Indian Knowledge System

Introduction to Indian Classical literature

What is Sanskrit?
It is an ancient language in Hinduism. It was used as a dialect by the old Indo-
Aryans during the era of 2000 BCE. It is also called as Vedic Sanskrit, because
of its origination during the Vedic period. Vedic period originated around 1500
BCE, it is often referred to as Brahmanical period and later it came to be known
as Hinduism. Hence, we can also say that, Sanskrit is the traditional language of
Hinduism and Brahminism.
Importance of Sanskrit
Sanskrit is the mother of many Indian languages. As per the Indian Constitution,
there are 22 languages that are officially followed in India and Sanskrit is one of
them. The importance of Sanskrit can be recognized by the fact that – the Vedas,
the Upanishads the Puranas and the Dharma sutra. These are secular and
regional literature were written in Sanskrit. When we read about these
languages and literature that were created in the past. It helps us in
understanding our civilization better and also makes us appreciate the diversity
and richness of our culture.
Origin of Sanskrit
If we must find out where did Sanskrit come from? It originated somewhere
around 2000 BCE or may be a lot before that. Aryans arrived in India in the
later part of 2000 BCE and were called as Indo-Aryans.
Indo-Aryans and their language and culture spread into northwest part India
around 1500 BCE.
1500 BCE is also regarded as the beginning of Vedic period. If Sanskrit has to
be traced, then it certainly had to belong to the linguistic ancestry of Proto-Indo-
Iranian or Proto-Indo-European.
Because, before arriving to India and before getting the name Indo-Aryan. The
Aryan race belonged to the European and western Asian heritage. During the
later part of 2000 BCE, a vast majority of European language speakers came
and rapidly spread across India.
How Sanskrit evolved?
As we know that the history of India begins with the Indus valley
civilization and the coming of the Aryans. However, you must understand that
before the arrival of Aryans, India was certainly not uninhabited.
Of course the Aryans made towns and cities around Ganges plain. We know that
from the evidence collected and studied from the Indus Valley (Harappan)
civilization. That’s all fair and true!
But if you look at the history of human habitation in India, the earliest sites go
back to 30,000 to 10,000 BCE. Some of the evidence are the rock shelters
at Bhimbetka in Madhya Pradesh, Sanghao caves in Pakistan and the Edakkal
caves in Kerala.
So in a nutshell people lived in India long before the Aryans arrived.
If you look and hear the Sanskrit language, it has “retroflex” sound like:-
“dh” and “th”. You will not find that in Latin or any other Indo-European
languages. That means, retroflex sound existed in India long before the arrival
of Indo-Europeans.
Thus, when Aryans arrived in India they must have encountered local people,
who came in to India long before them. Now, who were these local people we
don’t know!
Were they Dravidians, or Tamilians, or the tribal Mundas / Adivasis. We have
no idea about them.
That’s how we come to the conclusion that the Proto-Indo-European language
became Vedic Sanskrit (around 2000 BCE) by mixing with local civilization
(near Indus river). And the Vedic Sanskrit became classical Sanskrit
around 1500 BCE.
Sanskrit in India was first embodied in
the Rig Veda (one of the four
Vedas). The Rig Veda was composed
between roughly 1700–1100 BCE. It
was Panini (a great grammarian and a
scholar of Hinduism) who analysed
Sanskrit and its word formations. He
then wrote a text called Ashtadhyayi
which was full of long descriptive
Sanskrit grammar.
So, thanks to Panini for improving the grammar of Sanskrit.
After Vedas, Sanskrit was used in composing Upanishads around 800-200 BCE.
Then, ideas such as Dharma and Karma came through Upanishads and Buddhist
literature.
Initially Buddhist scriptures were all written in Sanskrit. The initial Buddhist
writings have rich literature of the Mahayana school and
the Hinayana school. Later, Buddha opposed the use of Sanskrit and asked his
followers to use vernacular language which was Pali. Pali sounds closely related
to the old Indo-Aryan Vedic Sanskrit, but it has no direct descendant from it.
The most important work of the Hinayana school is the Mahavastu which is a
storehouse of stories. While the Lalitavistara is the most sacred Mahayana text
which supplied literary material for the Buddha Charita of Asvaghosa.
Sanskrit is perhaps the only language that kept evolving even beyond the
barriers of regions and boundaries. From the north to the south and the east to
the west there is no part of India that has not contributed to or been affected by
this language.
Types of Sanskrit Literature
The two major types of Sanskrit literature are Vedic Sanskrit literature and
classical Sanskrit literature.
Vedic Sanskrit Literature
Nearly all of the Vedic Sanskrit literature that has survived is religious, focusing
on sacrifices, prayers, and songs to the gods (devas).
Vedic Sanskrit, the language of this ancient literature (the earliest of which is
the Rigveda), differs greatly from the "classical" Sanskrit described by later
grammarians like Panini.
During the Vedic era, this literature was passed down orally; it was only later
that it was recorded in writing.
Classical Sanskrit Literature
The genres of classical Sanskrit literature are more diverse and include scripture
(Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain), epics, court poetry (kavya), lyric, drama, romance,
fairytales, fables, grammar, civil and religious law and more. The subject matter
is largely secular.
Owing in part to the work of Sanskrit grammarians like Panini and his
commentators, the Classical Sanskrit language was considerably more
formalised and homogenous.
Sanskrit Literature was given additional dimensions by the Gupta Age writers
of shastras and other writings. Sanskrit was no longer only used for
Brahmanical religious ceremonies; it had become the language of the
aristocracy and the medium for all higher education in a variety of scientific and
philosophical fields.
The relationship between classical Sanskrit and other languages evolved as its
literature began to flourish. Sanskrit coexisted with the Prakrit and
Apabhramsha, according to Sanskrit Literature by Kalidasa and Shudraka.
Older Puranas including the Markhandeya Purana, Matsya Purana, Vishnu
Purana, and Vayu Purana were also composed at this time.
Sanskrit literature flourished during this period, including the genres of
Mahakavya (epics), Khandakavya, and Natakas, as well as Shravya (aural) and
Drashya (visual), Padya (poetry), Gadhya (prose), and Champu (hybrid prose
and poetry) (dramas).
Sanskrit, which has a variety of speech patterns like Prakrit, began to expand
over the Indian subcontinent and beyond, and as a result, it has become a
powerful cultural force that unites nations.
Important Works of Sanskrit Literature
The poems and plays of Kalidasa, the major epics Ramayana and Mahabharata,
including the Bhagavad-gita, which is a chunk of the latter, and the Upanishads
are some of the most well-known examples of Sanskrit literature.
Let us look at a few of the important works of Sanskrit literature.
The Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata
The Vedas are where Sanskrit literature first appeared. The Ramayana and
Mahabharata, two Sanskrit epics, stand as the pinnacle of epic poetry. The
Ramayana is one of Valmiki's classic poems.
The Ramayana is the Adikavya, the first poetry, and Valmiki is the Adikavi, the
first poet. The myth of Rama, whose main life is a beautiful example of
Dharma, is told in the Ramayana. The seven Kandas (cantos) that make up the
Ramayana cover the major moments in Rama's life chronologically. Although
the original language of Ramayana is Sanskrit, nearly all of India's regional
languages have revised versions of the text. The Ramayana has also been
translated into Jain, Buddhist, Indonesian, Tibetan, Chinese, Burman, and
Malaysian languages.
With more than 200,000 verses, the Mahabharata is regarded as the largest epic
poem ever produced. The Mahabharata is one of the most important works of
ancient Indian literature, if not world literature because it contains the Bhagavad
Gita. There are 18 Parvas in the Mahabharata, which was penned by Vyasa
(sections).
Classical Sanskrit Poetry
 Another important facet of Sanskrit literature was Sanskrit poetry. The
first extant Sanskrit poetry was written by the Buddhist author
Ashvaghosa, who is thought to have lived near the end of the first century
CE.
 Buddhacharita was written by Ashvaghosa in a straightforward classical
style. The earliest surviving sample of courtly Sanskrit prose dates to the
year 150 CE and is found on Rudradaman's Girnar Inscription.
 Sanskrit poetry was primarily composed for recitation or performance at
court or for small intellectual communities.
 The first classical epic, Kumarasambhavam, is a well-known Sanskrit
poem by Mahakavi Kalidasa. It is among the most notable and important
works of "Kavya" poetry. Translated as "Birth of the War-god," Kartikeya
is Shiva's first son, and his name is Kumarasambhavam. The book is
divided into eight cantos, while some versions additionally include other
cantos that don't appear to be Kalidasa's creations.
 Kalidasa's Raghuvansha is another timeless epic that merits
consideration. It discusses the monarchs of the Raghu clan, a branch of
the Sun dynasty that Rama himself belonged to.
 The third greatest classical epic in Sanskrit is thought to be
Kiratarjuniyam, an epic poem by Bharavi. Bharavi's eighteen cantos
detail the conflict between Arjuna and Lord Shiva, who is disguised as a
mountaineer. The Vana Parva of the Mahabharata, when the Pandavas'
exile in the forest, is the main focus of the Kiratarjuniyam.
 Magha wrote the famous Sanskrit poem Shishupalavadha in the eighth
century. It is a 20 Sarga (canto) epic poem describing Krishna killing
Shishupala. The poem is praised for its complex wordplay, nuanced
wording, and inventive language.
Classical Sanskrit Drama
  An important aspect of the development of the Sanskrit
language/literature was the rise of Sanskrit plays. Indian theatre's genesis
is still a mystery. Drama, however, existed in ancient India. Dramatic
performances during the Vedic era are mentioned in Sanskrit literature.
 Numerous dramas in Sanskrit exist. They might be as short as one act or
as lengthy as ten acts. On festival days, dramas might have been shown in
front of the public in temple courtyards, or privately or semi-privately in
palaces or the mansions of the wealthy.
 The Natyashastra, the first and most comprehensive text on dramaturgy,
presupposes a heavenly origin for the Natya, or play. The Creator,
Brahma, chose specific recitative literary, musical, dramatic, and
emotional components from the four Vedas to establish Natyaveda as a
Fifth Veda. Anyone might enjoy Natya, regardless of their faith, caste,
social standing, or line of work.
 Kalidasa was one of the most renowned playwrights of his time. The
three plays by Kalidasa that have been preserved are as follows:
 King Agnimitra's passion for Malavika is the subject of the poem
Malavikagnimitram.
 The story of Pururavas and Urvasi's love is told in the drama
Vikramorvasiyam, which was set in the Sunga era.
 Abhijnanasakuntalam is regarded as Kalidasa's "masterpiece."
 Plays of Ashvaghosa have survived in fragments, which are the earliest
known dramas. The earliest full plays, which appear to predate those of
Kalidasa, are assigned to Bhasa.
 Several plays, including "The Dream of Vasavadatta"
(Svapnavasavadatta) and "Yaugandharayana's Vows," are among the
thirteen plays by Bhasa that have survived (Pratijnayavgandharayana).
 The Little Clay Cart by Sudraka (Mrcchakatika) relates the story of a
poor brahmana named Carudatta's love for the upright courtesan
Vasantasena. It is believed to be full of action, pathos, and humour.
 The political dramatist Visakhadatta lived in the sixth century. Only one
of his plays, "The Minister's Signet Ring" (Mudraraksasa), which
examines Chanakya's schemes, has been preserved.
 Three dramas by the early eighth-century Kanyakubja resident
Bhavabhuti are still in existence today: "Malati and Madhava," "The
Deeds of the Great Hero" (Mahaviracarita), and "The Later Deeds of
Rama" (Uttarardmacarita).
Other Works of Sanskrit Literature
 Sanskrit is also well renowned for its extensive body of scientific
literature.
 For instance, Aryabhatta's "Aryabhattiyam" is a priceless book.
 An encyclopedia of sciences known as the "Vrihat Samhita" was created
by Varahamihira.
 Similarly, Charaka wrote the "Charak Samhita," a book on medicine.
 Rasaratnakara, a book on chemistry, was written by Sidha Nagarjuna,
another outstanding scientist.
 The "Brahmasphutasiddhanta" was written by the ancient physicist
Brahmgupta.
 For his literary accomplishments, Bana was well-known. Both Kadambari
and "Deeds of Harsha" (Harshacharita), two of his works, are significant.
An autobiography section in the earlier work is regarded as
"unparalleled" in Sanskrit literature. Bana is regarded as an unusual
individual. He alienated his royal sponsor because of his beliefs and
criticism of the doctrine of royal divinity. His empathy for the "poor and
humble" and his reputation as "the master of acute observation" made
him a unique personality in ancient India.
 Exceptional literary works on art and its symbolism, including
Kshirarnava and Suprabhedagama, were also produced in Sanskrit.

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