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CHAPTER-V

The characterization of different female characters in different

dramas and their critical appreciation

We have found that Bhasa is one of the most ancient dramatists in

Sanskrit literature. He may perhaps be called the emperor of Sanskrit

literature. He is supposed by the scholars to be a post-dramatist of pre-

Kalidasian era.

The 13 plays of Bhasa are based on stories of the Ramayana, the

Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana and the stories of some of the dramas

are his own inventions.

The poet meticulously portrays his dramatics personae in his

dramas with great skill.- Every character in his drama is strongly marked

with its own peculiarity and has made to help the development of the plot

in its culmination.

We have seen in the Abhiseka nataka that all the characters are

placed with human sentiments and characteristics.

In Abhiseka Bhasa painted Slta as an ideal wife. Her simplicity, the

sweetness of disposition, her devotion to her lot etc are delineated with

skillful touches. She has been depicted as Laksnfi incarnate. She has the

patience of job and has great devotion to her husband. She has always
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been able to prove herself sinless, virtuous and righteous. She mounts on

the burning fire and proves her chastity. She has full faith in her chastity

and honesty.

She is a chaste lady devoted to domestic duties, modest in

behaviour straight forward in her dealings, she is a partner both in times

of weal and woe of her husband. So she is Sviya type o f heroine. 1

Another well-known character of this drama is Tara, the wife of

Vali. She has deep reverence for her husband and was always well-wisher

of her husband.

The dramatist has painted her as an orator of righteousness and full

of religiousity.

Every characters of these drama have their own speciality. Bhasa

shows his dramatic excellence in depicting the story of Valivadha. More

than he shows the meeting between Rama and Hanuman in place of

Jatayu. There is no “Setuvandhana” story in the riataka which found in

the Ramayana.

The main sentiment is VTra. We find Karunarasa of Sits’s

miserable condition. Srmgara is totally absent.

Bhasa does not follow the rules of Natyasastra. He shows the death

of Vali on the stage which is prohibited in the Natyasastra.

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Abhiseka consists of six acts. It is one of the nataka type of the

rupakas.2

The story of the play is based on the Kiskindha, Sundara and

Yuddha Kandas of the Ramayana, The play begins with the coronation of

Sugrlva and ends with the coronation of Rama.

There are twelve female characters in the Avimaraka. Among these

twelve characters Kuramgl is the prominent. She is the heroine of the

play. Bhasa painted her as a beautiful, attractive, gentle and a good friend.

In Avimaraka, the poet narrates the love affair of Sauvira prince

Avimaraka and the princess Kuramgl the daughter of Kuntibhoja. Their

love begins with Hastisambhrama and ends with attachment of both. He

has skillfully and proficiently made favourable all the opposite situation

culminating into their marriage.

The fearless and unique love story of a boy and a girl is depicted in

this play. Discarding obscenity the poet has very skillfully expressed

deception and sambhoga srmgara.

The Avimaraka as if, the play is a Sanskrit replica of “Romeo and

Juliet”. There is a great similarity between Shakespeare and Bhasa. But

nevertheless, Avimaraka can never be equated with Shakespeare’s work.

This has also been echoed by H.G. Wells, “Although the Avimaraka has a
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plot quite similar to that of “Romeo and Juliet”, it never remotely

approaches the grandeur of Shakespear’s work.”

The poet has introduced some supernatural and unnatural events.

Vidyadhara and ring episode, unnecessarily, therefore finds space in the

play. So Narada also makes a forced entry to the world.

Nature has played an important role in Sanskrit literature. In the 3rd

act description of night and the description of city are both realistic and

imaginary as well. Kanyapura is also beautifully delineated. In the 2nd act

through Vidusaka, city life is remarkably described by Bhasa.

Bhasa has been able to portray the best side of the human feelings.

In the first act of the play, the conflict between the king and the minister

and in the 2nd act the mental condition of Avimaraka has been beautifully

expressed. The 3rd and the 5th act KuramgPs love-lorn state has been

expressed in an epical manner. The 6th act expressed Sauvlraraja’s

putrasoka in a blameless language -

“ye me putragatah soka hrdayastho bijrmbhate.

soadya labdha sahayam tvam basparupena nirgatah.”

The language of the Avimaraka is simple and lucid. The

Avimaraka is full indications of scriptures and applied knowledge.

There are ten female characters in the Balacarita. Among the ten

female characters Devakl is the most prominent.

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DevakT played a very important part in Balacarita. She is the

mother of Krsna and the wife of Vasudeva. She is depicted as loving

mother. She loved her child very much, so she did not want to be

separated from her child. Sending her son with Vasudeva to Nandagopa

she broke down with deep sorrow. But she possessed unlimited patience.

Her life is full of sorrow and sufferings. The major portion of her life she

has spent in the jail of Kamsa. Expecting a bright future, she bore the

burden of painful life.

The Balacarita consists of five acts and based on the

SrTmadbhagavata, the Visnupurana and the Harivamsa. It may perhaps be

called a pauranika play. It narrates the early life of Krsna culminating in

the slaughter of the wicked Kamsa.

Bhasa has introduced sufficient imaginative genious in Balacarita.

The poet has added his imaginative genious in some places. Such as the

light emanating from the child, the water rushing out from the ground, the

feats of Krsna which are not found in the Bhagavata and the

Mahabharata. These are poet’s own invention. Here Bhasa shows the

death of Kamsa on the stage which contravences the prohibition of

dramaturgy.
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Though the poet depicts some female characters but there is no any

heroine in the drama and smgara rasa is totally absent. Here Bhasa has

skillfully described the Vatsalyarasa.

There are seven female characters in the Carudatta. Among them

the Ganika (Vasantaserfa) is the prominent and others are subordinate.

She is the heroine of the play. She is very wealthy and graceful Ganika of

the city Ujjaini. Kindness affection, compassion etc. all these qualities are

present in her character. Though she is a ganika but her importance only

in love not in wealth. She is highly enamoured with the qualities i.e.

virtue and beauty of Carudatta and loves him very much.

She is very noble in her manners and behaviour. Her character is

full of loveliness, loftiness and full of charity which are the glory of

womanhood.

Bhasa5s Carudatta is a legendary play consists of of the four acts

Prakarana type. A Prakarana is defined thus -

“bhavetprakarane vrttaih laukikam kavikalpitam

smgaro’ngl riayakastu viproamatyo’thava vanik.

sapayadharmakamarthaparo dhTrapraSantakah

nayika kulaja kvapi vesya kvapi dvayam kvacit.” (SD. VI)

The main theme of the plot may perhaps be adopted from the

Brhatkatha and the Kathasarit sagara. This play describes the virtues,
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economical conditions of the hero and the love-lome condition of the

heroine and their happy union. It is a social play.

This drama has similarity with the drama composed by Sudraka

entitled Mrcchakafika.

The prologue is in prakrt and there is no Bharatavakya.

Bhasa delineated only three female characters in the

Dutaghatotkaca. They are Gandhafi, Duhsala and Pratihan. Among them

Gandhari is the most important and others two are not so important.

Gandhari is the mother of Duryodhana and the wife of Dhrtarastra.

Her devotion to her husband is great. The dramatist portrayed her as

truthful and chaste lady. She is intelligent and religious. She feels

unhappy on seeing the family strife between the Kauravas and the

Pandavas. Hearing the report of Abhimanyu’s death, impartial between

enemies and friends, GandharVs heart melted with sorrow. She has no

limited intelligence that Abhimanyu was an enemy’s son. She considers

Abhimanyu’s death as Putra-soka. Bhasa painted her as a wise, out

spoken, uprightness and sagacious woman. She is supporter of truth and

justice.

Bhasa’s Dutaghatotkaca, is an one act play of Utsrstikanka variety

of the rupakas.3 It is based on the Mahabharata. After the tragic death of

Abhimanyu, Arjuna promised to kill Jayadratha. ^nkrsna send

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Ghatotkaca the son of Bhlma to the Kaurava-camp to intimate the Kurus

about the promise of Arjuna. The most interesting part in the drama is the

debate between Duryodhana and Ghatotkaca.

Ghatotkaca has carried the message of Snkrsna to the Kauravas is

poet’s own invention and this episode is not found in the Mahabharata.

Dutaghatotkaca is neither a comedy nor a tragedy.

There is no Bharatavakya.

Bhasa has depicted only two female characters in the

Madhyamavyayoga. They are Hidimba and Brahmam. Hidimba is the

main character. There is no any remarkable events in the Brahmam’s

character.

Hidimba is the wife of Bhlma. She has deep love for her husband

and her strong desire to meet him after a long time. She is a virtuous lady

even she appears to be. a cruel Raksasl. She is gentlewoman, a chaste and

loving wife of Bhlma. She is an affectionate and sensible mother to her

son. She has taught her son obedience and devotion to the parents, respect

for the Brahmanas, pride in all his noble family and his great heroic father

and self confidence. She has also trained him in warfare and has brought

him up in such a way that he would become a great hero like his father.

She is very clever and wise lady. She bring Bhlma to her residence on

that day when other Pandavas are away.

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Though Hidimba is a Raksasl yet she is an honest, kind, loving and

benevolent lady. Her manners and behaviours are well reflected in the

drama. Bhasa portrayed her as a KsatrTya lady.

Madhyamvyayoga is an one act play of Vyayoga variety of the

rupakas.4The play describes the story of the re-union of BhTma and

Hidimba. BhTma rescued the son of the Brahmana from Ghatotkaca while
* • «

dwelling in the forest.

The dialogues in this play are short, crisp, direct and forcible and

simple. So it is suited as for a stage play.

This drama lays down many rules of conduct such as the mother’s

order is to be obeyed by Ghatotkaca, who feels no compunction in

harassing the Brahmana though sacred. The ideal of self sacrifice is

beautifully expressed in the speeches of the Brahmana and his sons. The

play is bound to impress on the observer the importance of Matrbhakti,

Brahmana bhakti and of the principles of self-sacrifice.

The main sentiment of the drama is Vira.

The Pratijhavaugandharayana has four female characters. They are

NatT, PratiharT, AmgaravatT and Vasavadatta. Among them Amgaravatl is

the main and others are not so important. She is the wife of Mahasena

Pradyuta. She is devoted to her husband. She is an ideal woman. Like all

the Indian mother she thinks about her daughter’s marriage. She has
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consulted with her husband about the marriage of her marriageable

daughter. She loves her daughter so much. Bhasa painted her as a true

and affectionate mother and a dutiful and responsible wife who knows

her duties and responsibilities.

The Pratijnayaugandharayana is a legendary play of four acts of the

Prakarana type. The characteristics of a Prakarana should is quoted here -

“bhavetprakarane vrttam laukikam kavikalpitam

smgaro’mgi nayakastu vipro’matyo’thava vanik

sapayadharmakamarthaparo dhiraprasantakah

nayika kulaja kvapi, vesya kvapi, dvyam kvacit.”

The theme of the drama is poet’s own imagination. The king

Pradyuta has wanted to give marriage his daughter Vasavadatta to

Udayana and captured Udayana by fraught. Yaugandharayana the

minister of Udayana vows to release Udayana and bring his king with

Vasavadatta to Vatsou Hence the play gets its name after the solemn vow

of the minister Yaugandharayana.

The poet has taken the records from the ancient history and change

the whole story and create it in a new form by his own.

The main sentiment is VTra.

We find eleven female characters in Pratimanataka. In this drama,

among these eleven characters Slta and KaikeyT are prominent. Here
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Bhasa skillfully painted STta’s gentleness and youthfuiness. Her

simplicity, sweetness, her devotion to her husband, her deep reverence for

her father-in-law etc. are the honest qualities of her character. When

Rama’s coronation has stopped then she feels glad and said that her

father-in-law is still king.

Her ideal was “patireva gatih strmam”. So she goes to the forest

wjith her husband and sharing his afflictions in exile. She shares her

husband’s weal and woe. She is pure holy and devoted wife. She exhibits

the tender beautiful and noble qualities which are the glory of a woman.

BhSsa is an expart painter. He has painted Kaikeyl’s character

which is different from the original Ramayana. The poet represents her

acting from pure motives in sending Rama into exile for fourteen jears. It

was not out of greed for the kingdom that she insisted on the king’s

sending Rama into exile. But out of painful necessity caused by the curse

of Andhakmuni which lay upon the king Dasaratha and the king was

destined to die of Putra^oka. After the death of Dasaratha, Kaikeyl suffers

patiently and silently the public reproach and the worst treatment from

her own son Bharata without a word of protest. Bharata hates her the

moment he hears that his father has died as a result of her greed for the

kingdom. She explains Bharata that the curse would be spent out only by

separation of Bharata or anyone else and hence she sent Rama to the
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forest. She also says that unwillingly she has said fourteen years instead

of fourteen days. She explains that plan was known to the elders.

In the act VI KaikeyTs pure motive in sending Rama to the forest

is revealed and Bharata convinced of his mother’s noble purpose and

begs her pardon. Here she is represented as a virtuous woman. But in

Ramayana Valmikl’s Kaikeyl is an avoracious, ferocious, cruel and

shameless. In Pratimanltaka Bhasa’s Kaikeyl is not after all a wicked and

selfish woman. The portrayal of Kaikeyl as a step-mother and dealing to

her stepson is well depicted.

The Pratimanataka is a 7 acts play of Nataka variety of the

Rupakas. The characteristics of a rfStaka is given here -

“riatakam khyatavrttam syatpancasandhisamanvitam

vilasaddharyadigunavaduktam rianavibhutibhih.

sukhaduhkhasamudbhuti nanarasanirantaram.

paneadika dasaparastramkah pariklrtitah.

prakhyatavahso rajarsidhlrodattah pratapavan.

divyo’tha divyadivyo va gunavannayako matah. (SD. VI)

This is one of the important works of Bhasa. T he poet takes the

story from the Ramayana. but has introduced his own imagination for the

development of the plot. In the characterization he has introduced his

originality and changes the whole drama in a new form. He applies style
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and language in accordance with the character and the situation of the

plot. The description of the “Pratimagrha” is meticulously done and

superb.

Pratimariataka is one of the most excellent dramas among the 13

plays of Bhasa. The poet shows his dramatic skill and technique in this

drama. Though the source of the drama is taken from the Ramayana yet

the dramatist owes his originality it can be said as successful drama of

Bhasa.

The main sentiment of this drama is Karuna.

There are nine female characters in Svapnavasavadatta. Among

these nine characters Vasavadatta and Padmavafi are the most important.

These two female characters has brighten the drama by their own dignity.

Vasavadatta is the wife of Udayana, the king of Vatsa. He teaches

Vina to Vasavadatta. On that occasion their attachment increases day by

day. Later on that attachment turns into love. Udayana eloped with

Vasavadatta and married her. Once Aruni captured his kingdom.

Yougandharayana the minister of Udayana thought that with the help of

Magadha he would be able to recover his master’s kingdom. The minister

realized the situation and felt necessity of entering into a matrimonial

alliance with the king of Magadha. Queen Vasavadatta also agrees to give

second marriage for her husband. But the king was devotedly attached to
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his queen Vasavadatta and he would not agree to many another princess.

The king of Magadha does not give his daughter to one who has already a

wife. He managed to take the queen to Lavanaka a village of Magadha.

While the king was out of a hunting, he set up a huge conflegration and

spread the report that Yougandharayana and Vasavadatta were burnt by

that fire.

For the sake of the kingdom and the subjects Vasavadatta was

ready to enter her husband into second marriage to. For a woman this

sacrifice was a great sacrifice. Like this liberal woman was rare in this

earth. Her patience was unlimited. She has to spent the important time of

her life with Padmavati in the disguise of Avantika. She knows that

Padmavati would be the Mahisl of her husband but she has no any

jealousy for Padmavati. Her sacrifice is great. All have praised her self-

sacrifice. She behaves, with great respects and affections towards her

guardians and co-wife. She has great devotion to her husband. Her life

fall of is constant sufferings till her happy union with her husband in the

last act of the drama. She desires to live with the hope of seeing her

husband again.

She is said to be the mixture of “Madhya” and “Pragalbhanlyika”.

She is “DhTra” type of heroine.5

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Padmavatl is another important female character in

Svapnavasavadatta. She is the sister of Dar^aka, the king of Magadha.

She occupies a very respectable place in the play from the first to last.

Her part is very important in this play. Her deep love for Udayana, her

sympathy and guardianship of Vasavadatta etc. has been developed in the

play.

She is beautiful and high-minded princess. She wanted to marry

Udayana because he is Sanukro^a (tender-hearted). Although she is

young she accepts guardianship of Vasavadatta. She kept her promise

which she proclaimed. Her simplicity and innocence impart a charm to

her character.

Bhasa has painted her as a perfect highminded woman. Though co­

wife she is free from jealousy.

Bhasa’s Svapnavasavadatta consists of six acts and based on

historical legend. It is a riataka variety of the rupakas.6 Here the poet is

depicting a pleasant picture of fruitful love. The minister

Yaugandharayana by his own judgement and ingenuity recovers the lost

kingdom of Udayana. He spreads the report that Vasavadatta was burnt

by fire and planned to perform the marriage of Udayana with Padmavatl.

As a result with the help of Magadha the king recovers his lost kingdom.
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Svapnavasavadatta is undoubtedly the best and matured product of

Bhasa’s genious. Rajasekhara’s tribute to this drama that even fire was

unable to consume it, is not an exaggeration but only a correct

appreciation of its work.7 Rajasekhara says that Svapnavasavadatta was

the best and most popular of all BKasa’s plays. In the group of 13 plays,

the Svapnavasavadatta is surely the best play.

The main sentiment of this play is Vipralambhasrmgara.

We find three female characters in Umbhamga. Among these three

GandKari is the prominent. She has played the pivoted role in the

development of the drama. The dramatist has expressed the hugeness of

her heart and the glory of the mother of a hero. Bhasa portraits her as a

righteous, truthful, chaste, glorious, holy and great hearted lady.

Urubhamga is an one act play of the Vyayoga variety of the

rupakas. The characterization of a Vyayoga is given here -

“khyatetivrtto vyayogah svalpastrljanasamyutah.

hlno garbhavimarsabhyam narairbahubhirasritah.

ekamkaska bhavedstnnimittasamarodayah,

kaisikivrttirahitah prakhyatastatra nayakah.” (SD. VI)

The story of the drama has been taken from the Gadaparva of the

Mahabharata but the poet has composed the drama with his own
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imagination. The characters of this play are delineated in a lively way and

has been represented as possessing true traits of human characters.

The main sentiment in this drama is Pathos (Karuna).

Bhasa’s Urubhamga is a tragedy.

Bhasa is an expert painter. He has very skillfully painted the female

characters. All the female characters in his dramas are living beings. All

the male and female characters are so much clear, active and excellent

and they are immortal in the Sanskrit drama. His every characters has its

own individual peculiarity and has made to help the development of the

drama in its way.

No doubt Bhasa is a talented dramatist. His dialogues in the plays

are short, crisp, direct and forcible verses are free from long and difficult

compounds. The style is simple, clear and sweet. These are evident in the

following lines -

“gunariam va visalariam satkaranam ca nityasah.

kartarah sulabha loke vijhatafstu durlabhah.” (SV. Act. IV - 9)

“kasthadagnirjayate mathyamanad bhumistoyam khanyamana

dadati.

sotsahanahi nastyasadhyam naranam margarabdhah sarvayatriah

phalanti.”

(Pratijna Act - 1)
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“siksa ksayam gacchati kalaparyayat subaddhamula nipatanti

padapah.

jalam jalasthanagatam ca susyati hutam ca dattam ca tathaiva

tisthati.”

(Kama sloka - 22)

“katham lambasatah sihho mrgena vinipatyate

gajo va sumahan mattah srgalena nihanyate.”

(Abhi Act. I ll- S lo k a -2 0 )

Foot note :

1. “vinayarjavadiyukta grhakaraiapara pativrata svlya.

sapi kathita tribheda mugdha madhya pragalbheti.” (SD. VII)

2. “natakam khyatavrttam syatpancasandhisamanvitam

vilasaddharyadigunavaduktam nanavibhutibhih.

sukhaduhkhasamudbhuti riariarasanirantaram.

pancadika dasaparastatramkah parikrtitah

prakhyatavanso rajarsidhlrodattah pratapavan.

divyo’tha divyadivyo va gunavannayako matah.” (SD. VI).

3. “utsrstikamka ekarako netarah prakrta narah.

raso’tra karunah sthayi bahustfiparidevitam

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prakhyatamitivrttari ca kavirbuddhya prapancayet

banavatsandhivrttyamganyasminjayaparajayau.

Yuddhan ca vaca kartavyan nirvedavacanan bahu.” (SD. V)

4. “khyatetivrtto vyayogah svalpastrijanasanyutah

hlno garbhavimarsabhyari narairbahubhirasritah.

ekamkasca bhavedstrmimittasamarodayah

kaisiklvrttirahitah prakhyatastatra nayakah.” (SD, VI)

5. “Tadavitathamavadiryanmama tvan priyeti priyajanaparibhuktam

yaddukulam dadhanah

madadhivasatimagah kamiriam mandanasrlrvrajati hi safalatvari

ballabhalokanena.”

(SD. Ill)

6. “riatakarh khyatavrttam syatpancasandhisamanvitam

vilasaddharyadigunavaduktani nanavibhutibhih.

sukhaduhkhasamudbhuti nanarasanirantaram.

pancadika dalaparastatrankah pariklrtitah

prakhyatavanso raj arsi dhU'odattah pratapavan.

divyo’tha divyadivyo va gunavannayako matah.” (SD. VI).

7. “bhasanatakacakre’pi cchekaih ksiptaih parlksitum.

svapnavasavadattasya dahakoabhunna pavakah.”