Name some of the prominent Classical Sanskrit playwrights and attempt a critical analysis of their works

India also has an old and long-lasting tradition of full-length poetic plays, which are called Sanskrit Dramas because they were written mainly in Sanskrit. In fact, however, they combine both classical Sanskrit with Prakrit or different forms of vernacular languages.

The tradition was maintained for nearly 1 200 years, which makes it the longest continuous performing tradition of any drama texts in the world. The tradition of performing Greek tragedies, for example, lasted only about half a millennium, while the continuous performing tradition of Shakespearean dramas lasted less than a century.

The earliest Sanskrit plays were written in the early centuries AD and they gradually ceased to be performed at some time during the 15th century, when Sanskrit was no longer a living, spoken language, and the Muslims had invaded northern India, where the tradition had been thriving.

Playwrights and their Works

As has already been mentioned, the earliest Sanskrit dramas date from the early centuries AD. The problem, however, with this genre is that the plays are almost impossible to date accurately. This also means that very little is known about the lives of their authors. The use of the Sanskrit language of the learned upper castes indicates that most of the Sanskrit dramas represent court theatre, which was probably created and performed under royal patronage.

The Sanskrit dramas cover a wide range of subjects and types of play. They include full-length poetic love stories, political plays and palace intrigues, as well as shorter farces and one-act love monologues. The foremost drama genre centred on the character of a noble hero. These “heroic dramas”, often with plots derived from tradition, are called natakas. Another important type of drama is a kind of social play dealing with various kinds of human relationships. These plays, mostly invented by their authors, are called prakranas.

The earliest existing plays are attributed to Bhasa. The best known is a kind of political romance called The Vision of Vasavadatta. Other writers include the poet-king Sudraka, to whom three plays are attributed. The most famous of them is The Little Clay Cart, in which a love story and political intrigue intermingle.

Ratnavali is a complicated intrigue set in harem by the poet Harsha, while Bhavabhuti is known for his Ramayana-derived play, The Latter Story of Rama, and a love story, Malati and Madhava. The Minister’s Seal, the only existing complete play by Visakhadatta, with its ruthless political plot, is a kind of thriller of its time. The most famous of all Sanskrit playwrights, both in India and in the West, is, however, Kalidasa.

Kalidasa

As is the case with most of the Sanskrit dramatists, very little is known about the ______ __________ ____ _____ _______ ________.
________ ________ ___ __________ ____ _________ _______ ____.
__________ ____ ____ _____ ________ _____ ___ _______ _______ ________ _____ ____.
____ ______ ________ ______ _________ __________ ____ __________ _______ ___ ________.
_______ ___ ________ _________ _________.
_______ __________ ___ _________ _________ ________.
_______ _________ ________ _________ ________ ___ _____ _______ ______ __________ ___ ___.
______ ________ _______ ___ ____ __________ ______ ________ ____.
___ ______ ______ _______ ___ ____ ____ ________ ___ _________ _________ _________.
___ _________ _________ _____ _____ _________ _________ ________.
_____ _________ ___ ____ ______ _______ ________ __________ ___ ____.
________ ___ ______ _______ ________ _______.
___ ____ _________ __________ _______ ____ ___ ____ ____ _____ __________.
____ ______ ______ _______ ________ _________ ____.
___ ________ ______ __________ __________.
__________ _____ _________ ______ __________ _______ __________ ____ _________ ___ ___.
_______ _____ __________ ______ _________.
________ _________ _______ ____ ________ ____ __________ ____.
________ ___ _______ _____ _________ _____.
______ ______ ________ _____ _____.
___ ________ ___ ______ ____ _____ ____ ______.
______ _____ ____ ______ _______ __________ ________ _________ ___ _____.
________ ___ ___ ___ _______ _______ ____ _________ _____ ___ ____.
_________ _______ _______ __________ ________ ___.
___ __________ ____ __________ _______.
_______ ____ __________ ____ ______.
_______ ___ _____ ____ __________ _____ __________ _______ _________ ____.
________ ________ _____ ______ ______ _________ _____ _____ ____ __________ _____.
__________ ______ _________ _____ _____ _________ _________.
__________ ___ ____ ___ _____ ___ _________ ______ _______ ________.
__________ _____ ________ _________ ______ _____ _____ _________.
________ ________ ______ ______ _______ _______.
__________ ____ ________ ____ _____ ______ _________ ____ ________ _______.
____ ______ ______ ___ ______ _________ _________ _________ ________ ________ _______.
________ __________ ______ __________ ____ ___ ________ ____ ____ _________ ______.
____ _________ ______ _________ ___ ____ ______ __________ _________.
________ ___ _____ ___ ______ _________ ___ _______ ___ ______ ______ ____.
_____ __________ ______ __________ _____ ______ _________.
______ ________ __________ _______ ____ ____ ___ __________ ________.
__________ ___ ___ _________ ______.
_______ _____ _________ _________ ___ ________ __________ ___ ______ _____ _____ ______.
_________ ________ _________ ___ ____.
________ ______ ______ _______ _____ ___ ______.
________ _____ ____ ______ _______ _______ ____ ______.
_________ ___ ____ ___ ________ ______ ___ _______.
_________ ___ ________ _____ __________ ____ _____.
_____ ___ ________ _______ ______.
_____ _____ _________ ___ ______ _________ ___ ____ ________ ________ ____ ____.
___ _________ _______ ________ _____ _____ ___ __________ ____ _____ _____.
________ ________ __________ _________ _______ _________ ____ ________.
__________ _____ _____ _________ __________ ______ _________ _______.
______ ___ __________ ______ _________ ________.
____ ________ ___ _________ ________ ________ _______ _________ _______.
_______ ______ __________ _______ ______ ________ ________ ______ ________ _________ ____ _______.
____ __________ ______ ___ ________ ______.
_____ ________ _______ _________ _________ _________ _________.
__________ ___ ___ _______ _________ ______ ____ __________ ________ _________ __________ ________.
_________ _____ _______ ___ ______ ____.
___ ____ ____ ________ __________.
____ _________ __________ _________ __________ _________ _____.
_______ _______ ________ _________ ________ _______ ____ ______ _________ ___.
______ __________ _____ _________ ____ _____ ___ _______ __________ _______ ______.
___ ___ ___ _____ _______ _____ ____ _________ ___ ___.
__________ ________ _____ _______ ___ ________ _____ ____ ____ __________ __________.
___ _____ ___ __________ _______ __________ ________ __________ ___.
_______ ______ ___ ____ ______ _____ ________ _________ ______ ___ ____ ________.
_______ ______ _____ _____ _________ _______ ______.
______ _______ ______ ______ ___ _______ ____ __________ ______ _______.
________ _____ ______ ________ _________ _______ _____ ___ _________ ___ ______ ______.
______ ___ ________ _________ __________ ____ __________ ___ _______ ________.
________ __________ _______ __________ ___ ________ _________ ________ _______ ___ _________.
____ __________ ________ _________ _______ ________ ______ ___ _____ _____ _____ ____.
________ ______ ____ _____ ________ __________ ______.
_________ _________ __________ _________ ______ ___ ________ ________ _____ __________.
______ _____ ______ ________ _________ ___ ______.
_______ ________ _______ __________ __________ ____ ___ __________ _________.
_____ _______ _______ ____ ____ _________ _____ _____ ________ ___.
_____ __________ __________ _______ ___.
___ __________ ______ _________ ___ __________ _________ ________ ___ _______ _______ _________.
____ _______ _______ ________ _________ ____ __________ _____ ________ _____ ____.
____ __________ ________ _____ _________ __________ _____ ____ ____ ___ _________ ______.
____ ________ _____ _______ _____ ____ _____ ___.
_______ ______ _____ ____ _______ ____ ______ _____ _______ ___.
______ __________ ____ __________ ________ ___ __________ ___.
_________ ______ ___ _____ ______ _______ ___ ______ ____ ________ _________.
______ ___ _____ ___ ________ _____ ____.
_______ ______ ________ _______ ________ _________ _________ _________ ______ ________ _____.
____ ____ _____ _________ __________ _______ ______ ________ _________.
_________ ____ _____ ____ _______.
__________ ____ _____ _____ _____ ______ ___.
_______ ____ _______ _____ ______ ________.
____ _____ _______ _________ _____ ________ _________ ____ ________ ____ ___.
___ _________ _____ _______ _______ __________.
_____ _________ ____ _________ ______ __________ ______.
_______ _______ ______ __________ ______ ________ __________ _________ ____ ___ ______.
__________ _______ _______ _____ _________ ______ ____ ______.
_______ __________ ________ ____ ______ _______ ______ __________ ____ ________ ____.
_______ _________ ___ ______ _________ __________.
_________ _____ ________ __________ ______ __________ ___ _____ ______.
____ _________ _________ __________ __________ ___ __________ _____ ______ ___ _________.
_____ ________ ____ _______ __________ ___ _________ _______ ________ ____ ________.
___ ______ _______ ____ ___ ___ _________.
______ ________ ___ ______ ______ ____ ______ _________ __________.
__________ _________ ______ _________ _________ _____ _____ _________ ____ _______.
_____ _____ ____ ______ __________ ________ ________ __________.
_____ ________ ___ __________ _______ ______ ______.
________ _______ _____ ___ ___.
__________ ____ _______ ______ ____ _____ ___ ________ _______.
___ ______ ______ ________ ______ __________ ___ ____ _____ _______ _______ ________.
________ _________ ____ ______ ______ ______ ___ ___ ________ ___ _________ ________.
____ ______ __________ __________ _______ ________.
_______ _______ ________ _________ ___ ________ ______ ____ _____.
___ __________ _________ ________ _____ _________.
____ __________ _________ ___ ______ ________.
_____ _________ ____ ______ ________ _______.
_________ ______ _____ ________ _________ ______.
______ _________ ______ _________ ______ ___ ___ ____.
__________ ____ __________ ___ ___ _______ ________ _______ ____ _________.
_________ ___ ___ __________ ___ _______ ___ _______ _______ __________ _______ ____.
_____ _____ _______ __________ __________ _______ ____ ______ _____.
______ _________ _______ _____ ____ ____ _________.
______ __________ _________ ___ _________ _____ _________ ________ ________ ______.
______ _____ _____ ______ ___ ________ __________.
_____ _______ _____ ____ ___ ____.
_____ _______ ______ _________ ____ __________ _______.
_________ _______ _______ _____ _____ _________.
_______ __________ ______ __________ _____ ___ _________ ________ _________ ________.
__________ ______ __________ ____ __________ _____ __________ ________ __________.
________ ____ _________ ___ ________ __________ ________ _________ ________ __________ ________ _______.
_______ _____ __________ _____ ______ __________ ________ ___ __________ ______.
____ ________ __________ ________ ____ __________.
_____ ______ ____ _________ _____ _________ ______ _____ _____ ______ ____ _______.
_________ ______ ________ ______ __________ ________ ______ ___ _________ ________.
_____ _____ _______ ___ ________ ______ ________ ___ _______ _____ ________ _________.
_________ ____ ____ _________ ________ ____ __________ _____ _________ ______ ____.
_________ _________ ______ _____ ______.
___ ___ _____ ___ ____ _______ ____.
_______ _________ _________ ___ ________ ____ ________ ______ ____ _____ ____.
____ ________ __________ ____ _________ ___ _________ ___ ____ ___ _________ ______.
__________ ____ _________ ___ ________ __________ _____ ___ ________.
____ _____ _____ _____ ____ ______ ______.
_________ ____ _______ _________ __________ _________ ________ _____ ____.
____ _________ ___ ________ __________ _______ _________ __________.
________ _________ _____ _____ _________ ___.
____ ______ _____ _____ ________ _____ ______ ________ _______ ____ _______ _______.
_____ ____ __________ ________ _________ _____ ________ __________ ____.
_______ _____ ____ ________ _________ _____ _________ ______ ________ _______ ___.
_________ __________ ___ __________ _______ __________ _______ _____ _________.
___ _______ ____ __________ ______ __________.
__________ __________ __________ ___ _________ _______.
__________ _____ _________ ___ ______ __________ ___ __________.
_________ ______ ______ _________ _____ __________ ____.
___ _________ __________ __________ ________ ___ ___ _____.
____ __________ ___ _____ _________ __________ _________.
_____ __________ _______ __________ ____ _________ _____.
Get Full Answer on WhatsApp