RBSE SS Sanskrit Literature key terms

Sanskrit prose, one of the two main divisions of classical Sanskrit literature alongside verse; includes narrative tales, fables, romantic prose works and biographical writing.

A prose narrative form in Sanskrit, often telling an invented or legendary story; distinguished from akhyayika, which traditionally draws on historical or quasi-historical events.

A Sanskrit prose narrative genre that recounts the deeds of a hero, traditionally said to be based on real or legendary events rather than pure invention.

A famous collection of Sanskrit animal fables attributed to Vishnu Sharma, organized into five tantras and teaching niti, or practical wisdom, through interrelated stories.

A Sanskrit collection of fables and moral tales attributed to Narayana, drawing heavily on the Panchatantra and offering counsel on friendship, statecraft and prudent conduct.

A celebrated Sanskrit prose romance by Banabhatta, left incomplete and finished by his son Bhushanabhatta; known for elaborate descriptive prose and intertwined narratives.

Seventh-century court poet of King Harshavardhana, author of the prose romance Kadambari and the historical biography Harshacharita, famed for ornate and complex style.

A Sanskrit prose biography by Banabhatta narrating the early life and rise of King Harshavardhana; a landmark of Sanskrit biographical prose and historical writing.

Sanskrit poetry composed in metrical verse, one of the two main divisions of classical Sanskrit literature, covering lyric, narrative and didactic poetry.

Polished, ornate Sanskrit literary composition in verse or prose, valued for aesthetic beauty, figurative language and emotional flavor rather than mere information.

The aesthetic flavor or emotional relish experienced by a cultivated reader or spectator; classical theory recognizes nine rasas, including shringara, karuna, veera and hasya.

A poetic figure or ornament, such as simile, metaphor or alliteration, used to heighten the beauty and expressive power of a Sanskrit verse.

The poetic figure of simile, in which one thing is explicitly compared to another using words such as iva or yatha; a basic alamkara taught in Sanskrit poetics.

The poetic figure of metaphor, in which an object is identified with another without an explicit word of comparison, unlike upama, which uses a comparative particle.

The figure of alliteration, in which the same consonant is repeated in close succession within a verse to create pleasing sound and rhythm.

The system of Sanskrit metrical verse; each meter is defined by a fixed pattern of light and heavy syllables, such as anushtubh, indravajra or shardulavikridita.

A well-turned Sanskrit verse expressing a memorable moral, practical or philosophical sentiment; anthologies of such verses are widely studied and recited.

Sanskrit term for wise conduct, policy and moral counsel, especially in matters of statecraft and everyday prudence; a central theme of fable literature.

An ancient Sanskrit treatise on drama and performance attributed to Bharata, discussing acting, stagecraft, rasa theory and the origin of dramatic art.

The principal type of classical Sanskrit play, typically in five to seven acts, with a noble hero, a heroine, a comic companion and a generally happy ending.

A famous Sanskrit play by Kalidasa dramatizing the love of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala, centering on the lost ring that restores the king's memory.

Classical Sanskrit poet and dramatist, author of Shakuntala, Malavikagnimitra, Vikramorvashiya, Raghuvamsha, Kumarasambhava, Meghaduta and the seasons poem Ritusamhara.

A Sanskrit lyric poem by Kalidasa in which a yaksha, exiled from his beloved, asks a passing cloud to carry a message of love to her.

The fourfold art of dramatic expression in Sanskrit theater: gesture, words, costume and make-up, and emotional portrayal of the character's inner state.

A case ending in Sanskrit nominal declension; eight cases are recognized, from nominative through vocative, each marked by specific suffixes.

The euphonic combination of sounds at word or morpheme boundaries in Sanskrit, such as vowel merging or consonant assimilation, governed by regular phonological rules.

A Sanskrit compound, formed by joining two or more words into a single unit; major types include tatpurusha, dvandva, bahuvrihi and avyayibhava.

The verbal root in Sanskrit from which verb forms, and often nouns, are derived; roots are grouped into ten classes with distinctive present-tense formations.

A Sanskrit word formed from a verbal root by adding a primary suffix, such as participles and infinitives; these forms function as nouns or adjectives.

Translation in Sanskrit, especially the practice of rendering a passage from Sanskrit into Hindi or English, or a Hindi or English passage into Sanskrit.

The full set of declined forms of a Sanskrit noun, pronoun or adjective across all cases and both numbers, learned by pattern in elementary grammar.

Relating to the Vedic period and its literature, comprising the four Vedas, the Brahmanas, Aranyakas and Upanishads, composed in early Vedic Sanskrit.

Classical or worldly Sanskrit literature, as distinguished from Vedic literature; includes the epics, Puranas, ornate poetry and drama of later centuries.

An ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to Valmiki, narrating the life of Rama, his exile, the abduction of Sita and the war against Ravana in Lanka.

The vast Sanskrit epic attributed to Vyasa, recounting the rivalry and war of the Pandavas and Kauravas and containing the Bhagavadgita and much didactic material.

A Sanskrit essay or structured composition; in examinations it denotes a short piece written on a given topic in correct, connected and idiomatic Sanskrit prose.

A letter in Sanskrit; applied writing tasks often require composing a formal or informal letter in Sanskrit following conventional salutation and closing formulas.