Maarg Manthan · Topic 6.2

Classical Sanskrit Theatre (Natyashastra, Kalidasa’s plays)

Art & Culture › Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry · Topic 6.2

Classical Sanskrit theatre is the written drama of ancient India, governed by the rules of the Natya Shastra of Bharata Muni and staged in royal courts and temples from about the 2nd century BCE to the 10th century CE. Its leading playwrights are Bhasa (Svapnavasavadatta), Shudraka (Mrichchhakatika), Kalidasa (Abhijnanashakuntalam, Vikramorvasiyam, Malavikagnimitram), Vishakhadatta (Mudrarakshasa), Bhavabhuti (Uttararamacharita) and Harsha (Ratnavali). Plays are of ten types (rupakas), with the nataka and prakarana as main types, have a sutradhara and a vidushaka, mix Sanskrit and Prakrit, and end happily. Kutiyattam of Kerala is its living form.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Art & Culture · Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

At a Glance

Rule book Natya Shastra
Greatest playwright Kalidasa
Social drama Mrichchhakatika of Shudraka
Political drama Mudrarakshasa of Vishakhadatta
Living form Kutiyattam
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Art and Culture: Theatre, Cinema & Puppetry

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the overview of theatre history and takes its classical phase in detail. Prelims questions on plays and playwrights come largely from here. Previous topic: History of Theatre in India. Next topic: Traditional Theatre (Ram Lila, Ras Lila, Yakshagana, Nautanki, Bhavai, Tamasha, Jatra).

Who Were the Main Sanskrit Playwrights and What Did They Write?

Playwright	Period and patron	Major plays	Notes
Bhasa	About 2nd century BCE to 3rd century CE	Svapnavasavadatta, Pratijnayaugandharayana, Urubhanga, Karnabhara, Charudatta, Madhyamavyayoga	Thirteen plays discovered by T. Ganapati Sastri in Trivandrum in 1912. Earlier than Kalidasa
Ashvaghosha	1st to 2nd century CE, Kushana court	Sariputraprakarana	Buddhist monk; earliest known Sanskrit playwright of whom manuscripts survive
Shudraka	Around 4th to 5th century CE	Mrichchhakatika (The Little Clay Cart)	Social play with a poor Brahmin Charudatta and the courtesan Vasantasena
Kalidasa	Gupta period, associated with Chandragupta II, 4th to 5th century CE	Abhijnanashakuntalam, Vikramorvasiyam, Malavikagnimitram	Called the Shakespeare of India. Shakuntalam was translated by William Jones in 1789, and praised by Goethe
Vishakhadatta	Around 4th to 8th century CE (debated)	Mudrarakshasa, Devichandraguptam	Political play on Chanakya and Chandragupta Maurya
Harsha	Reigned 606 to 647 CE	Ratnavali, Priyadarshika, Nagananda	Emperor who wrote plays; Nagananda has a Buddhist theme
Bhavabhuti	8th century CE, court of Yashovarman of Kannauj	Mahaviracharita, Malatimadhava, Uttararamacharita	Master of karuna rasa; Uttararamacharita on Rama
Bhattanarayana	7th to 8th century CE	Venisamhara	Mahabharata theme

What Are the Types and Features of Sanskrit Drama?

Feature	Description
Dasarupakas	Ten types of play: nataka, prakarana, bhana, vyayoga, samavakara, dima, ihamriga, anka, vithi and prahasana
Nataka	Hero from epic or history, five to ten acts, main rasa shringara or veera. Example: Abhijnanashakuntalam
Prakarana	Invented plot with common people as hero. Example: Mrichchhakatika
Sutradhara	The stage manager and narrator who opens the play after the invocation (nandi)
Vidushaka	Comic companion of the hero, usually a Brahmin, who speaks Prakrit
Language	Sanskrit for kings, sages and Brahmins; Prakrit for women, servants and commoners
Prastavana	Prologue that introduces the author and play
Bharatavakya	Closing verse of blessing
Ending	Happy ending; death on stage and tragedy are avoided
Acts and rasa	A play has acts (anka) and one main rasa with others as supports

What Else Should You Remember?

Kalidasa’s plays: Abhijnanashakuntalam tells of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, from the Mahabharata; Vikramorvasiyam tells of Pururavas and Urvashi; Malavikagnimitram is on King Agnimitra of the Shunga dynasty
Other works of Kalidasa: epics Raghuvamsha and Kumarasambhava, and lyric poems Meghaduta and Ritusamhara
Svapnavasavadatta: Bhasa’s best play on King Udayana of Vatsa and his wife Vasavadatta, with a dream scene
Mudrarakshasa: has no heroine, and tells how Chanakya wins over the minister Rakshasa of the Nandas
Mrichchhakatika: known for a lively cast of common people and the trial and judge scene
Playhouse: plays were staged in a natyamandapa or hall with no scenery, using gesture and words to suggest places
Troupe: actors, musicians and a sutradhara under a director; women acted in plays
Kutiyattam: uses Sanskrit text with Malayalam explanation, performed in temple koothambalams in Kerala, with Ammannur Madhava Chakyar and Mani Madhava Chakyar as great artists
Foreign response: William Jones translated Shakuntala in 1789, and German writers such as Goethe admired it
Decline: after the 10th century the courts that supported Sanskrit drama fell, and Persian and regional languages took over
Alternate terms: Sanskrit theatre is also called Sanskrit drama or Sanskrit natya, and a play is called rupaka or drishya kavya, meaning poetry that is seen, against shravya kavya, poetry that is heard
Women in Sanskrit theatre: female roles in Kutiyattam are played by Nangiar women, while in the classical period the Natya Shastra discusses both actors and actresses, and Kalidasa wrote strong heroines such as Shakuntala and Urvashi
Link: the wider story of the Indian stage appears in History of Theatre in India

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Match the list: play with author, such as Mudrarakshasa with Vishakhadatta
Features: sutradhara, vidushaka, Prakrit for women
Types: ten rupakas, nataka versus prakarana
Living form: Kutiyattam and Chakyar families
Common errors: giving Mrichchhakatika to Kalidasa, or Mudrarakshasa to Shudraka

As an analytical point, Sanskrit drama shows a refined court culture and a mixed social world through Prakrit-speaking common characters. It also set a standard of aesthetics which later Indian theatre kept referring to.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Plays Author match
Features Sutradhara and vidushaka
Living form Kutiyattam

What Came Next?

The next topic is Traditional Theatre (Ram Lila, Ras Lila, Yakshagana, Nautanki, Bhavai, Tamasha, Jatra). Next topic: Traditional Theatre (Ram Lila, Ras Lila, Yakshagana, Nautanki, Bhavai, Tamasha, Jatra).

Key People and Terms

Rupaka Type of play
Nataka Heroic play
Prakarana Social play
Nandi Invocation
Bharatavakya Closing blessing
Prakrit Language of common people

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

Kalidasa: Abhijnanashakuntalam.
Shudraka: Mrichchhakatika.
Vishakhadatta: Mudrarakshasa.
Bhasa: Svapnavasavadatta.
Bhavabhuti: Uttararamacharita.

Do Not Confuse With

Nataka and prakarana Epic hero versus invented story
Bhasa and Bhavabhuti Early versus 8th century dramatist
Kalidasa and Harsha Poet-dramatist versus emperor-dramatist

Memory Hook

Bhasa dreams, Shudraka carts, Kalidasa rings, Vishakhadatta plots, Bhavabhuti weeps.

Mains Angle

Questions ask about the cultural value of classical drama. These points give a frame.

Aesthetic base Rasa and decorum
Social picture Courts and commoners
Survival Kutiyattam support

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Classical Sanskrit drama gives a picture of the society and values of ancient India. Discuss.”

How to Answer

Plays Kalidasa, Shudraka, Vishakhadatta.
Society Court and commoner.
Form Rules and rasa.
Heritage Support Kutiyattam.

GS Relevance

Prelims: playwrights, plays, features, types, Kutiyattam. GS Paper 1: Indian heritage and culture, literature and performing arts of ancient India.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Sanskrit theatre?

Sanskrit theatre is the classical drama of ancient India, written in Sanskrit and Prakrit and governed by the rules of the Natya Shastra. It flourished between about the 2nd century BCE and the 10th century CE, with playwrights like Bhasa, Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti, and it is kept alive today in Kutiyattam of Kerala.

Who wrote Abhijnanashakuntalam?

Abhijnanashakuntalam, meaning the recognition of Shakuntala, was written by Kalidasa, the greatest Sanskrit playwright, probably in the Gupta period. It tells the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala. William Jones translated it into English in 1789, and the German writer Goethe praised it.

Which play is Mrichchhakatika and who wrote it?

Mrichchhakatika, called The Little Clay Cart, was written by Shudraka. It is a prakarana, or social play, about the poor Brahmin merchant Charudatta and the courtesan Vasantasena. It is noted for its realistic picture of common people, a trial scene and a lively plot.

What is the role of the vidushaka in Sanskrit plays?

The vidushaka is the comic companion of the hero in a Sanskrit play. He is usually a Brahmin who speaks Prakrit, jokes about food and his own looks, and gives relief from the serious plot. The sutradhara, by contrast, is the stage manager and narrator who opens the play.

What is the difference between nataka and prakarana?

A nataka is a heroic play with a famous hero from epic or history, such as Abhijnanashakuntalam. A prakarana is a play with an invented story and ordinary people as hero, such as Mrichchhakatika. Both are among the ten types of Sanskrit play called rupakas.

Why is Sanskrit theatre important for UPSC?

It is important because Prelims asks to match plays with authors, and about features such as sutradhara and Kutiyattam. Mains uses it to discuss aesthetics and the social world of ancient India in GS Paper 1 Indian heritage and culture.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 Mudrarakshasa was written by Vishakhadatta.

True

It is a political play on Chanakya.

2 Mrichchhakatika was written by Kalidasa.

False

It was written by Shudraka.

3 In Sanskrit plays women and commoners generally speak Prakrit.