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 57 of: Bhasa (critical and historical study)
57 (of 564)
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37
and Pratij帽膩 of the latter. Bh膩saina az ma:, we
translate as : (as if Bh膩sa; like the genuine Bh膩sa)
and in the next stanzas (etc.), the poet
apparently identifies Bh膩sa with Dh膩vaka; but the
previous stanzas referring to a kulala Dro峁嘺 and a
matanga Divakara remind us that the modern Dhavaka
is compared with ancient Bh膩sa. The last stanza
啶ぞ啶膏え啶距啶曕啶曕啶班啶洁お啶� [产丑腻蝉补苍腻峁璦办补肠补办谤别'辫颈 ] etc. brings together all the works of Bh膩sa
(the ancient, as well as modern, i. e., including the works
of Dh膩vaka) and pronounces its judgment in favour of
the Svapna.
Thus we find that in either case, R膩jasekhara's
statement testifies to Bh膩sa's authorship, among a number
of dramas, of the Svapna.
This testimony of Rajasekhara, coupled with that
of the Natyadarpana, conclusively proves Bh膩sa's
authorship of the Svapna.
BANA
in the introductory stanzas to his Har峁carita
mentions some of the characteristics of Bh膩sa's dramas:
啶膏啶む啶班ぇ啶距ぐ啶曕啶むぞ啶班ぎ啷嵿き啷堗ぐ啷嵿え啶距啶苦啷堗ぐ啷嵿が啶灌啶啶た啶曕啶� 啷�
啶膏お啶むぞ啶曕啶班啶ざ啷� 啶侧啶 啶ぞ啶膏 啶︵啶掂啷佮げ啷堗ぐ啶苦さ 啷�
[s奴tradh膩rak峁泃膩rambhairn膩峁璱kair产补丑耻产丑奴尘颈办补颈岣� |
sapat膩kairya艣o lebhe bh膩so devakulairiva ||
] Cowell and Thomas have translated the verse: "Bh膩sa
gained as much splendour by his plays with introductions
spoken by the manager, full of various characters and
furnished with startling episodes, as he would have done
by the erection of temples, created by architects, adorned
with several storeys and decorated with banners". A hot
controversy has raged over the interpretation, meaning
and significance as also the applicability of this stanza,
and we shall consider it in parts 啶膏啶む啶班ぇ啶距ぐ啶曕啶むぞ啶班ぎ啷嵿き啷堗 [蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补办峁泃腻谤补尘产丑补颈岣�] ; 啶す啷佮き啷傕ぎ啶苦啷堗 [产补丑耻产丑奴尘颈办补颈岣� ] and
啶膏お啶むぞ啶曕啶� 啷�
[sapat膩kai岣� |
] The statement 啶膏啶む啶班ぇ啶距ぐ啶曕啶むぞ啶班ぎ啷嵿き啷堗 [蝉奴迟谤补诲丑腻谤补办峁泃腻谤补尘产丑补颈岣� ] which has been mentioned
as a characteristic of Bh膩sa, prima facie applies to the
Trivandrum plays as they are begun by the S奴tradh膩ra.
after the performance of nandi in the green-room.
( 啶ㄠぞ啶ㄠ啶︵啶え啷嵿い啷� 啶むい啶� 啶啶班さ啶苦ざ啶むた 啶膏啶む啶班ぇ啶距ぐ啶�) [n膩ndyante tata岣� pravi艣ati s奴tradh膩ra岣�) ] It is to be noted in this
connection that we are not proving the authorship or
authenticity of the Trivandrum plays on this statement of
1 Harsacarita, trans. Cowell and F. W. Thomas, London, 1897. p. 3.
