Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa ?
- A.Kavyalankara
- B.Natyashastra
- C.Madhyama-vyayoga
- D.Mahabhashya
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is C, Madhyama-vyayoga. Madhyama-vyayoga is a one-act Sanskrit play by Bhasa, based on an episode from the Mahabharata.
Bhasa is one of the earliest known Sanskrit dramatists, admired by Kalidasa himself. His plays were long known only by name until 1912, when T. Ganapati Sastri found thirteen of them in manuscripts in Kerala, where they had survived through the Koodiyattam theatre tradition. They include Svapnavasavadattam, Pratijnayaugandharayanam, Urubhanga, Karnabhara, Dutavakya and Madhyama-vyayoga, in which Bhima rescues a Brahmin's middle son from Ghatotkacha, who turns out to be Bhima's own son.
A is wrong because the Kavyalankara is a work on poetics by Bhamaha (and another by Rudrata). B is wrong because the Natyashastra, the classic treatise on drama, dance and music, is ascribed to Bharata Muni. D is wrong because the Mahabhashya is Patanjali's great commentary on Panini's grammar.
Exam tip: Bhasa = Svapnavasavadattam, Madhyama-vyayoga; Natyashastra = Bharata; Mahabhashya = Patanjali.
Practice Questions
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