The earliest known Indian dramatist in Sanskrit, Bhasa was known for the allusions in the works of other Sanskrit dramatists until the texts of 13 of his dramas were discovered and published in 1912. Most of his works are adaptations of theme of heroism and romantic love borrowed from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. He diverged from the conventions of the time by portraying battles and killings on the stage. His influence is seen in the works of Kalidasa.

Bhasa is dated between the 2nd century BCE and 2nd century CE. Based on the language used, his date is also supposed to be around 5th century BC. The plays of Bhasa

had been lost for centuries. He was known only from mention in other works like the famous text on poetics Kavyamimamsa written during 880-920 AD by Rajashekhara a famous poet, dramatist and critic. In the Kavyamimamsa, he attributes the play Svapna-vasavadatta (Swapnav?savadatta) to Bhasa.