UPSC Prelims 2021 Q41: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
- (a) Jain monks
- (b) playwrights
- (c) temple architects
- (d) philosophers
Answer: (b) playwrights
Explanation
Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla, Kshemeshvara: Classical Sanskrit Playwrights
| Personality | Era | Contribution |
|---|---|---|
| Bhavabhuti | c. 8th c. CE (King Yashovarman's court, Kanauj) | Sanskrit playwright. Famous plays: Uttararamacharita, Mahaviracharita, Malatimadhava. |
| Hastimalla | 13th c. CE | Sanskrit playwright. Plays: Vikrantakauravam, Subhadraharana. |
| Kshemeshvara | 10th c. CE | Sanskrit playwright. Plays: Naishadhananda, Chandakaushika. |
All three are famous SANSKRIT PLAYWRIGHTS. Answer: (b).
Bhavabhuti is often ranked alongside Kalidasa among the greatest Sanskrit dramatists.
Answer: (b) playwrights.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. These are Sanskrit playwrights, not Jain monks (though Hastimalla wrote on Jain themes).
- (b) CORRECT. Bhavabhuti (8th c., Uttararamacharita), Hastimalla (13th c., Vikrantakauravam), and Kshemeshvara (10th c., Chandakaushika) are all famous Sanskrit PLAYWRIGHTS. Bhavabhuti is a peer of Kalidasa.
- (c) Incorrect. Not temple architects - they were literary figures.
- (d) Incorrect. Not philosophers - though their plays contain philosophical themes.
Key point
Bhavabhuti + Hastimalla + Kshemeshvara = classical Sanskrit playwrights. Bhavabhuti (8th c., Kanauj) = Uttararamacharita. Hastimalla (13th c.) = Vikrantakauravam. Kshemeshvara (10th c.) = Chandakaushika.
Remember
Bhavabhuti (8th c.), Hastimalla (13th c.) and Kshemeshvara (10th c.) were all famous Sanskrit PLAYWRIGHTS. Bhavabhuti is ranked alongside Kalidasa among the greatest Sanskrit dramatists (Uttararamacharita, Mahaviracharita). Correct answer: (b) playwrights.
Common mistakes
- Confusing Sanskrit dramatists (Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Shudraka, Bhasa) with philosophers (Shankaracharya, Ramanuja) or grammarians (Panini, Patanjali).
- Not knowing Bhavabhuti's fame equals Kalidasa's; he was in King Yashovarman of Kanauj's court (8th c.).
- Missing that Hastimalla's plays often incorporated Jain themes but he wrote in Sanskrit.
Exam tip
Great Sanskrit playwrights: Bhasa, Ashvaghosha, Kalidasa, Shudraka, Vishakhadatta, Bhavabhuti, Harshavardhana (himself wrote plays: Nagananda, Ratnavali, Priyadarshika). Learn 8-10 major playwrights with one famous work each.
Sources
- A.B. Keith - History of Sanskrit Literature (Sanskrit Drama)
- Romila Thapar — A History of India, Volume 1 (Penguin)