Adbhuta-darpaṇa
Mahādeva-kavi, the author of Adbhuta-darpaṇa, was a contemporary of Rāmabhadra-dīkṣita. The play in ten acts narrates the story starting from Aṅgada-sandhāna – the attempts at a peace treaty by Aṅgada; Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa possess an adbhuta-maṇi-darpaṇa – a gem-studded magical mirror, using which, they watch the battle between Rāvaṇa and the vānaras; thus, the name of the drama. The play is full of magical tricks of the rākṣasas. In the early part of the play, a rākṣasa by the name Śambara tricks Rāma and Lakṣmaṇa in various ways, by appearing before them in different forms. Towards the end, Trijaṭā and Saramā showcase the battle between Rāma, Lakṣmaṇa, and the rākṣasas through a magical play. The poet has claimed that he has highlighted the generous nature of Rāma, the aggressive behaviour of Lakṣmaṇa, and the pātivratya of Sītā; he also proclaims that the wise and those who are learned in various śāstras will certainly appreciate Kavi-maṇḍaleśvara-Mahādeva’s style and scholarship. However, this is only his shallow desire. Among the plays based on the Rāmāyaṇa, this one is of the lowest quality; the plot is complex, and the story is dry; dialogues between characters lack finesse; characters are devoid of sattva. Rāma almost appears like a person lacking wisdom; Mahodara’s character is so ridiculous that he is almost like a vidūṣaka. In general, it can be observed that vidūṣakas are absent in plays based on the Rāmāyaṇa.
The following are the other plays based on the Rāmāyaṇa, that are available to us today – Añjanā-pavanañjaya, Adbhuta-rāghava, Abhinava-rāghavānanda, Abhirāma-maṇi, Ānanda-rāghava, Udātta-rāghava, Unmatta-rāghava, Kuśa-kumudvatīya, Kuśa-lava-vijaya, Kuśalavodaya, Calita-rāghava, Jānakī-pariṇaya, Darpaśātana, Bāla-carita, Mudita-rāghava, Mathilī-pariṇaya, Maithilīya, Raghu-vilāsa (Raghu-vilāpa?), Raghunātha-vilāsa, Raghuvīra-carita, Rāghavānanda, Rāghavābhyudaya, Rāma-carita, Rāmacandra-nāṭaka, Rāma-nāṭaka, Rāma-rājyābhiṣeka, Rāmānanda, Rāmāyaṇa-nāṭaka, Rāmāvadāna, Vijayendirā-pariṇaya, Svapna-daśānana, Sītā-divyacarita, Sītānanda, Sītā-rāghava-nāṭaka, Sītā-vivāha-sundara-carita.
Plays based on the Bhāgavata
While the plays based on the Rāmāyaṇa are the greatest in number, there are quite a few based on the story of Śrī-kṛṣṇa. They are mostly related to the various pastimes of Śrī-kṛṣṇa, the wedding of Rukmiṇī, and the episodes connected with Satyabhāmā. However, the plays based on Śrī-kṛṣṇa are not as popular as those based on the Rāmāyaṇa.
The following is a list of some such plays –
Kanyā-mādhava, Kaṃsa-vadha, Kṛṣṇa-kutūhala, Kṛṣṇa-bhakti-candrikā, Kṛṣṇa-līlā, Kṛṣṇa-līlā-taraṅgiṇī, Gopāla-kelī-candrikā, Gopī-candana, Gopāla-vallabha, Jagannātha-vallabha-nāṭaka, Jāmbavatī-kalyāṇa, Pradyumna-vijaya, Pradyumnābhyudaya, Prabhāvatī-pradyumna, Prabhāvatī-pariṇaya, Pārijāta, Pārijāta-haraṇa, Mādhavānala, Murāri-vijaya, Yādavābhyudaya, Rādhā-mādhava, Rocanānanda, Lalita-mādhava, Vidagdha-mādhava, Vaidarbhī-vāsudeva, Śrīdāma-carita, Satyabhāmā-pariṇaya, Satyabhāmā-vilāsa, Samṛddha-mādhava, Sānanda-govinda, and Sudarśana-vijaya.
Plays based on the Mahābhārata
There are only a few plays based on the Mahābhārata, even though the epic is full of episodes that can be adapted into nāṭakas.
The following are a few that we have been able to lay our hands on –
Arjuna-nāṭaka, Aśvamedha-nāṭaka, Ghoṣayātrā-nāṭaka, Citra-Bhārata, Tapatī-saṃvaraṇa, Draupadī-pariṇaya, Bharata-rāja-nāṭaka, Megheśvara-nāṭaka, Lakṣaṇā-svayaṃvara, Vikhyāta-vijaya, Sabhā-nāṭaka, Sabhā-parva-nāṭaka (Pāṇḍava-vijaya), Subhadrā-dhanañjaya, Subhadrā-pariṇaya, Subhadrā-vijaya
Plays based on the Purāṇas
It is but natural for the plays based on the purāṇas to have stories connected with Bhagavān Śiva, Viṣṇu, and their divine families. Most of them are, in fact, based on divine weddings – they bear the words pariṇaya, vivāha, and kalyāṇa in their names. The following is a list of some purāṇic plays –
Artha-pañcaka-nāṭaka, Aditi-kuṇḍalāharaṇa, Ambujavallī-kalyāṇa, Amṛtodaya-nāṭaka, Ahalyā-sankrandana, Indirā-pariṇaya, Indumatī-pariṇaya-nāṭaka, Uṣā-pariṇaya, Aindavānanda, Kamalā-kaṇṭīrava-nāṭaka, Kalānanda, Kāmākṣī-pariṇaya, Kumāra-vijaya, Kaumudī-soma, Gaṅgāvataraṇa, Gaṇeśa-pariṇaya, Gīta-digambara, Godā-pariṇaya, Godāvarī-pariṇaya, Gaurī-digambara, Caṇḍī-vilāsa-carita, Candrakalā, Candrakalā-pariṇaya, Candrarekhā-vidyādhara, Candra-vilāsa, Candraśekhara-vilāsa-ḍamaruka, Tripurāri-nāṭaka, Navagraha-carita, Nāgarāja-nāṭaka, Nārāyaṇī-vilāsa, Pradyumnānandīya, Prasanna-caṇḍikā, Pārvatī-pariṇaya-nāṭaka, Pārvatī-svayaṃvara, Bhairava-prādurbhāva, Maṅgala-nāṭaka, Madana-sañjīvana, Madhurāniruddha, Manmatha-vijaya, Rati-manmatha-nāṭaka, Ratneśvara-prasādana, Lakṣmī-svayaṃvara, Liṅga-durbheda, Vallī-pariṇaya, Vārdhikarnyāpariṇaya, Vāsalakṣmī-kalyāṇa, Vikrama-candrikā, Vīra-rāghava-kanakavallī-pariṇaya, Śarva-caritra, Saumya-soma, Harakelī-nāṭaka, Hara-gaurī-vivāha, and Hasti-giri-mahātmya.
Kathā-nāṭakas – Plays based on Popular Story Telling traditions of India
Just as the stories connected with divinities such as Bhagavān Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, and Śiva were popular among the common people, so were the fables based on udātta-nāyakas such as Nala, Hariścandra, and Udayana. Therefore, quite a few plays are based on such themes as well. It is hard to say what source the plays have derived inspiration from; they may be based on folklore or a story documented in a literary work. Most of these plays lack creative content.
Udayana-carita, Upahāra-varma-carita, Kanakavallī-pariṇaya, Kamalinī-kalahaṃsa, Kamalinī-rāja-haṃsa, Kalāvatī-kāma-rūpa, Kalyāṇī-pariṇaya, Kali-vidhu-hanana, Kāntimatī-pariṇaya, Kundamālā, Kuvalayāśva-carita, Kuvalayāśva-nāṭaka, Kuvalayāśrīya, Kṛtārtha-mādhava, Girijā-kalyāṇa-nāṭaka, Caitra-jaivātṛka, Nala-carita, Nala-bhūmi-pāla-rūpaka, Nala-vilāsa, Nalānanda, Nīlā-pariṇaya, Bhartṛhari-nirveda, Bhaimī-pariṇaya, Bhairavānanda, Mañjula-naiṣadha, Madana-mañjarī, Madālasā-nāṭaka, Madālasā-pariṇaya, Marakatavallī-pariṇaya, Yayāti-karuṇānanda, Yayāti-carita, Yayāti-devayāni-carita, Ratna-ketūdaya, Lalita-kuvalayāśva-nāṭaka, Lavalī-pariṇaya, Vajra-mukuṭī-vilāsa, Vasu-maṅgala, Vasumatī-citrasena-vilāsa, Vasumatī-pariṇaya, Vāsantikā-pariṇaya, Vijaya-pārijāta, Śarmiṣṭhā-vijaya-nāṭaka, Śūra-mayūra, Satya-hariścandra-nāṭaka, Sāmavata, Sārasvatādarśa, Subālāvajratuṇḍa, Sevantikā-pariṇaya, Saugandhi-pariṇaya, Hariścandra-nṛtya, Hariścandra-yaśaścandrikā.
Historical Plays
There are not many works in the Sanskrit language that can be classified as purely historical treatises. Thus, we must only say that there are hardly any plays that are based absolutely on historical facts. The ‘historical’ plays that we have known are sprinkled with quite a few fictional elements as well. The following are a few examples –
Adbhutārṇava, Kampanī-pratāpa-maṇḍana, Gaṅga-dāsa-pratāpa-vilāsa, Candrābhiṣeka, Jayasiṃhāśvamedhīya, Dillī-sāmrājya, Nandighoṣa-vijaya (Kamalā-vilāsa), Pratāpa-rudra-kalyāṇa, Bhoja(rāja)saccarita, Lalita-vigraharāja-nāṭaka, Śṛṅgāra-mañjarī-śāharājīya, Hammīra-mada-mardana.
Dhārmic Plays
The following plays are loosely based on the principles of dharma-śāstra:
Kṛṣṇa-miśra’s Prabodha-candrodaya, Kumuda-candra, Kṣema-candra-prabodha, Cittavṛtti-kalyāṇa, Citsūryāloka-nāṭaka, Caitanya-candrodaya, Jaganmohana, Jñāna-sūryodaya, Jīvanmukti-kalyāṇa, Jyotiḥprabhā-kalyāṇa-nāṭaka, Dharma-vijaya, Prasanna-sapiṇḍīkaraṇa-nirāsa, Prabodhodaya, Purañjana-carita, Purañjana-nāṭaka, Pūrṇa-puruṣārtha-candrodaya, Bhāvanā-puruṣottama-nāṭaka, Mahisūru-śāntīśvara-pratiṣṭā-nāṭaka, Mithyākhyāna-viḍambana (-khaṇḍana), Muktā-carita, Mukti-pariṇaya, Moha-parājaya, Yati-rāja-vijaya (Vedānta-vilāsa), Rājīmatī-prabodha, Vidyā-pariṇayana, Viveka-vijaya, Śānti-carita, Śānti-rasa, Śiva-bhaktānanda, Ṣaṇmata-nāṭaka, Saṅkalpa-sūryodaya, Satsaṅga-vijaya, and Svānubhūti-nāṭaka.
To be continued ...
The current series of articles is an enlarged adaptation of Prof. A. R. Krishnasastri's Kannada treatise Saṃskṛta-nāṭaka. They are presented along with additional information and footnotes by Arjun Bharadwaj.
