The Sanskrit Drama in its Origin, Development, Theory & Practice c17.s2.8

c17.s2.8

The Kṛṣṇa legend naturally attracted not less note; the Kerala prince Ravivarman, born in A.D. 1266, is the author of a *Pradyumnābhyudaya*.¹ The minister of Husain Shāh Rūpa Gosvāmin wrote about A.D. 1532 the *Vidagdhamādhava*² and the *Lalitamādhava*³ in seven and ten Acts respectively on the theme of the loves of Kṛṣṇa and Rādhā, in pursuance of his eager support of the movement of Caitanya. For the son of Ṭodar Mall, Akbar’s minister, Ceṣa Kṛṣṇa wrote the *Kaṃsavadha*⁴ which in seven Acts covers the ground of Bhāsa’s *Bālacarita*, as well as other plays on the Rāma legend. The winning of Rukmiṇī by Kṛṣṇa is the theme of the *Rukmiṇīpariṇaya*⁵ by Rāmavarman of Travancore (1735–87), and Kṛṣṇa’s generosity to a poor friend, though in a surprising shape, is recounted by Sāmarāja Dīkṣita in the *Crīdāmacarita*⁶ written in A.D. 1681.