Previous Year Question
Which of the following pairs is not correctly matched?
Karpuramanjari — Harsha
Malavikagnimitra — Kalidasa
Mudrarakshasa — Visakhadatta
Saundarananda — Asvaghosha
Correct Answer: A
Detailed Solution
The correct answer is (a), because Karpuramanjari was composed not by Harsha but by Rajashekhara.
Karpuramanjari was composed by the celebrated poet and dramatist Rajashekhara. It is a particularly important play because it was composed mainly in Sauraseni Prakrit rather than Sanskrit. Rajashekhara was a literary figure of the 9th–10th century and also composed the Kavyamimamsa. According to tradition, he composed Karpuramanjari to please his wife Avantisundari. Therefore, associating Karpuramanjari with Harsha is incorrect.
In contrast, Malavikagnimitra was composed by Kalidasa. It is one of Kalidasa's three celebrated plays and its story concerns the love of the Sunga ruler Agnimitra and Malavika.
Mudrarakshasa was written by Visakhadatta. Its plot centres on the political strategies adopted by Chanakya to secure power for Chandragupta Maurya and to bring Rakshasa, the minister of the Nandas, to his side.
Saundarananda was composed by the Buddhist poet Asvaghosha. Through the story of the Buddha's step-brother Nanda and his wife Sundari, the epic describes Nanda's transformation from worldly attachment towards the Buddhist path.