Bhavabhuti is one of those few erudite and defiant Sanskrit poets unappreciated
during his life time. His genius however finds its ripeness in his play, Uttararâmacarita (“Later Life of Râma”) that was crafted out of the Râmâyana with necessary modifications as demanded by the theory of Rasa, somewhere in the middle of 8th century. The Sanskrit alamkarikâs (aesthetists) of the medieval period, consider Uttararâmacarita as one of the greatest plays in Sanskrit as is reflected in the traditional verdict: “Uttaré râmacarite bhavabhutirvisisyaté—the uniqueness of Bhavabhuti reflects in Uttararâmacarita.”

Western scholars, however, have a different opinion: Macdonell1 and Kale consider Uttararâmacarita as more a dramatic poem than a play; and Wells states that it is “a story altogether repellent to classical theories of drama in the Western world.” Bhandarkar2 too states that the genius of Bhavabhuti is more of a lyrical than of a dramatic nature. Karmarkar (1954) considers Uttararâmacarita as a dramatic poem rather than a drama, for there is no plot and action in the play.

It is said that Bhavabhuti was well versed in Vedic lore, the Upanishads, the Sâmkhya and Yoga systems (Kane and Joshi, 1962), which are incidentally said to be the very roots of Sanskrit poetics—Nâtyasâstra of Bharatamuni—besides being aware of the literature on poetics that existed before him. Sanskrit scholars of medieval period consider Bhavabhuti supreme in depicting the sentiment of karunarasa (compassion). He is considered to be unrivalled in his treatment of deep and tender human feelings. According to Bhavabhuti himself, Uttararâmacarita is a product of his mature intellect. Against this backdrop, we shall examine the play from the perspectives of Aristotle’s dramaturgy and Indian Rasa doctrine.

English Studies Journal, Uttararâmacarita, Bhavabhuti, Later Life of Râma, Western scholars, Seed of the Plot, Skillfully Introduced, Impending Catastrophe, I know, sweet speaker, Catharsis and Rasa.