Swapnavasavadatta
Encyclopedia
Svapnavasavadatta (English
: The dream of Vasavadatta) is a Sanskrit play in six acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhasa
. It is probably the best known of Bhāsa
's works. The plot of the drama is drawn from the romantic narratives about the Vatsa
king Udayana and Vasavadatta, the daughter of Pradyota, the ruler of Avanti
, which were current in the poet's time and which seem to have captivated popular imagination. The main theme of the drama is the sorrow of Udayana for his queen Vasavadatta, believed by him to have perished in a conflagration, which was actually a rumour spread by Yaugandharayana, a minister of Udayana to compel his king to marry Padmavati, the daughter of the king of Magadha. It forms, in context, a continuation of his another drama, Pratijnayaugandharayana.
The complete text of the Svapnavasavadatta was long lost until it was discovered in Kerala in 1912.
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: The dream of Vasavadatta) is a Sanskrit play in six acts written by the ancient Indian poet Bhasa
Bhasa
Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit. However, very little is known about him.Kālidāsa in the introduction to his first play Malavikagnimitram writes -...
. It is probably the best known of Bhāsa
Bhasa
Bhāsa is one of the earliest and most celebrated Indian playwrights in Sanskrit. However, very little is known about him.Kālidāsa in the introduction to his first play Malavikagnimitram writes -...
's works. The plot of the drama is drawn from the romantic narratives about the Vatsa
Vatsa
Vatsa was one of the solasa Mahajanapadas of Uttarapatha of ancient India mentioned in the Anguttara Nikaya....
king Udayana and Vasavadatta, the daughter of Pradyota, the ruler of Avanti
Avanti (India)
Avanti was an ancient Indian janapada , roughly corresponded to the present day Malwa region. According to the Buddhist text, the Anguttara Nikaya, Avanti was one of the solasa mahajanapadas of the 6th century BCE...
, which were current in the poet's time and which seem to have captivated popular imagination. The main theme of the drama is the sorrow of Udayana for his queen Vasavadatta, believed by him to have perished in a conflagration, which was actually a rumour spread by Yaugandharayana, a minister of Udayana to compel his king to marry Padmavati, the daughter of the king of Magadha. It forms, in context, a continuation of his another drama, Pratijnayaugandharayana.
The complete text of the Svapnavasavadatta was long lost until it was discovered in Kerala in 1912.