Vol. IX, No. 7.] The Plays of Bhasa. 261 
[N.S.] 
permitted to discuss here his age, which is necessary to form an 
idea about the antiquity of those data 
The Age of Bhasa. 
(1) Bhasa, who is placed at the head of old (purana) dra- 
matist by Kalidasa, must be considerably earlier than the 
fifth century of the Padi era, the age of Kalidasa now 
accepted by the Sanskritist 
Il) There is a differance of opinion as to the date of the 
Mriichchhakatika. But whatever may be its date, Bhasa must 
have lived before its author, for Bhasa’s Charudatia, or Daridra- 
Charudatta, is the basis of the Mriichchhakatika, as is clearly 
seen from numerous parallels given by Mr. G. Sastri in his 
sae introduction to the Svapna-Vasavada attam. 
IIT) Aezording to ere the prologue in drama was an 
entice of Bhasa.! And t rologue, which is much devel- 
oped in the Mriichehhaleatike » as well as in the plays of ser tcit 
has generally the crudeness of the primary stage in Bhasa’ 
works.’ 
The Nandi, an invariable feature of all other Sanskrit 
dramas, is outside the scope of the dramatist in Bhasa. There 
it -yet belongs to the domain of histrionics. His play begins 
with Nandyante tatah as stitra-dharah (‘Enter Manager 
at the close of the Nandi’ 
“ The Bharatavakaya is in its primitive stage, as I shall show 
elow. 
A change in location is effected by a new act, no direction 
as to locality is ever given, except as to the Nepathya. Y avan- 
tka is mentioned (Sva. Vasav., p. 75), not to denote a curtain 
but a veil. 
(IV) Bhasa’s language is absolutely free from the kavya 
artificiality which we find as far back as the time of the Rud- 
radaman inscription (second century A.c.). There is not the 
iphtest effort oe alliteration ; the very thing seems to be almost 
unknown to the author. He never uses long Samasas. Also his 
conceits are diese r far-fetched Further, he discloses gushes 
cal archaisms? which would appear as sada or almos 
erroneous to one familiar with the classical kav : 
Similarly there are several more or less schais expressions, 
which Ee us a clue as to the age of the author. The se 
ees eae a 
1 Gecabark ketkasanibhide natakaih Lhaekanieel | mnpiitieate 
yaso lebhe Bhaso devakulairiva || 
Harshacharita I. 15. 
instance, in the Vasavadatta the Sfitra-Dhara alone oe ope 
an — stage and introduces to the audience the theme of gf oapealiy ra oe 
another play, t a eine BE there does not Sanae any 
Svetion at all (S. Vasava., p. x 
. Vasava., pp. alii, Pili. 
