Ancient India produced a rich body of literature in Sanskrit, Pali and Prakrit. These books give information about religion, polity, science and daily life. Knowing the famous books and their authors is important for static GK in exams.
The Vedic Literature
The oldest texts are the four Vedas: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda and Atharvaveda. The Rigveda is the oldest. They are followed by the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads. The Upanishads deal with philosophy and the soul.
Epics and Religious Texts
- The Ramayana was written by Valmiki.
- The Mahabharata was composed by Ved Vyasa and contains the Bhagavad Gita.
- Buddhist texts called the Tripitakas are in Pali.
- Jain texts are called the Agamas.
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Famous Authors and Their Works
- Kautilya (Chanakya) wrote the Arthashastra, a book on statecraft and economics.
- Kalidasa wrote Abhijnanasakuntalam, Meghaduta and Raghuvamsha.
- Panini wrote the Ashtadhyayi on Sanskrit grammar.
- Vishakhadatta wrote the Mudrarakshasa.
- Banabhatta wrote the Harshacharita on King Harsha.
Why These Books Matter
These texts are major sources of ancient Indian history. Matching the book with its author is the simplest way to score in this topic.
Quick Revision Points
- Oldest Veda: Rigveda.
- Ramayana by Valmiki; Mahabharata by Ved Vyasa.
- Arthashastra by Kautilya.
- Abhijnanasakuntalam by Kalidasa.
- Ashtadhyayi by Panini.
- Harshacharita by Banabhatta.
- Buddhist texts: Tripitakas (in Pali).