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 39 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
39 (of 564)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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19
Devdhar to style the poet असà¥à¤®à¤¿à¤¨à¥à¤¨ [asminna ] side by side with जà¥à¤µà¤²à¤¨à¤®à¤¿à¤¤à¥à¤°.
[jvalanamitra.
] Probably there is unanimity of opinion that
16. THE SVAPNA AND PRATIJNÄ€
2 are by the same author. The former is a sequel to the
latter. Names and characters of the dramatis personce
are the same. The Svapna has numerous allusions to the
PratijñÄ. (Cf. VI. 18 last scene). Further comments are
deemed unnecessary.
17. THE PRATIMA AND ABHIá¹¢EKA
show so many literal agreements that unity of
authorship in their case can scarcely be doubted. RÄma
is addressed as "Arya" in both, and SÄ«tÄ addresses him
as 'Aryaputra '. Arya' is the normal form of address
to be used in Iká¹£vÄku family.³
There is a remarkable similarity in these plays
regarding
18. STYLE, DIALOGUE AND MISCELLANEOUS
MATTERS.
The language of these dramas according to Dr.
Ganapati Sastri is "clear, lofty and majestic as well as sweet
and charming. The sentences are everywhere replete with
a wealth of ideas beautifully expressed ".*
"7
4 66
Prof. Devdhar has mentioned copious use of
alliteration and yamaka as well as the use of long
compounds as an indication in the line of common
authorship. But on closer study the proportion of such
poetic conceits will be found to be too small to the usual
simple elegant style, to warrant the inference of common
authorship therefrom.
From considerations of style, Mr. A. K. Pisharoti
would link the Svapna, Prat, Abh and PratijÃ±Ä as earlier
dramas, and the Avi, Pañc and Uru are linked as modern
ones. It is interesting to note in this connection, that
1 Plays etc., p. 12. 2 Sarup, Vision, Intr, pp. 11-12; Devdhar, Plays etc,
p. 80; Winternitz, CR, 1924, p. 337; BRRI, 1937, p. 1; Sukthankar, JBRAS, 1925,
p. 142. Even the antagonists admit common authorship of these two plays. Cf.
Johnston, IA, 1933, pp. 95-99; Jahagirdar, IA, 1931, pp. 41-45; Devdhar, Plays etc,
pp. 19-20. 3 Dr. Winternitz seems to assign a 19: D942' 1
(Prat, p. 64) to Bharata (Problems, p. 118). It would seem that the mistake crept
in through oversight as the above is the speech of Devakulika. Dr. Winternitz's
opinions, as already stated, are now changed. 4 Critical Study, p. 27. 5 Plays etc,
p. 19. See Contra, Jayaswal, JASB, 1913, p. 261. 6 Criticism, p. 23.
