Bhasa

Summary

The essay on Bhāsa addresses the long‑standing controversy over the authorship and dating of thirteen Sanskrit plays attributed to Bhāsa. These dramas, discovered in a Kerala manuscript repository and published in the early twentieth century, were hailed as the work of an ancient dramatist mentioned in classical literature but whose plays were previously unknown. Scholars were initially cautious; some believed the plays were relatively late compositions by an imitator while others argued they preserved genuine examples of pre‑Kālidāsan drama. The article surveys the positions of these scholars, noting that distinguished historians such as R.G. Bhandarkar considered the plays spurious while Kerala savants like T. Ganapati Sastri, who first edited them, championed their authenticity. Advocates for an early date point to language, metre and dramaturgical technique that differ from later classical plays, suggesting composition before Kālidāsa. Detractors cite inconsistencies and interpolations as evidence of a later redactor. The article then examines internal historical allusions. In particular, the play Balacarita dramatizes the regicide of the last Maurya king Brhadratha by his commander‑in‑chief Puṣyamitra Śuṅga. The author argues that this theme cannot have been devised by a post‑Gupta playwright; rather it reflects pro‑Śuṅga propaganda in the second century BCE and implies that Bhāsa was a contemporary of Puṣyamitra or shortly afterwards. Evidence from inscriptions and literary references supports this early dating. The essay also discusses the influence of Bhāsa on later Sanskrit literature and regional adaptations. His plays were translated into various Indian languages and influenced Malayalam stage traditions. The article remarks on stylistic features such as the absence of elaborate prologues, the use of stock characters and the prominent role assigned to royal heroes, which collectively suggest that Bhāsa’s dramaturgy predates the codification of Nāṭyaśāstra conventions. Concluding, the author emphasises that the plays attributed to Bhāsa should be regarded as genuine early works that bridge the transition from epic narration to classical drama, and that their study is essential for understanding the evolution of Sanskrit theatre.