A Sutdy Of Sri Harcha’s Plays

Sri Harsha, a well-known king and writer, is a legendary monarch in the Indian history, who distinguished himself both in ruling a kingdom and writing dramas. His profound friendship with Hsuan-Tsang and the initiation of diplomatic exchanges with Tang Dynasty owed much to his openness, curiosity and strong desire for higher knowledge. As a dramatist, Sri Harsha had won his reputation with distinctive personal style and outstanding writing skills, being a true master of plot with remarkable imagination and creativeness. Priyadarsika, Ratnavali and Nagananda, his three works are masterpieces of original plots, lively language and sprightly rhythm, which at the same time provide valuable information of the ancient Indian life and traditions. The paper has revealed the artistic style and feature of Sri Harsha’s dramatic composition and performance practice through thorough analysis on the genre, rasa and bhava, characters and stage representation of his works by comparing with those of Bhasa and Kalidasa, two famous ancient dramatists and the theories of Natyasastra. The use of a play within a play, which influenced the later Sanskrit dramatists, shows the understanding of important dramatic concepts of ancient Indians at Sri Harsha’s time. The paper also examines the connection between his works and the life and ideal of Sri Harsha that is distinct between the lines of his works and historical documents. In addition, the paper makes clear the important role Sri Harsha played in the exchanges between India and China and explores the Indian influence on the customs and entertainments of Tang Dynasty through careful comparison of Sri Harsha’s works and historical documents.