers 4th-century Indian writers