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Verse in Sanskrit Drama
(4) The self-introductory verse indicates to the spectator what
the charactar thinks of itself, what is its importance and how
it may behave in the subsequent action. (5) The verse reporting the impression about another character
or the account of some situation involving in the current happening on the stage (or off the stage) help the spectators to grasp the implications and to visualize the character or situation fully and vividly. That is why the descriptions in the characterizing verses are generally picturesque and poetic. Many of these verses possess a great literary charm, and even independently of their context, they present instances of beautiful poetry.
(4)
One more significant fact emerges from the limited data presented above. It is evident that the dramas ascribed to Bhāsa betray a strong tendency to use characterizing verses. We find a similar tendency in the Mahāviracarita also. This suggests that dramas with heroic characters and heroic sentiment are more congenial to characterizing verses.
