Essay name: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
Author: A. D. Pusalker
This book studies Bhasa, the author of thirteen plays ascribed found in the Trivandrum Sanskrit Series. These works largely adhere to the rules of traditional Indian theatrics known as Natya-Shastra.
Page 25 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
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possible that also the remaining plays belong to him'
(i. e. Bh膩sa). Prof. Kane and Prof. Bhide who had
accepted the common authorship, now doubt the correctness
of their decision." Dr. Weller enumerates under the
common authorship the Car, Bul, and Avi, in addition
to the Svapna and Pratij帽膩. Prof. K. H. Dhruva, who
had impliedly accepted the authorship of Bh膩sa for all
the plays, now rules the Abh, Karna, Uru, Dv, and Dgh
out of order as of different authorship. Dr. Barnett says
that the plays belong to different periods; so state also
Messrs. Pisharotis." Dr. Woolner seems to postulate
different periods for different groups of these plays. Dr.
Johnston also finds a number of different groups. There
seems, however, to be a consensus of opinion as to the
common authorship of the Svapna and Pratij帽膩.
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We shall proceed with our study of the common
authorship or the opposite of these plays now, right from
the beginning and this brings us to the consideration of
1. STRUCTURAL SIMILARITIES.
i. All the plays begin with the stage direction-
nandyante etc.
ii. S奴tradh膩ra recites only one mangala sloka
(which is absent in the Car). In the Svapna, Pratij帽膩,
Pa帽c and Prat, the mechanical device of Mudr膩la峁僰膩ra,
which introduces the names of the important dramatis
personae of the play in the mangala 艣loka, is used.
in the group. The whole article (BRRI, 5, 1937, pp. 1-15) is full of scepticism.
He was "no longer a believer in Bhasa's authorship of these plays." ib, p, 73.
1 Letter dated 14-7-32. 2 Kane, VJV, 1920, pp. 97-102; Letter dated
11-6-32. Bhide, Svapna, Intr., p. 4; Postcard dated 16-10-31. 3 Letter dated
4-8-32. It is in Sanskrit, and the portion relevant for this note reads:
啶膏啶掂お啷嵿え啶掂ぞ啶膏さ啶︵い啷嵿い啶� 啶啶班い啶苦啷嵿啶距く啷屶啶ㄠ啶оぐ啶距く啶｀ 啶� 啶ぞ啶膏啷冟い啷� 啶ㄠぞ啶熰啷�, 啶ぐ啶� 啶む 啶曕ぞ啶侧啶� 啶掂た啶曕ぞ啶班 啶啶班ぞ啶啶む 啷� 啶氞ぞ啶班啶︵い啷嵿い啶�
啶ぞ啶侧啶班た啶む 啶氞ぞ啶掂た啶ぞ啶班啶お啶� 啶啶班ぞ啶 啶ぞ啶膏え啶距啶曕ぞ啶ㄠた 啶さ啷囙く啷佮 啷� 啶呧さ啶多た啶粪啶熰ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶� 啶掂た啶粪く啷� 啶む 啶す啶む 啶膏啶多 啶むた啶班じ啷嵿ぎ啶距啶 啷�
[svapnav膩savadatta峁� pratij帽膩yaugandhar膩ya峁嘺峁� ca bh膩sak峁泃e n膩峁璦ke, para峁� tu k膩lena vik膩ra峁� pr膩pte | c膩rudatta峁�
b膩lacarita峁� c膩vim膩rakamapi pr膩yo bh膩san膩峁璦k膩ni bhaveyu岣� | ava艣i峁ａ弓膩n膩峁� vi峁ye tu mahat墨 sa峁兣浤� tirasm膩kam |
] 4 Svapnan墨 Sundari, Ahm, 1923, Intr. pp. 22-25 Contra, Pratima, Ahm,
1931, Intr, p. 19 N. 29; and letter dated 23-6-32; and Thakkar Vasanji Lectures, p.
205, N. 18. 5 Barnett, BSOS, 3, 521; Pisharoti, A Criticism, p. 23: BSOS, 3,
pp. 107-117. 6 Thirteen Trivandrum Plays, Vol. I. preface, pp. VI-VIII.
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IA, 1933, pp. 95-99. 8 We believed in structural similarities of these plays when
we originally wrote these lines before five years. Non-mention of the anonymity of
these plays as one of the characteristics of Bhasa's works noted by Bana in the well
known verse etc leads us to think that the prologue of these plays
is badly tampered with after Bana's time, though it seems only the portion containing
the name of the author and the work was lost. It may perhaps be that some peculia-
rities such as the introductory stanzas containing Mudralamkara, etc, may be due to
uniformity of process of some Kerala school which staged these dramas. We have,
however, embodied the above section wholesale without any change in the text, as
we intend to draw the attention of the readers to the mechanical similarities.
