Book excerpt: Bhavabhuti has been unanimously acclaimed as an eminent Sanskrit poet, second only to Kalidasa. The present work deals with the various problems concerning this great poet of Vidarbha such as the identification of his birthplace, his identity with Umbeka, the location of the god Kalapriyanatha at whose fairs all his plays were first staged, the chronological relation of his Uttra-Rama-charita to the Kundamala of Dhiranga, the influence of his works on later Sanskrit dramatists and so forth. Besides, the present work gives a detailed account of the plots of all his plays with numerous citations from them together with their English rendering, which will enable ordinary readers to appreciate his poetic genius and dramatic talent. it also states in detail the poet`s views on various religious, political and social matters. The present work is thus designed to meet the needs of both the ordinary and the critical readers of Bhavabhuti`s works.