Indian Literature Traditions
Key Pointers
- Vedic literature: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda; Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanishads; Vedangas and Sutras.
- Epics and Puranas: Ramayana (Valmiki; 'Adi Kavya'), Mahabharata (Vyasa; 18 parvas; Bhagavad Gita in the Bhishma Parva); 18 Mahapuranas; Smritis (Manusmriti, Yajnavalkya Smriti).
- Classical Sanskrit:
- Kalidasa (Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava, Abhijnanashakuntalam).
- Ashvaghosha (Buddhacharita); Bana (Harshacharita, Kadambari); Dandin; Bharavi (Kiratarjuniya); Magha; Jayadeva (Gita Govinda).
- Kalhana's Rajatarangini: First historical work in Sanskrit (12th century, Kashmir).
- Panini (Ashtadhyayi), Patanjali (Mahabhashya); Kautilya's Arthashastra; Panchatantra (Vishnu Sharma).
- Persian and Urdu: Amir Khusrau; Barani's Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi; Abul Fazl's Akbarnama and Ain-i-Akbari; Mir, Ghalib; Allama Iqbal.
- Modern Indian literature: Bankim Chandra (Anandamath, 'Vande Mataram'), Rabindranath Tagore (Gitanjali; Nobel Prize, 1913), Premchand (Godan), Subramania Bharati, Kuvempu.
- Awards: Sahitya Akademi (1954; recognises 24 languages); Jnanpith Award (1961; first awardee G. Sankara Kurup, 1965).
MCQs
Q1. The first historical work in Sanskrit is:
(a) Harshacharita
(b) Rajatarangini
(c) Arthashastra
(d) Mudrarakshasa
Answer: (b). By Kalhana.
Q2. 'Gitanjali' was written by:
(a) Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay
(b) Rabindranath Tagore
(c) Premchand
(d) Sarojini Naidu
Answer: (b).
Q3. 'Adi Kavya' refers to:
(a) Mahabharata
(b) Ramayana
(c) Gita Govinda
(d) Raghuvamsha
Answer: (b).