Which one of the following is a work attributed to playwright Bhasa ?
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Answer: C. Madhyama-vyayoga, a one-act play based on a story from the Mahabharata, is one of the plays attributed to Bhasa, along with Svapnavasavadattam. Kavyalankara is by Bhamaha, the Natyashastra by Bharata Muni, and the Mahabhashya by Patanjali.
Watch for: The Natyashastra is the most famous drama text, so students link it to a playwright, but it is a treatise by Bharata.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong because Kavyalankara is a work on poetics by Bhamaha.
- B. Wrong because the Natyashastra is by Bharata Muni.
- D. Wrong because the Mahabhashya is Patanjali's commentary on Panini's grammar.
Source to check: Sahitya Akademi, Encyclopaedia of Indian Literature, entry 'Bhasa'; A.L. Basham, The Wonder That Was India, chapter on language and literature
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.