Bhavabhuti

Bhavabhūti (Devanagari: भवभूति) was an 8th-century scholar of India noted for his plays and poetry, written in Sanskrit. His plays are considered the equal of the works of Kalidasa. Bhavabhuti was born in Padmapura, Vidarbha, in Gondia district, on Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh border. He is described as an 'Udumbara Brahmin'.
His real name was ''Srikantha Nilakantha'', and he was the son of Nilakantha and Jatukarni. He received his education at 'Padmapawaya', a place some 42 km South-West of Gwalior.
Dayananidhi Paramahansa is known to be his guru. He composed his historical plays at 'Kalpi', a place on banks of river Yamuna.

He is believed to have been the court poet of king Yashovarman of Kannauj. Kalhana, the 12th-century historian, places him in the entourage of the king, who was defeated by Lalitaditya Muktapida, king of Kashmir, in 736 AD.

Malatimadhava

The play is set in the city of Padmavati. The king desires that his minister's daughter Malati marry a youth called Nandana. Malati is in love with Madhava ever since she saw him and drew his portrait. Madhava reciprocates, and draws a portrait of her in turn. Malati suspects her father's motives in falling in with the King's plans for her. A side plot involves the lovers' friends Makaranda and Madayantika. The latter is attacked by a tiger, and Makaranda rescues her, getting wounded in the process. After numerous travails, all ends well, with the two couples uniting. According to the renowned Sanskritist Daniel H.H. Ingalls, the Malatimadhava is a work that combines love and horror with a felicity never again equaled in Sanskrit literature.

Indebtedness to

Kautilya and Arthashastra

According to Dasharatha Sharma, the dramatists Kalidasa and Bhavabhuti utilized the ''Arthashastra'' of Kautilya while composing their famous works. Kalidasa is indebted to Kautilya's ''Arthashastra'' for material in the ''Raghuvamsa''. Similarly, Bhavabhuti utilizes words and ideas from the ''Arthashastra'' in the ''Malatimadhava'' and the ''Mahaviracharita''. There is indeed a striking resemblance between the methods advocated by ''Ravana's'' minister, ''Malayavana'' and the policies suggested by Kautilya in the ''Arthashastra''.'Bhavabhuti's Indebtedness to Kautilya' Journal of the Ganganath Jha Research Institute Vol VIII, part 3, May 1951

Legacy

Late Laxmanrao Mankar Guruji named his education society as "Bhavbhuti Education Society" in 1950.
Yashodabai Rahile founded "Bhavbhuti Mandal" (community) in 1996. Historian Mr O.C. Patle published a book "Bhavbhuti ab geeton mein" (Bhavbhuti, now in his songs), he also has published some audio CDs and cassettes to keep the legend's memories alive. State's local TV channel, Sayhyadri and E TV Marathi telecasts some documentaries on the life of this great poet. People and some non profit groups have erected a few statues in the region where the poet belongs to.

Works

* ''Mahaviracharita'' (The story of the highly courageous one), depicting the early life of Rama
* ''Malatimadhava'', a play based on the romance of Malati and Madhava
* ''Uttararamacarita'' (The story of Rama's later life), depicts Rama's coronation, the abandonment of Sita, and their reunion
* '' Vetālapañćavinśati'' (25 Tales of Vetala) , depicts story puzzles narrated to the legendary King Vikramarka

References

External links

''Malati and Madhava''
translated by Horace Hayman Wilson
*The ''Uttara Rama Charita'' of Bhavabhuti. With Sanskrit commentary by Pandit Bhatji Shastri Ghate of Nagpur and a close English translation by Vinayak Sadashiv Patvardhan. The Nyaya Sudha Press, Nagpur 189

*Rama's later history or ''Uttara-Ram-Charita'' of Bhavabhuti. Critically edited with notes and an English transltation by Shripad Krishna Belvalkar. Harvard University Press 191

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhavabhuti
Hindu poets
8th-century Indian poets
Ancient Indian dramatists and playwrights
Kalidas
Kalidas
Date of birth unknown
Date of death unknown
Indian male poets
Indian male dramatists and playwrights