History of Sanskrit Literature (Sahitya Itihasa): Periods, Authors and Works
History of Sanskrit Literature (Sāhitya Itihāsa) tests chronology, author-work matching, genre, and period characteristics. Learn authors in clusters, with one signature work and one language or genre fact.
Periods and landmarks
- Vedic: Ṛgveda, Sāmaveda, Yajurveda, Atharvaveda; later Brāhmaṇas, Āraṇyakas, Upaniṣads.
- Epic: Rāmāyaṇa (Vālmīki), Mahābhārata (Vyāsa); didactic fables in the Pañcatantra tradition.
- Classical: Kālidāsa (Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Meghadūta, Raghuvaṃśa), Bhāsa (Svapnavāsavadatta), Śūdraka (Mṛcchakaṭika), Bhāravi (Kirātārjunīya), Māgha (Śiśupālavadha).
- Later: Bhavabhūti (Uttararāmacarita), Jayadeva (Gītagovinda), Śrīharṣa (Naiṣadhīyacarita).
Worked example
Question: “Who wrote Mṛcchakaṭika, and what kind of play is it?” Answer: Śūdraka; a prakaraṇa-like social play set in Ujjain, not a mythological nāṭaka. Reasoning: match the title to the author first, then add genre. Do not substitute Kālidāsa because he is the most famous dramatist.
Traps
Do not place Kālidāsa in the Vedic period; do not confuse Bhāsa with Bhavabhūti; do not assign Meghadūta to Jayadeva; do not treat the Mahābhārata as a single-author classical kāvya.