The Dramas ascribed to Bhasa
Summary
The article examines the corpus of Sanskrit plays attributed to the ancient dramatist Bhasa, whose historical identity remained uncertain until the early twentieth century. In 1912 the scholar T. Ganapati Sastri announced that he had discovered thirteen anonymous plays in the Trivandrum manuscripts and suggested that they should be ascribed to Bhasa based on their archaic style and internal references. The essay lists the plays and groups them according to their sources: some dramatize episodes from the Ramayana (for example the Pratimā and Abhiṣeka deals with the coronation of Rama), others draw on the Mahabharata (Madhyamavyāyoga, Dūtavākya, Dūtaghaṭotkaca, Kārunabhara, Ūrubhaṅga and Pāñcarātra) and several have legendary or invented plots. By comparing the vocabulary, metre and dramatic technique with those of Kālidāsa and other classical playwrights, the author argues that the plays cannot be placed later than the fourth or fifth century and represent an earlier phase of Sanskrit drama. He notes that Bhasa’s dramas are marked by rapid action, vivid characterisation and a preference for episodes of high emotion; the conventions of five‑act structure and the introduction of the hero and heroine are abandoned in favour of vigorous scenes and direct speech. The article surveys the scholarly debate about Bhasa’s authorship. Some modern critics accept Sastri’s attribution because the plays display a consistent style and mention the name Bhasa in their colophons; others insist that the dramas were written by several unknown poets and were later ascribed to a legendary author. The author concludes that while the evidence remains inconclusive, the plays reveal an important period of experimentation between the early Buddhist plays and the polished works of Kālidāsa and Bhāsa’s name has become a convenient label for this body of literature. The final sections examine the transmission of the manuscripts and suggest that further study of regional recensions may clarify the historical Bhasa.
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Conclusion
Although the identity of Bhasa remains mysterious, the plays attributed to him illuminate the formative stage of classical Sanskrit drama. Their loose plots, episodic structure and emphasis on action rather than ornament reveal a tradition distinct from later courtly drama. By cataloguing the plays, analysing their themes and discussing the controversy over authorship, the article underscores that these works bridge the gap between the fragmentary Buddhist dramas and the masterpieces of Kālidāsa. They deserve to be studied on their own merits rather than solely as works of an elusive author.