Kerala +2 Sanskrit Sahitya flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Kadambari

Ornate Sanskrit prose romance by Banabhatta, featuring long compounds and descriptions; tells the intertwined stories of Kadambari, Chandrapida, and Vaishampayana; a classic of gadya (prose) literature.

Panchatantra

Ancient Sanskrit collection of animal fables framed as Vishnu Sharma teaching three princes; five tantras on statecraft and friendship; simple prose with embedded verses; widely translated.

Harshacharita

Biography of King Harsha by Banabhatta; first two chapters describe ancestry and early life; written in ornate poetic prose; important historical and literary source.

Meghaduta

Sanskrit messenger poem by Kalidasa in mandakranta meter; a yaksha sends a message to his wife through a cloud; 111 verses; pioneering sandesha kavya.

Raghuvamsha

Epic poem by Kalidasa in 19 cantos on the solar dynasty; covers kings from Dilipa to Agnivarna; known for similes and epic grandeur; a mahakavya.

Shishupalavadha

Epic poem by Magha in 20 cantos; based on the Mahabharata episode of Shishupala's slaying; famous for intricate figures of speech and grammatical mastery.

Abhijnanashakuntala

Sanskrit play by Kalidasa in 7 acts; love story of Shakuntala and Dushyanta; ring recognition motif; celebrated for rasa and natural characterization; includes vidushaka.

Mrichchhakatika

Sanskrit play by Shudraka in 10 acts; love of Charudatta and Vasantasena; depicts court intrigue and social realism; called 'little clay cart'.

Mudrarakshasa

Sanskrit political drama by Vishakhadatta in 7 acts; on Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya; no female characters; dominant rasa is artha (statecraft).

Natyashastra

Foundational Sanskrit treatise on drama, dance, and music by Bharata; 36 chapters; defines natya as imitation of life; covers rasa, bhava, abhinaya, and theatre architecture.

Rasa theory

Aesthetic theory from Natyashastra: eight rasas (shringara, hasya, karuna, raudra, vira, bhayanaka, bibhatsa, adbhuta); rasa arises from vibhava, anubhava, and vyabhichari bhava.

Sandhi

Sanskrit phonological rules for combining sounds at word boundaries; types include savarna-dirgha, guna, vriddhi, yan, ayava, and visarga sandhi; essential for correct pronunciation and grammar.

Samasa

Sanskrit compound formation; major types: tatpurusha, karmadharaya, dvigu, bahuvrihi, dvandva, avyayibhava; each has specific rules for gender and compound formation.

Karaka

Sanskrit case relationship: six karakas (karta, karma, karana, sampradana, apadana, adhikarana); vibhaktis assigned based on karaka; e.g., karta takes prathama vibhakti.

Declension

Sanskrit noun inflection: eight cases (vibhakti) and three numbers; endings vary by gender and stem; examples: deva (m.), phala (n.), latā (f.).

Conjugation

Sanskrit verb inflection: ten classes (gana); parasmaipada and atmanepada; six tenses/moods (lat, lit, lut, lrit, lot, lan); primary and secondary endings.

Upama

Sanskrit figure of speech: simile; comparison between two dissimilar objects using words like iva or yatha; requires sadharmya (similarity) and vaidharmya (difference).

Rupaka

Sanskrit figure of speech: metaphor; identification of two objects without comparison words; e.g., 'the moon is a lamp'; subtypes include sarvanga and ekadesha.

Chandas

Sanskrit meter; based on syllable count and pattern; types: akshara (syllabic) and matra (moraic); examples: anushtubh (8 syllables per quarter), mandakranta (17), shardulavikridita (19).

Dhvani theory

Poetic theory by Anandavardhana in Dhvanyaloka; suggests dhvani (suggestion) as the soul of poetry; three types: vastu, alankara, rasa; rasa-dhvani is highest.

Vakrokti

Poetic theory by Kuntaka in Vakroktijivita; poetic language is characterized by vakrokti (oblique expression); six types: varna, padapurvardha, pada, pada, vakya, prakarana.

Kalidasa

Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist (4th-5th c. CE); works include Abhijnanashakuntala, Meghaduta, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava; known for similes and rasa.

Banabhatta

7th-century Sanskrit prose writer; authored Kadambari and Harshacharita; known for ornate prose with long compounds; court poet of King Harsha.

Bhavabhuti

8th-century Sanskrit dramatist; works include Uttararamacharita, Malatimadhava, Mahaviracarita; known for karuna rasa and elaborate style.

Anandavardhana

9th-century Sanskrit literary critic; authored Dhvanyaloka; propounded dhvani theory; influenced later poetics; commented on by Abhinavagupta.

Literal translation

Word-for-word translation preserving original structure; often awkward in Sanskrit due to compounds and sandhi; useful for technical texts but not for literary works.

Idiomatic translation

Sense-for-sense translation conveying meaning naturally in target language; preferred for Sanskrit literary texts; may involve expanding compounds and adjusting word order.

Nibandha

Sanskrit essay or composition; structured writing on a topic; requires introduction, body, and conclusion; assessed for grammar, coherence, and vocabulary.

Prarthana patra

Sanskrit application letter; format includes sender's address, date, recipient, subject, salutation, body, and closing; used for formal requests.

Vedas

Four ancient Sanskrit scriptures: Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda; each has Samhita, Brahmana, Aranyaka, Upanishad; oral tradition with precise recitation.

Bhagavad Gita

700-verse Sanskrit scripture within the Mahabharata; dialogue between Krishna and Arjuna; teaches karma, jnana, and bhakti yoga; core text of Hindu philosophy.

Kutiyattam

Traditional Sanskrit theatre form from Kerala; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage; performed in temple theatres; known for elaborate abhinaya and mizhavu drum accompaniment.