Sanskrit Literature | Shankaranarayana Upadhyaya

India is a land of rich classical heritage. The land of many great Thinkers and writers, our collection of literature in Sanskrit is Priceless. Known as the mother of many languages, Sanskritis abundant In the treasure of literature.

Many people think of Sanskrit in terms Of chants, hymns and verses.

Not many know the vast collection of Poetry, drama, stories and even epics in Sanskrit literature .

Sanskrit language literature is a very broad category that requires Elaborate understanding of this varied language.

In our related Sections, you shall find information about various Sanskrit epics, Plays and major Sanskrit pioneers of India.

With time, the definition of classical Sanskrit literature has also changed. It used to be primarily a source of gaining knowledge and was used a lot during religious rituals.

Now, Sanskrit has become a Language that is solely seen upon as an entity for entertainment.

People follow Sanskrit to amuse themselves rather than gain knowledge.

People may go to see plays or listen to legendary folklore in Sanskrit with the sole aim of entertaining themselves.

Priests who perform religious rituals use pure Sanskrit in India. Though attempts are being made to revive this ancient language in India, it will be a long time before people realize the value of this ancient language in the contemporary world.

As we progress by leaps and bounds in the 21st Century, we fail to value some of the most important things of life.

More often than not, they form the backbone of our progress and give us our own identity in this era of globalization. This ancient classical language is a plethora of knowledge that is useful even in this century.

We only need to use it judiciously in the right way and it is never too late to learn.

The combination of different genres of drama and Sanskrit resulted in giving us the literary treasure of Sanskrit Dramas and Sanskrit plays.

The famous dramatists of Sanskrit literature

Were Kalidasa, Bhasa, Shudraka and Asvaghosa who gave us many famous Sanskrit works.

With the revival of Sanskrit theater in modern times,

These Sanskrit plays are gaining much popularity Sanskrit

Scholars and theater enthusiasts. Given here are some famous Sanskrit

Plays that are worth a read.

Abhijnanashakuntalam:

Abhijnanasakuntalam is a beautiful tale of love and romance and how one moment can make or break a relation.

Written by one of the greatest Poets of India, Shakuntalam  is synonymous to its author, Kalidasa.

Malavikagnimitram:

The first play composed by the great poet Kalidasa is

Malavikagnimitram.

Often it is called Kalidasa Malavikagnimitram, as an honor to Kalidasa.

This beautiful play of intrigue grips its readers and keeps them glued till the very end. The plot of the play is cleverly constructed and it revolves around the King's love

Interest who is a maid in the royal palace.

Ritusamhara:

India has always believed in the harmonious relation between man and forces of nature and the importance of each season has been beautifully brought into light by the great poet Kalidasa in Ritu Samhaara, a poem written by him.

It can be called the "Medley of Seasons" or "Garland of Seasons".

The Ritusamharam has been divided into six main chapters, each chapter describing vividly, the seasons of India.

Vikramorvashiyam:

Written by the most famous poet Kalidasa, Vikramorvasiyam is a play that tells the tale of a mortal king Vikramaditya who is in love with a heavenly damsel, Urvashi.

It tells the story of his effort and determination and how he wins the love of the divine nymph, who is supposed to be the most gorgeous heavenly fairy.

Out of desperation, The king wanders through dense forests in search of his love. A truly intriguing tale of love and possessiveness, it contains beautiful

Verses that describe true love.

Mrichakatika:

Regarded as one of the earliest Indian plays written in Sanskrit, Mrichakatika is a beautiful play by Shudraka. The play is a comedy set in the royal backdrop in which love and mistaken identity play a part.

Translated in English, the name means little clay cart. It was written around the Gupta Period in Sanskrit.

Natya Shastra

Written by the sage Bharata Muni, this beautiful text was written in Sanskrit around 400 B.C. The text contains information on the minutest details that should be taken care of during dance. Thus, it can be said that Natya Shastra is set of rules and regulations that are implemented in fine arts in India.

The Natya Shastra is the first known text on dance and it has had a strong impact on classical dance forms in both olden and modern times

That's All for now! See you guys soon..

With Love,

-Shankara

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About the Author: 

Mr Shankaranarayana Upadhyaya .
A B.Sc Student at Bhandarkars' College Kundapura
He is also one among the active Associates of Coondapur.com
 

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