To quote this page: AAE Van der Geer 1998. The Bhasa Problem. A statistical research into its solution. PhD Rijksuniversiteit Leiden, the Netherlands

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Who was Bhâsa?

Before the discovery of the thirteen Trivandrum plays, we only knew that once upon a time an author called Bhâsa lived before Kâlidâsa of the fifth century, and that he wrote many dramas, known as the Bhâsanâtakacakra, including a Svapnavâsavadatta. The information came down in the form of references in the Indian literature. Nothing had been transmitted of his entire work. The references can be summarized as follows:

• Kâlidâsa (5th century A.D.) mentions the famous playwright Bhâsa together with Saumilla and Kaviputra in the Mâlavikâgnimitra Act 1, in between verse 1 and 2 (ed. Iyer, 1978).
• Bâna (7th century A.D.), in his Harshacarita (1.15 ed. Sâhityâcârya 1958), speaks about Bhâsa as an author of several dramas. Their ârambhas, probably just a technical expression, are made by the sûtradhâra, or the stage-director. In addition, these dramas have many characters.
• Dandin (probably 7th century A.D.) writes in the introduction to his Avantisundarîkathâ (introductory verse 11, ed.Pillai 1954) that Bhâsa, even if he is dead for a long time, still lives on through his dramas.
• Vâkpatirâja (1st half of 8th century A.D.) calls Bhâsa jalanamitta, which is Prâkrit for Sanskrit jvalanamitra 'friend of fire' in his Gaüdavaha (verse 800 ed. Suru 1975).
• According to a verse ascribed to Râjashekhara (early 10th century A.D.) in Jalhana's Sûktimuktâvali 4.48 (see Warder 1974:320) the Svapnavâsavadatta is the best amongst the many plays of Bhâsa. Râjashekhara mentions here the fire ordeal to which the 'circle of plays of Bhâsa', the Bhâsanâtakacakra, had been submitted. At this occasion, the Svapnavâsavadatta was not burned by the fire and did stand the test.
• Jayânaka (12th century A.D.), in his Prthvîrâjacarita 1.3 (see Pusalker 1968:36) speaks about the fire ordeal of the works of Bhâsa. Jonarâja (15th century A.D.), in his commentary on Jayânaka, confers the title of honour Muni, and compares Bhâsa to the author of the Mahâbhârata Vyâsa (see Pusalker 1968:111).
• Jayadeva II (1200 A.D.) describes Bhâsa as an element of the goddess of speech Sarasvatî, in his Prasannarâghava 1.22 (see Warder 1974:324), together with a number of other famous authors as Mayûra, Kâlidâsa, Harsha en Bâna. Bhâsa then represents the goddess's laughter hâsa.
• Abhinavagupta (10th century A.D.) cites in his Abhinavabhâratî (ed. Kavi, 1956:320) a verse about Râma from the great poet Bhâsa, however, without mentioning the title of the corresponding play. Abhinavagupta only adds svaprabandhe 'within his work'. The verse quoted is not found in any of the Trivandrum plays. In addition, there are two indirect references to Bhâsa. In the same work Abhinavagupta links the word krîdâ - play, game - in the commentary on N.Sh. 1.74 (GOS 36:17) to the Svapnavâsavadatta, without mentioning the name of its author.
• Râmacandra and Gunacandra (late 12th century A.D.), in their Nâtyadarpana, cite a verse from the Svapnavâsavadatta with the term Bhâsakrta as a prefix to the title (ed. Shrigondekar & Gandhi 1959:74).
• Shâradâtanya (12th century A.D.) quotes a verse from the Svapnavâsavadatta in his Bhâvaprakâsha 3.38 (unpublished, see Warder 1974:324 and Unni 1978:21), which can indeed be found in the Trivandrum play with the same name (as 6.3). This is, however, only an indirect reference to Bhâsa.
• Finally, Sâgaranandin (13th or 14th century) informs us in his Nâtakalakshanaratnakosha (ed. Dillon 1937:51), that in the case of the Svapnavâsavadatta the sûtradhâra, or stage-director, is behind the stage. This, too, is only an indirect reference.

To resume, the only thing we know is that there once existed a rather important playwright, Bhâsa by name, who wrote several plays. One of these plays bore the title Svapnavâsavadatta.