Question

Chandragupta figures prominently in the book of ____________.
A) Bhasa
B) Sudraka
C) Vishakhadatta
D) Ashvaghosha

Answer 1

Hint: Chandragupta was the founder of the Mauryan dynasty and the first emperor to unite most of India under one rule (reigned c. 321–c. 297 BCE). He is credited with freeing the country from foreign dominance and protecting it from mismanagement.

Complete answer:
Chandragupta was regarded as one of India's greatest emperors. With the help of Chanakya, India's greatest mind, he built a tremendous empire.

Option A) Bhasa: Bhasa wrote the drama Madhyamavyayoga in the 11th century CE. It is based on a misunderstanding between a priest's middle son and Pandava's middle son, Bhima. So, Bhasa didn’t write anything about Chandragupta. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option B) Sudraka: Shudraka was an Indian playwright who is credited with three Sanskrit plays: Mrichchhakatika (The Little Clay Cart), Vinavasavadatta, and Padmaprabhritaka, a bhana (short one-act monologue). He was a king, according to the prologue of Mrichchhakatika, one idea suggests he was an Abhira ruler from the third century. So, he wrote many things but not a book mentioning Chandragupta. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Option C) Vishakhadatta: Mudra Rakshasa was written by Vishakhadatta. The Mudrarakshasa is a Sanskrit historical play by Vishakhadatta that tells the storey of King Chandragupta Maurya's rise to power in India. Hence, this option is correct.

Option D) Ashvaghosha: Asvaghosa lived in King Kanishka's court and penned the "Buddhacharitra." In India, he was a Buddhist scholar, poet, orator, and dramatist. Before Kalidasa, he was regarded as the finest Indian poet. So, He didn’t write about Chandragupta Maurya. Hence, this option is incorrect.

Therefore, Option ‘C’ i.e, Vishakhadatta is the correct answer because Vishakhdatta's book features Chandragupta prominently.

Note: Vishakhadatta was an ancient Indian poet and playwright who flourished during the Gupta dynasty. His exact date of birth is unknown, although he is thought to have lived about the fifth century AD, during the reign of King Chandragupta-II.


After Mahakavi Kalidas, Vishakhadatta was a well-known Sanskrit poet and playwright. His basic knowledge is not widely disseminated. The Mudraraksasa and the Devichandraguptam are his major opuses. He used wonderful words to write Sanskrit in these works.