Classical Sanskrit Literature
The classical period of Sanskrit literature dates to the Gupta period and the successive pre-Islamic Middle kingdoms of India. This roughly corresponds to 4th century AD till arrival of Mohammedans. This period is known for development of Sanskrit literature in all genres viz. Drama, Scholarly treatises, Stories, Epic Poems, Literature related to Science and Technology and the Puranas. We discuss this part with reference to the contribution made by various playwrights. UPSC has generally asked smaller 1 or 2 markers on this section.
Asvaghosha
Aśvaghoṣa (Circa. 80 – 150 AD) is considered to be the first Sanskrit Dramatist of the world. He was a born Brahmin, but later turned into a Buddhist Monk. He was the court poet of the Kushana king Kanishka.
Contribution & Works
Asvaghosha wrote in Classical Sanskrit.
- Buddhacharita: His work, Buddhacharita is an epic style Sanskrit work. It mainly deals with Buddha’s Life.
- Sariputra Prakaran: Asvaghosa also wrote a Sanskrit Drama “Sariputra Prakaran” which deals about Sariputta or Sariputra the disciple of Buddha.
- Saundandkavya: Asvaghosha also wrote the Saundaranandakavya, a kāvya poem with the theme of conversion of Nanda, Buddha’s half-brother, so that he might reach salvation. The first half of the work describes Nanda’s life, and the second half of the work describes Buddhist doctrines and ascetic practices.
Śūdraka
The real name of Śūdraka was Indranigupta and he was an Abhira King of first or second century AD. The Abhiras were contemporary and vassals of the Saatavahans. Śūdraka has become immortal in the form of three Sanskrit Plays ascribed to him viz. Mricchakatika (The Little Clay Cart), Vinavasavadatta, and a bhana (short one-act monologue), Padmaprabhritaka.
Mṛcchakaṭika
Mṛcchakaṭika is a play set in the ancient city of Ujjayanai during the reign of a King Pālaka of the Pradyota dynasty. The hero (Nayaka) is Charudatta, a noble but impoverished Brahmin and heroine is Nagaravadhu Vasantsena. The villain is a courtier called Samsthanka, who uses all his tricks but unable to get Vasantsena. He finally tries to kill her, but she escapes and is saved by a Buddhist monk. Charudatta is prosecuted for the murder because the Vasantsena had put her jewellery in the clay cart of his little son, who was playing with it. He is convicted by the foolish king Palaka and his execution is ordered. But before he is executed, Vasantsena appears all of a sudden and tells the reality about the misdeeds of Samsthanka. At the same time, the King Palaka is removed from the throne by a Prince in coupe de etat and Samanthaka is arrested and put in jail. Thereafter, she becomes second wife of Charudatta and live happily ever after.
Thus, the play is full of romance, comedy, sex, intrigue and political subplots. Hindi Movie Utsav (1984) was based upon this drama. Among the Sanskrit dramas, Mṛcchakaṭika remains one of the most widely celebrated and oft-performed in the West, in part because its plot structure more closely resembles that of Western classics than other Indian plays.
Bhāsa
A very little is known about Bhāsa. He is most probably senior to Kalidasa and is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights. His works were lost but rediscovered in 1910s in Kerala. His most important works are Swapnavāsavadattam, Panch-ratra, Madhyama-vyayoga, Duta-Ghattotkacha, Duta-Vakya, Urubhanga, Karna-bhara and Bal Charita.
Svapnavasavadattam
Svapnavasavadattam is the best known work of Bhasa. It was lost and rediscovered in 1912 in Kerala. This play is around the Vatsa king Udayana and his queen Vasavadatta, the daughter of Pradyota, the ruler of Avanti.
Kalidasa
Kalidasa is the immortal poet and playwright of India and a peerless genius whose works became famous worldwide in modern world. Translation of Kalidasa’s works in numerous Indian and Foreign Languages have spread his fame all of the word and now he ranks among the top poets of all times.
Rabindranath Tagore, not only propagated the works of Kalidasa but also expounded their meanings and philosophy that made him an immortal poet dramatists.
Works of Kalidasa
Mālavikāgnimitram
Mālavikāgnimitram is the Sanskrit play, which depicts Agnimitra as its hero. Malvika is a maid servant whom Agnimitra falls in love. This was known to his chief queen, who imprisons her. Later it was known that Malvika was of a royal birth and she was accepted as queen of Agnimitra. Mālavikāgnimitram gives account of Rajsuya Yajna of Pushyamitra Shunga, father of Agnimitra.
Abhijñānaśākuntalam
Abhijñānaśākuntalam is a Sanskrit play which depicts the story of Dushyanta, king of Hastinapur, and Shakuntala, daughter of the sage Vishwamitra and the apsara Menaka.
Vikramōrvaśīyam
Vikramōrvaśīyam is a Sanskrit Drama which depicts the love story of Puruvas a Vedic King and Urvashi. Puruvas is chosen to reflect the qualitites of Chandragupta Vikramaditya. Pururavas is a mythological entity representing Sun and Vikramaditya means the “Glory of Sun”.
Raghuvamśa
Raghuvamśa is a Sanskrit epic poem that is a long (19 Sargas) narration of genealogy of Lord Rama’s Raghu Vamsa beginning with King Dileep up to Agnivarna.
Kumārasambhava
Kumārasambhava is an epic poem which has 17 sirgs, ot of which only 8 are accepted as his authorship. Kumara or prince is Kartikeya and it refers to birth of Kartikeya, son of shiva and Parvati after a lot of Tapasya to win Shiva who had already won Kamdeva (God of Love). Kartikeya later killed Tarakasur demon who was blessed that he would not be killed by any other than son os Shiva and Parvati.
Ritusamhara
Ritusamhara is again a mini epic poem in Sanskrit which has 6 Sargas. These Sargas refer to 6 seaosns (Ritu) viz, Grisma (Summer) , varsha (Rains), Sharad (Autumn), Hemanta (Cool), Sisira (Winter) and Vasantha (Spring). It mentions the feelings, emotions and experiences of lovers in 6 seasons. Ritusamhara is considered to be the earliest work of Kalidasa.
Meghaduta
Meghaduta means a messenger of Clouds. It’s a poem with 11 stanzas. The theme of Meghaduta is a Yaksha, who is subject of Lord Kubera (King of Wealth). His wife is waiting for him at Mount Kalidasa. Kubera at some place in central India exiled the Yaksha and he wishes to send his message to his wife. For that, he convinces a cloud to take his message and pass it on to his wife. The poem narrates about the beautiful sights and visual perceptions he would come across while going northwards to take this message to his wife.
Bhāravi
Bhāravi is best known for Kiratarjuniya, written around 550 CE. Kirat is Shiva who speaks to Arjuna in for form of a mountain dwelling hunter. This epic style Kavya is considered to be among the greatest works in Sanskrit which is known for complexity of the Sanskrit.
Bhatti
Bhatti or Batsabhatti is best known for Bhaṭṭikāvya which is also known as Rāvaṇavadha and was written in the 7th century CE.
Magha
Śiśupāla-vadha was written by Magha in 7th century AD and is one of the 6 Sanskrit Mahakavyas. It was inspired by the works of Kalidasa, Bharavi and Dandin, all of them, as the author says but surpasses Bharavi in his style and wordplay.
Vishakhadatta
We know about only two plays of Vishakhadatta viz. Mudrārākṣasa and the Devichandraguptam. Out of them Mudrārāksasa is the only surviving play. Devichandraguptam is survived in fragments only. Mudrarakshasha means “Ring of the Demon”. It narrates the ascent of Chandragupta Maurya to throne. Rakshasha is the last Minister of Nandas who is lured in Chandragupta’s side, by Chanakya.
Dandin
Dandin had written Kavyadarshana and Dasakumarcharita. He lived in Kanchi and is best known for Dasakumarcharita “The Tale of the Ten Princes” which depicts the adventures of 10 princes. Dasakumarcharita was first translated in 1927 as Hindoo Tales and The Adventures of the Ten Princes.
Bhatrihari
Bhartṛhari was a fifth century Sanskrit author who wrote Vakyapadiya , a treatise on Sanskrit Grammar and Satakatraya which is also known as Nitishatak and has 100 verses on philosophy. Batrihari seems to be a King but many scholars say that he was not a king but a courtier serving the king.
Ishwar Krishna
His main work is Sankyakarika. It was a commentary on Sankya Philosophy.
Vyasa
Vyasa has written Vyasabhasya , it was a commentary on Yoga philosophy
Vatsyayana
Vatsyayana was the author of Nyaya Sutra Bhashya, which was the first commentary on Gautama’s Nyaya Sutras. Kamasutra is a treatise on Human Sexual behaviour and makes the part of the Kamashashtra. The first transmission of the Kamashashra is attributed to Nandi, the bull of Shiva, as per the traditions. The Nandi bull is Shiva’s doorkeeper and he overheard the lovemaking of the Gods and recorded his utterances, for benefit of humankind. However, Kama sutra seems to be the first treatise on the principles / advices in sexuality.
