Tags: Genre, Music Genre, Topical Concept.
The fragments of Sanskrit drama date from the 1st century CE. The Mahābhāṣya by Patañjali contains the earliest reference to what may have been the seeds of Sanskrit drama. This treatise on grammar from 140 BCE provides a feasible date for the beginnings of theatre in India.Its drama is regarded as the highest achievement of Sanskrit literature. It utilised stock characters such as the hero (nayaka) heroine (nayika) or clown (vidusaka). Actors may have specialised in a particular type.