"Nagananda", 'Ratnavali'and'Priyadarshika' was written by:

R.A.S./R.T.S.(Pre) 1999

A. Bana Bhatta
B. Vishakha Datta
C. Vatsyayan
D. Harshavardhana

Answer: Harshavardhana

Option d is the correct answer. Harshavardhana was a king of the Vardhana dynasty, who ruled over northern India from 606 to 647 CE. He was also a patron of arts and literature, and he wrote three Sanskrit plays: Nagananda, Ratnavali, and Priyadarshika. Nagananda is a play in five acts that depicts the selfsacrifice of Jimutavahana, a prince of the Vidyadharas, who offers his body to save a snake from being eaten by Garuda, the king of birds. Ratnavali and Priyadarshika are both natikas, or romantic comedies, that deal with the love affairs of King Udayana with Ratnavali, the daughter of the king of Sri Lanka, and Priyadarshika, the daughter of a neighboring king. Harshavardhana's plays are influenced by Kalidasa's works, especially Malavikagnimitram, and they show his mastery of Sanskrit language and poetic devices. Harshavardhana's plays are considered as examples of classical Sanskrit drama, and they have been praised by later critics and dramatists.

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