Important Ancient Sanskrit Literature :
Work
|
Category
|
Author
(date)
|
Notes
|
Mahabharata
|
Epic
|
Vyasa
|
|
Ramayana
|
Epic
|
Valmiki
|
|
Ashtadhyayi
|
Treatise on grammar
|
Panini
(5th -4th c.
BCE)
|
One of the earliest known grammars of
Sanskrit
|
Nirukta
|
Treatise on grammar
|
Yaksa
|
|
Mrichakatika
|
Play
|
Shudraka
(2nd c. BCE)
|
Set in Pataliputra
Hindi film Utsav was based on this
|
Karnabhara, Charudatta
|
Play
|
Bhasa
(1st BCE – 4thCE)
|
Bhasa wrote about 13 plays
He is considered to be one of most important
Sanskrit authors (after Kalidasa)
|
Urubhanga
|
Play
|
Bhasa
|
Based on Mahabharata
Depicts story of Duryodhana after fight with
Bhima
|
Madhyamavyayoga
|
Play
|
Bhasa
|
Based on the Mahabharata
|
Malavikagnimitram
|
Play
|
Kalidasa
(4th -5th CE)
Gupta period
|
Tells the story of King Agnimitra falling in
love with servant girl Malavika
Agnimitra was the son and successor to
Pushyamitra Sunga
|
Abhijanasakuntalam
|
Play
|
Kalidasa
|
Tells story of king Dushyanta and his
marriage to Shankuntala
Considered to be Kalidasa’s most popular
play
|
Vikramaorvasiyam
|
Play
|
Kalidasa
|
Story of king Pururavas in love with celestial Urvashi
|
Raghuvamsa
|
Poetry
|
Kalidasa
|
Kings of Raghu dynasty
|
Kumarasambhava
|
Poetry
|
Kalidasa
|
Story of birth of Karthikeya
|
Rtusamhara
|
Poetry
|
Kalidasa
|
Describes six seasons using context of love
|
Meghaduta
|
Poetry
|
Kalidasa
|
Story of a Yaksha sending a message to his
lover through a cloud
One of Kalidasa’s most popular poems
|
Ratnavali
|
Play
|
Harshavardhana
(590-647 CE)
|
Story of king Udayana and princess Ratnavali
Contains one of the earliest references to
festival Holi
|
Nagananda
|
Play
|
Harshavardhana
|
Describes prince Jimutavahana’s
self-sacrifice to save serpents
|
Priyadarsika
|
Play
|
Harshavardhana
|
|
Kiratarjuniya
|
Poetry
|
Bharavi
|
Describes contest b/w Arjuna and lord Shiva
|
Shishupala Vadha
|
Poetry
|
Magha
|
Important Ancient Literature in Tamil :
Note that Sangam literature itself contains about 2400 poems
by more than 470 poets. For obvious reasons, not all of them can be listed here
Work
|
Category
|
Author
|
Notes
|
Ettuthokai
|
Poetry
|
Various
(600 BCE-
300 BCE)
|
Part of Sangam literature
Ettuthokai contains 8 anthologies:
Ainkurunuru, Akananuru, Purananuru,
Kalittokai, Kuruntokai, Narrinai, Paripatal, Patirrupattu
Each of these anthologies in turn contain
hundreds of poems by multiple authors
Deals with two themes: Akam (personal life)
and Puram (war, politics)
See here for more information on the
Ettuthokai
|
Pathupattu
|
Poetry
|
Various
|
Part of Sangam literature
Pathupattu contains 10 idylls (mid length
books):
Tirumurugattruppatai, Kurinjipattu,
Malaipatukatam, Maturaikkanji, Mullaipattu, Netunalvatai, Pattinappalai,
Perumpanatrupatai, Porunaratruppatai, Sirupanatrupatai
Deals mainly with themes of nature
See here for more information on Pathupattu
|
Tolkappiyam
|
Grammar
|
Tolkappiyar
|
Earliest available work of Tamil literature
|
Aimperumkappiyam
|
Epics
|
Various
|
Collection of five large narrative epics
The five epics were: Silappadhigaram,
Manimegalai, Sivaka Chintamani, Valayapathi and Kundalakesi
Specific epics described below
|
Silappadhigaram
|
Epic
|
Ilango Adigal
(1st c. CE)
|
Describes story of Kannagi in her quest to
save husband Kovalan
Describes in detail life, politics, trade,
settlements of Greeks etc
Story evolves in themes of three: three
kingdoms, three heroes, three heroines etc
Considered one of most important ancient
Tamil literature
|
Manimegalai
|
Epic
|
Seethalai Sathanar
(1st-2nd c. CE)
|
Story of Manimegalai, daughter of Kovalan
Sequel to Silappadhigaram
|
Sivaka Chintamani
|
Epic
|
Tirutakkatevar
|
Story of man who becomes king and then
renounces throne
|
Valayapathi
|
Epic
|
Unknown
|
Work lost
|
Kundalakesi
|
Epic
|
Nagakuthanar
|
Original work lost, only fragments survive
Supposedly describes story of Buddhist monk
Kundalakesi
|
Tirukkural
|
Ethics
|
Thiruvalluvar
|
Couplets of ethics
Contains 1330 couplets
Thirukkural remains the book translated into
most number of languages in the world
|
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