As Svapna-vāsava-dattā is the most famous among Bhāsa’s plays and Pratijñā-yaugandharāyaṇa forms its prequel, we took them up for analysis first. In fact, we should have started examining the play Avimāraka; the play is based on stories popular in the folklore. There are many significant reasons to consider this as the first work of Bhāsa.
The story that began in Pratijñā-yaugandharāyaṇa continues in the play Svapna-vāsavadatta. Yaugandharāyaṇa and Vāsava-dattā work together in order to get Udayana married to Padmāvatī. In this play too, Udayana does not come to the fore as the primary character. Though Padmāvatī plays a prominent role, Vāsava-dattā is a more important character. Every event is designed with Vāsava-dattā as the locus. Udayana feels as if he saw her in his svapna – dream and the story goes ahead to tell us the reason behind the dream and its effect on the rest of the characters.
The original work of Bṛhatkathā is not available today. However, we can infer its structure and content based on the Kathā-saritsāgara. The main storyline relates to Udayana and his son Naravāhana-datta and comes with a large number of sub-stories. It seems like the story of Udayana was as popular as the stories of Rāmāyaṇa, Mahābhārata, and Bhāgavata in the past.
11. Saṃlāpaka – A saṃlāpaka has either three or four acts and the nāyaka is a pāṣaṇḍa[1], i.e., a heretic. The play evokes all rasas except for śṛṅgāra and karuṇa. The plot consists of the story of an attack on a town, a display of pride, a suggestion of war and other manmade and natural calamities. Bhāratī-vṛtti and kaiśikī-vṛttis are absent. Example: Māyākāpālika.
दत्तपदीयं द्विप्रकारा सुकरा दुष्करा चेति । एतौ प्रकारौ सुयोज्या दुर्ज्योज्या चेत्यपि शक्यौ वक्तुम् । असौ तावदत्राभिप्रायः ।
सुकरदत्तपदी - यदि दत्तानि पदानि निर्दिष्टे विषये भाषायां च सुखेन योजयितुं शक्यानि तर्हि सा सुकरदत्तपदी । यथा वर, कर, चिर, सुर चेति । एषां पदानां संस्कृतपद्ये निवेशो नितान्तं सुशकः । तदाकारकाणां शब्दानां संस्कृते सहजतया उपलभ्यत्वात् ।
Upa-rūpakas
The Sāhitya-darpaṇa defines eighteen uparūpakas namely, nāṭikā, troṭaka, goṣṭhī, saṭṭaka, nāṭya-rāsaka, prasthāna, ullāpya, kāvya, preṅkhaṇa, rāsaka, saṃlāpaka, śrīgadita, śilpaka, vilāsikā, durmallikā, prakaraṇī, hallīśa, bhāṇikā
Ḍima – A ḍima is based on prakhyāta-vastu, i.e., a popular story. It is filled with supernatural and magical elements; eclipses and wars also come as a part of this genre of play. Radura is the primary rasa. The play is completely devoid of śānta, hāsya, and śṛṅgāra rasas. A ḍima typically consists of four aṅkas; connecting segments such as the viṣkambhaka and praveśaka are absent.
Nāṭaka, prakaraṇa, bhāṇa, prahasana, ḍima, vyāyoga, samavakāra, vīthi, aṅka, and īhāmṛga – these constitute the ten rūpakas, i.e., the ten different genres of Sanskrit drama. The following are their main features as per the Nāṭyaśāstra and Sāhitya-darpaṇa.
अथाधिक्रियते दत्तपदाख्यः[1] प्रकारः । अयमपि पद्यप्रकारोऽवधानप्रपञ्चे चिरात् समास्थितः सम्मानितश्च । एष पुनरस्य संक्षिप्तः परिचयः । इह प्रष्टा पद्यरचनार्थं वस्तु वृत्तं च निर्दिशन् चत्वारि पद्यान्यपि प्रददाति यानि क्रमेण चतुर्षु पादेषु विन्यस्यता कविना पद्यं प्रणेयं भवति । अत्र प्रष्ट्रा तादृशानि पदानि देयानि यानि निर्दिष्टे विषये भाषायां च दुर्घटानि भवेयुः । अतोऽत्र प्रायेण प्रष्टारो भाषान्तरीयाणि पदानि प्रदाय परिपीडयन्त्यवधानिनम् । तादृशेषु पदेषु दत्तेष्वेव अयं समाह्वः स्वाम् अभिख्यां पुष्णाति । दत्तानि पदानि तेष्वेवार्थे