Author: V V Mirashi
Publisher: Motilal Banarsidass
Year: 1996
Language: multilingual
Pages: 411
ISBN/UPC (if available): 8120811801

Description

Bhavabhuti has been unanimously acclaimed as an eminent Sanskrit poet, second only to Kalidasa. Though several scholars have written on him and his works, the problems of his life and works are still unsolved. There was, therefore, need of a comprehensive work which would state in detail and critically examine the different views about them and give definite conclusions. The eminent author of this work has attempted to do this.

The present work deals with the various problems concerning this great poet of Vidarbha such as the identification of his birth-place, his identity with Umbeka, the location of the god Kalapriyanatha at whose fairs all his plays were first staged, the chronological elation of his Uttara-Rama-charita to the Kundamala of Dhiranga, the influence of his works on later Sanskrit dramatists and so forth.

Besides, the present work gives a detailed account of the plots of all his plays with numerous citations from them together with their English rendering, which will enable ordinary readers to appreciate his poetic genius and dramatic talent. It also states in detail the poets views on various religious, political and social matters. The present work is thus designed to meet the needs of both the ordinary and the critical readers of Bhavabhutis works

Contents

PREFACE

The Date of Bhavabhuti
The Age of Bhavabhati
The Riddle of the Birth-place
Appendix I-Dr Kanes objections against our Identification of Padmapura refuted
The Life of Bhavabhuti
Appendix II-Bhavabhuti and Umbeka
Appendix III- Identification of Kalapriyanatha
The Mahavira-charita
The Malati-Madhava
The Uttara-Rama-charita
Appendix IV-The Author and the Date of the Kundamala
The Chronological Relation of the Uttara-Rama-Charita and the Kundamala
The Merits of Bhavabhutis Works
The View of Bhavabhuti
Bhavabhuti and Later Sanskrit Dramatists
Appendix V-Stray Verses of Bhavabhuti
Appendix VI-Tributes to Bhavabhuti
Bibliography And Abbreviations

INDEX

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS