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.
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276
there being only two female characters. This drama brings
out the poet's power of narrating incidents outside the
action of the drama very vividly and impressively, so as to
conjure, as it were, a realistic picture before the audience.
The graphic narration of the capture of Vatsar膩ja in
the first act is an instance in point. Ibsen, Oscar Wilde,
John Galsworthy, among the modern play-wrights, are
found to employ dialogues effectively for this purpose.
The scene between Yaugandhar膩ya峁嘺 and S膩laka in the
first act reminds one of the scene in Hamlet
(Act II
,
Scene I) between Polonius and Renaldo. The domestic
atmosphere in the second act is pleasantly realistic. The
first part of the third act is at once
humorous and
suggestive. The humour is at times rendered crude
and
heavy by the suggestion involved and by the inconsistency
in the meaning of the same words used at
different
places. On the whole, however, the scene is full
of fun
and transparently suggestive. The last act opens with a
humorous scene depicting the toddy shop with
Bacchic
songs. Everywhere there is rapid action. One
naturally
expects to see Vatsar膩ja and V膩savadatt膩 on
the stage
after hearing so much about them; but the
poet has
wonderfully kept them off the stage without
detriment to
the interest of the play, thus achieving, as it were
, the
staging of Hamlet without the Prince of
Denmark.
Another speciality of this play is the fact that both
the
rival parties are satisfied. These two features
are to be
met with nowhere else in the dramatic literature
.
1 The Pratij帽膩 illustrates Bh膩sa's trait of investing
his characters with the quality of knowing what passes in
another's mind by a mere glance: (cf.
Pratij帽膩, p. 25; Abh, p. 50). Great persons are shown
to possess quite a distinct and resonant
voice, at once
pronouncing them to be above the ordinary
run of human
beings. Cf. g矛 mzen mixiezt ( p. 69) etc.
(p.
The expression 啶呧す啷� 啶灌ぞ啶膏啶ぎ啶た啶оぞ啶ㄠぎ啷� ( [aho h膩syamabhidh膩nam (] which is also found
in the Pa帽c, p. 108, and Dgh, p. 66) is used in reply to
statements which the speaker takes to be ridiculous
,-cf.
Pratij帽膩, pp. 67, 71.
10.g. 啶啶︵啶げ啶� [modakamalaka ] means 啶掂い啷嵿じ啶班ぞ啶� ( [vatsar膩ja (] Pratij帽膩, second edition, p.
68),
啶啶椸え啷嵿ぇ啶班ぞ啶ぃ
( [测补耻驳补苍诲丑补谤腻测补峁嘺
(] ib. p. 68), capture (ib. p. 91), conference (ib. p. 72), (ib. p. 73), conference
time (ib. p. 74) etc. Cf. also Hariyappa, QJMS, 23, pp. 238-240
. 2 Cf. also Pratim膩,
pp. 13-95; Avi, p. 1; Abh, p. 40: Supra p. 8.
