Hanumānāṭaka or Mahānāṭaka
Both Damodaramiśra and Madhusūdanamiśra attribute the authorship of the plays Hanumānāṭaka or Mahānāṭaka respectively to the legendary Hanumān.
Hanumānāṭaka of Damodaramiśra consists of 14 acts and 548 verses whereas
Mahānāṭaka of Madhusūdanamiśra which was printed in the city of Calcutta has 9 acts and 20 verses. From the sources available Hanumānāṭaka and Mahānāṭaka must be one and the same but when the number of verses is compared these are unrelated. According to some scholars, the play should be called Hanumānāṭaka because it was either written by Lord Hanumān himself or because of the main theme of the play which revolves around Hanumān. According to the legend, Hanumān himself inscribed the play on a rock using the end of his fingernails and showed it to the sage Vālmīki. However, upon seeing the play, Vālmīki expressed concern that it might overshadow the popularity of his own epic, the Rāmāyaṇa. To prevent this from happening, Hanumān reverently threw the inscribed rock into the sea, where it was later discovered by fisherfolk and brought to the attention of the king of Dharanagara, Bhoja Raja. Upon learning of the play, Bhoja Raja ordered his court poets to copy it and it was later refined by Damodaramiśra. Therefore, according to the legend, Hanumān is considered the original author of the Hanumānāṭaka.
Similarly, in Madhusūdanamiśra’s Mahānāṭaka play, the same legend about the authorship of the play is recounted, with the slight difference that King Vikrama preserves the text that was cast into the sea by Hanumān. Additionally, it is mentioned that Hanumān was abducted by demons, but King Vikrama heroically fought against the demons and rescued Hanumān, who then entrusted the play to him. This version of the legend also upholds the belief that Hanumān was the original author of the Mahānāṭaka play.
Both plays primarily narrate the story of Rāmāyaṇa, and the characters have limited freedom to deviate from the original tale. The writing style is straightforward and uncomplicated.
Hanumānāṭaka of Damodaramiśra consists of 14 acts and 548 verses whereas
Mahānāṭaka of Madhusūdanamiśra which was printed in the city of Calcutta has 9 acts and 20 verses. From the sources available Hanumānāṭaka and Mahānāṭaka must be one and the same but when the number of verses is compared these are unrelated. According to some scholars, the play should be called Hanumānāṭaka because it was either written by Lord Hanumān himself or because of the main theme of the play which revolves around Hanumān. According to the legend, Hanumān himself inscribed the play on a rock using the end of his fingernails and showed it to the sage Vālmīki. However, upon seeing the play, Vālmīki expressed concern that it might overshadow the popularity of his own epic, the Rāmāyaṇa. To prevent this from happening, Hanumān reverently threw the inscribed rock into the sea, where it was later discovered by fisherfolk and brought to the attention of the king of Dharanagara, Bhoja Raja. Upon learning of the play, Bhoja Raja ordered his court poets to copy it and it was later refined by Damodaramiśra. Therefore, according to the legend, Hanumān is considered the original author of the Hanumānāṭaka.
Similarly, in Madhusūdanamiśra’s Mahānāṭaka play, the same legend about the authorship of the play is recounted, with the slight difference that King Vikrama preserves the text that was cast into the sea by Hanumān. Additionally, it is mentioned that Hanumān was abducted by demons, but King Vikrama heroically fought against the demons and rescued Hanumān, who then entrusted the play to him. This version of the legend also upholds the belief that Hanumān was the original author of the Mahānāṭaka play.
Both plays primarily narrate the story of Rāmāyaṇa, and the characters have limited freedom to deviate from the original tale. The writing style is straightforward and uncomplicated.
It is likely that the poets Damodaramiśra and Madhusūdanamiśra sourced the story of Rāmāyaṇa and selected relevant verses from various scriptures to create Mahānāṭaka. The primary objective of the play is to promote devotion to Lord Rāma. As the characters’ devotion to Lord Rāma increases, they engage in dialogue that essentially narrates the story of Rāmāyaṇa. Therefore, it can be rightfully called a play.
Hanumanāṭaka or Mahānāṭaka are Sanskrit dramas that have been the subject of debate regarding their origins and authorship. The plays primarily comprise verses, with very little prose. Although the length of the verses is suitable for storytelling, the characters lack the depth and complexity necessary for a well-rounded play. Additionally, the plays lack many of the typical rules and conventions that are expected in traditional theatre.
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