The target of criticism in Bahamaha's Kavyalankara
Summary
Bhāmaha, in his Kāvyālaṅkāra, criticizes a literary incident involving King Udayana’s capture using a dummy elephant, calling it irrational (nyāya-virodha). Some scholars, like T. Ganapati Sastri and Dr S. K. De, believed this critique targeted Bhāsa’s Pratijñā-Yaugandharāyaṇa, but Dr P. V. Kane and others argue that Bhāmaha was likely criticizing an earlier version of the story, possibly from the Bṛhatkathā, not Bhāsa’s play. Detailed analysis shows that Bhāsa anticipated these criticisms and addressed them within his drama—depicting Udayana as credulous, explaining the effective camouflage of the dummy elephant, and showing the ministers and spies acting diligently. Thus, the criticisms listed by Bhāmaha do not hold against Bhāsa’s version, and it is more reasonable to conclude that Bhāmaha’s target was a different, now-lost version of the Udayana tale.
Summary reviewed by a volunteer editor.
Conclusion
Bhāmaha's critique of the Udayana story in his Kāvyālaṅkāra likely targets an earlier version of the tale, not Bhāsa’s play, as Bhāsa’s work already addresses the issues Bhāmaha raised. The analysis suggests that Bhāmaha's criticisms are misplaced when applied to Bhāsa's version, which provides satisfactory explanations for the events.