Previous Year Question

Bhavabhuti, Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara were all associated with dramatic literature. Their common historical identity is therefore that of playwrights.

Bhavabhuti was a celebrated Sanskrit dramatist. His three major surviving plays are Mahaviracharita, Malatimadhava and Uttararamacharita. He is generally associated with the early eighth century and with the age of Yashovarman of Kannauj. UGC-INFLIBNET also places Bhavabhuti prominently within the tradition of Classical Sanskrit drama.

Hastimalla was also a playwright. Strong documentary evidence comes from his published Sanskrit dramas. The Gandhi Smriti Library catalogue of LBSNAA lists Vikranta Kaurava, Anjanapavanamjaya and Subhadra Natika as Sanskrit dramatic works by Hastimalla.

Kshemeshvara is known for the play Chanda Kaushika. The 1962 critical edition published by the Asiatic Society explicitly records Chanda Kaushika of Arya Kshemishvara as a Sanskrit drama by Kṣemīśvara. The Deccan College catalogue independently records Ksemisvara as the author of Candakausika.

There is some disagreement among secondary sources regarding the precise dates of Hastimalla and Kshemeshvara. Their exact centuries are not required for answering this question. Their recorded dramatic works securely establish their identity as playwrights.