Synopsis This book details the origin and development of Sanskrit plays. It demonstrates how in ancient India, the art of presenting Sanskrit plays on stage was developed and how this medium was utilized effectively to portray human emotions and sentiments. The sole objective of such powerful portrayals was to bring satisfaction to the audience by evoking rasa, the transcendental pleasure in its mind. The Sanskrit drama is religious in character and Indian in origin. The book also presents a comparative evaluation of European theories that attempted to explain the origin of Indian drama. The author has refused these theories and has presented his own thesis on the development of Sanskrit drama.