Literature & Indian Culture: Know In Art & Culture With Devdutt Pattanaik EP17 | UPSC Essentials

Summary

In this episode of 'Art and Culture with D. Patnayak,' the host Manas Sastrav discusses the systematic study of Indian literature through historical and geographical lenses. The conversation spans from Vedic and Buddhist literature to the emergence of regional languages and British influence. Key genres like mantras, sutras, shastras, and kavya are explored, along with the significance of classical Sanskrit literature during the Gupta period. The episode concludes with a thought-provoking question on the impact of travelogues on understanding Indian culture, encouraging viewers to consider the diverse perspectives these accounts offer.

Takeaways

• 📚 The script discusses the evolution of literature as a reflection of culture, emphasizing the importance of studying Indian literature through historical and geographical lenses.
• 🕰 It outlines a chronological approach to studying Indian literature, starting from the Vedic period, through the rise of Buddhism, to the emergence of regional languages and the influence of foreign cultures.
• 🌏 The geographical significance in literature is highlighted, with the emergence of Tamil literature being noted as the first non-North Indian literature, followed by other regional literatures.
• 📜 The script explains various genres of Indian literature, including mantras, sutras, shastras, kavya, and champu, illustrating the diversity and richness of literary forms.
• 🎭 The importance of plays (natakas) and poetry in conveying stories and religious teachings is underscored, showing the blend of prose and verse in traditional Indian literature.
• 📖 The Gupta period is identified as the classical period for Sanskrit literature, marking a transition from religious to secular literature and the refinement of Sanskrit grammar by Panini.
• 👑 The royal court's role in the development of Sanskrit literature is mentioned, with the creation of kavya poetry for entertainment, distinct from religious texts.
• 🌟 Key literary figures such as Kalidasa, Bhasa, and Asvaghosha are highlighted for their contributions to Sanskrit literature, including plays and the biography of Buddha.
• 📝 The script touches on the importance of understanding the difference between Vedic Sanskrit and classical Sanskrit, which is crucial for appreciating the nuances of Indian literature.
• 🧐 The value of travelogues written by visitors to India, such as Greeks, Chinese, and Arabs, is suggested as a point to ponder, indicating their potential contribution to the understanding of Indian culture.
• 📚 The necessity for students to not only read about literature and culture but also to retain, revise, recall, and reproduce information effectively in examinations is emphasized.

Q & A

What is the significance of studying literature from a cultural perspective?

Studying literature from a cultural perspective helps us understand the historical and geographical contexts that have shaped literary works, allowing for a deeper appreciation of the culture and its literary expressions over time.

How does the historical time frame influence the study of Indian literature?

The historical time frame is crucial as it helps to categorize and understand literature from different periods, such as the Vedic period, the rise of Buddhist literature, the emergence of Sanskrit literature in the Sutra and Shastra period, and the development of regional languages and literatures.

What is the importance of geographical time frame in studying Indian literature?

The geographical time frame is significant as it helps identify the regional influences and the emergence of regional literatures, such as Tamil literature in South India, and the spread of languages and literatures across different regions of India.

How did the arrival of Central Turks impact Indian literature?

The arrival of Central Turks introduced Arabic and Persian literature to India, leading to the rise of a new language called Hindavi and the emergence of a new literary tradition.

What is the role of the novel form in the evolution of Indian literature?

The novel form emerged in India with the influence of British literature in the 19th century, marking a significant shift in the way stories were structured and presented in Indian literature.

What are the different genres of Indian literature mentioned in the script?

The script mentions several genres of Indian literature, including mantras, sutras, shastras, kavya, cāṇḍas, sūtras, ślokas, bhāṣyas, and champu literature, each with its unique characteristics and historical significance.

What is the difference between Vedic Sanskrit and Classical Sanskrit?

Vedic Sanskrit is the older form of the language, dating back to around 3000 years ago, while Classical Sanskrit emerged around the time of the Buddha and was standardized by the grammarian Pāṇini, becoming the language of refined literature and intellectual discourse during the Gupta period.

Why is Kālidāsa's work significant in the context of Sanskrit literature?

Kālidāsa is significant because he is one of the major Sanskrit poets and playwrights who contributed to the development of cāṇḍa kavya, or ornate poetry, and his works, such as 'Shakuntalā' and 'Meghadūta', are considered masterpieces of Sanskrit literature.

What is the significance of the Gupta period in the history of Indian literature?

The Gupta period is considered the classical period for Sanskrit literature, marked by the refinement of the language and the emergence of secular literature, including kavya poetry and plays, which were written for the entertainment of the royal court.

How did the oral tradition influence the early development of Indian literature?

The oral tradition played a significant role in the early development of Indian literature, as many works, including the Vedas and Buddhist texts, were transmitted orally for a long period before being written down, reflecting the importance of memorization and recitation in ancient Indian culture.

What is the role of travelogues in understanding Indian culture?

Travelogues written by visitors from different parts of the world who traveled to India provide valuable insights into the cultural, social, and political aspects of India at different periods, offering a diverse perspective on the country's history and cultural exchanges.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Introduction to the Study of Indian Literature and Culture

The video script opens with an introduction to the importance of literature as a foundation of culture. It emphasizes the need to study literature systematically, particularly Indian literature, in the context of historical and geographical frameworks. The speaker, Manas, introduces Davat Patnayak, who will guide the audience through various topics related to art and culture. Davat begins by discussing the significance of studying literature from the perspectives of history and geography, using examples from different periods such as the Vedic period, the rise of Buddhism, and the emergence of regional languages. He also touches on the importance of understanding the evolution of literature over time, from the Vedas to the rise of classical Sanskrit literature.

05:00

🌐 Genres of Indian Literature and Their Cultural Significance

This paragraph delves into the various genres of Indian literature, explaining how they reflect the cultural and historical context of their creation. Davat outlines different types of literature, such as mantras, sutras, shastras, and schlokas, each with its unique characteristics and purposes. He also discusses the emergence of new forms like natakas (dramas), champu literature, and the incorporation of stories and poetry in the transmission of knowledge. The paragraph highlights the importance of understanding these genres not just as literary forms but as cultural artifacts that provide insights into the societies from which they originated.

10:03

📜 Literary Evolution and Major Texts from Pre-Gupta to Gupta Period

The speaker discusses the evolution of Indian literature, focusing on the transition from pre-Gupta to Gupta periods. He outlines the development of Vedic literature, including the four Vedas and associated texts like Brahmanas and Upanishads. Davat also covers the emergence of Buddhist and Jain literature, which challenged and influenced Vedic traditions. The Gupta period is highlighted as a time of significant change, marked by the composition of the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the rise of classical Sanskrit literature. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of understanding the historical progression of literature and its cultural impact.

15:05

🎭 The Gupta Period: A Golden Age of Sanskrit Literature

This section highlights the Gupta period as a classical era for Sanskrit literature, marked by a refinement of the language and a shift towards secular themes. Davat explains the distinction between Vedic Sanskrit and classical Sanskrit, with the latter emerging from the Maitri period and flourishing during the Gupta era. He discusses the transformation of literature from religious texts to secular stories, such as the Ramayana and Mahabharata, and the emergence of Sanskrit plays by playwrights like Kalidasa. The paragraph underscores the cultural significance of this period in shaping the literary landscape of India.

20:05

🌏 Travelogues: A Window into Indian Culture Through Foreign Eyes

The final paragraph introduces a thought-provoking point about the importance of travelogues in understanding Indian culture. It suggests that accounts written by travelers from Greece, China, Arabia, Persia, Central Asia, and Europe who visited India offer unique perspectives on the country's culture. The speaker encourages viewers to consider the impact and value of these travelogues as historical and cultural documents, hinting at the potential for future discussions on this topic.

Keywords

💡Literature

Literature refers to the body of written works, including poetry, drama, and prose, that express ideas and emotions through language. In the video's context, literature is the foundation for exploring and understanding the cultural evolution and expression of various societies over time. The script discusses literature as a vast topic that needs to be studied systematically, with a focus on Indian literature to appreciate Indian culture.

💡Historical Time Frame

A historical time frame is a specific period or era in history that provides a context for understanding the development and changes in cultural elements such as literature. The script emphasizes the importance of studying literature within historical time frames, like the Vedic period, the rise of Buddhism, and the emergence of classical Sanskrit literature, to appreciate the shifts and influences on Indian culture.

💡Geographical Time Frame

A geographical time frame relates to the study of cultural elements in relation to their geographic origins and distribution over time. The video script uses the geographical time frame to discuss the emergence of regional languages and literatures in India, such as Tamil, and how geography influenced the development of literature, including the arrival of Central Turks and the introduction of Persian and Arabic literature.

💡Mantras

Mantras are sacred utterances or chants from the Vedic period, often used in rituals and believed to have spiritual power. In the script, mantras are mentioned as an early form of literature that was part of the oral tradition and later compiled into collections, forming the basis of Vedic literature.

💡Sutra and Shastra

Sutra and Shastra are genres of classical Indian literature. Sutra refers to concise, aphoristic statements or principles, while Shastra denotes a body of knowledge or systematic exposition on a particular subject. The script discusses the Sutra and Shastra period as a time when new Sanskrit literature emerged in response to Buddhist literature, indicating a significant development in Indian literary tradition.

💡Classical Sanskrit

Classical Sanskrit is a standardized and refined form of the Sanskrit language, as systematized by the grammarian Panini. The script distinguishes between Vedic Sanskrit and classical Sanskrit, highlighting the Gupta period as a time of transformation in Sanskrit literature, with the emergence of secular literature alongside religious texts.

💡Caviya

Caviya, or Kavya, refers to a genre of classical Sanskrit literature that includes poetry and epic poetry. The script mentions Caviya in the context of the Gupta period, indicating the flourishing of refined Sanskrit poetry, with works such as the Mahabharata and Ramayana being written or refined during this time.

💡Buddhist Literature

Buddhist literature encompasses the religious texts and scriptures of Buddhism, which include teachings, stories, and philosophical discourses. The video script discusses the rise of Buddhist literature during the post-Buddha period, highlighting its impact on the development of Sanskrit and Prakrit literature in India.

💡Regional Languages

Regional languages refer to the various languages spoken in different regions of a country, as opposed to a national or official language. The script discusses the emergence of regional languages in India around a thousand years ago, with South Indian languages, East Indian languages, and the rise of Hindi and Urdu due to the influence of Central Turks, showcasing the linguistic diversity and its cultural significance.

💡British Literature

British literature denotes the body of written works produced in the United Kingdom. In the context of the script, British literature is mentioned in relation to the 17th century when the British arrived in India, leading to the introduction of new literary forms, such as the novel, which had a significant impact on Indian literature.

💡Genres

Genres are categories of literature based on form, content, or style. The script explores various genres of Indian literature, such as mantras, sutras, shastras, schlokas, and cavia, to illustrate the diversity and richness of India's literary tradition and how these genres reflect the cultural and societal values of their time.

Highlights

Literature is the foundation of culture, reflecting the evolution of languages and scripts over time.

Studying Indian literature from a cultural perspective requires a historical and geographical framework.

Indian literature is vast and should be studied systematically, considering historical periods like the Vedic era, Buddhist period, and the Gupta period.

Regional languages and literatures emerged around 1000 years ago, influenced by geography and historical events.

The arrival of Central Turks introduced Arabic and Persian literature, leading to the rise of new languages like Hindavi and Urdu in India.

The British influence in the 17th century brought British literature and the novel form to India in the 19th century.

Genres of Indian literature include mantras, sutras, shastras, kavya, and bhasha, each with distinct characteristics.

The Gupta period marked a classical era for Sanskrit literature, with refined poetry and plays.

The Vedic literature includes samhitas, brahmanas, aranyakas, and upanishads, forming the religious corpus of ancient India.

Buddhist literature is captured in three baskets: vinaya, sutra, and abhidharma, reflecting ethical, moral, and metaphysical aspects.

The shastra period introduced organized knowledge in the form of sutras and shlokas, covering various aspects of life and rituals.

Tamil literature, spanning 2000 years, includes akam and puram poetry, reflecting love and war themes.

The importance of retaining, revising, recalling, and reproducing information in examinations cannot be overstated.

Studying literature through the lens of history and geography provides a comprehensive understanding of culture.

The emergence of regional literatures like Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Bengali follows a specific sequence, reflecting cultural development.

The interaction of various genres within stories, such as the inclusion of poetry within narratives, highlights the integral role of poetry in Indian literature.

Travel logs written by visitors to India, such as Greeks, Chinese, and Europeans, offer valuable insights into Indian culture.

Transcripts

the literary Foundation of any culture

tells us how languages and scripts have

evolved over time in this series The

Next Big Thing through which culture

shows itself is

literature vast topic isn't it but let's

simplify it for you today in our today's

episode of art and culture with d

patnayak

[Applause]

[Music]

hello everyone I am Manas sastav and you

are watching upsc Essentials of the

Indian Express where we are in

conversation with davat bnayak who tells

us who guides us and who explains

various issues and topics related to art

and culture in the past few episodes

you've been seeing that we are talking

about literary art we're talking about

languages scripts writing materials

today it is quite logical to talk about

literature which itself is a vast topic

and therefore we should study it in a

very systematic

manner now before understanding about

various

literatures let us first come to a very

important question which is a basic

building block of this topic is that how

should we study Indian literature from

the perspective of culture D that if you

can guide our students how do we study

Indian literature to appreciate Indian

culture we have to always understand

Indian culture which is very vast using

a historical time frame and a

geographical time frame for example

historically we have to study literature

from the viic period Then after Buddha

Rises so the Buddhist literature in the

post Buddhist period uh this is uh you

know in reaction to Buddhism then there

is new Sanskrit literature emerging it

is called the Sutra and the shastra

period which is emerging now so you have

U you know how history is Shifting over

time so thousand years ago you have um

vidc poetry 2,500 years ago you have the

rise of prakrit works of Buddhism and

ganism around 2,000 years ago you have

the rise of classical Sanskrit and the

rise of Sutra and shastra literature

about 1500 years ago you have cavia

poetries classical Sanskrit poetry from

the Gupta period works of Basha bhuti

kalidas you know um you have ramayan has

been composed Mahabharat has been

composed then about thousand years ago

is the major thing which happens around

thousand years ago you have Regional

languages emerging once you talk about

Regional languages um geography comes

into the picture so you have the South

Indian languages the east Indian languag

is emerging then you have the arrival of

the Central Central Turks with them

comes Arabic literature Persian

literature and the rise of a new

language called hindavi and Udu in India

so time sort of tells you a lot then

17th century the British come and

therefore now British literature emerges

the novel form emerges in the 19th form

so history tells you how to study

literature then you have to look at

geographically uh when we talk of Vic

literature when we talk of Buddhist Jan

literature uh when we talk of um early

Sanskrit literature we're really talking

about North India gtic Plains madhesh

and of course madhia Pradesh but the

first non-n North Indian literature to

emerge is Tamil literature that's a very

big topic and we have to talk about

Tamil literature which spans for 2,000

years ago it starts um and a whole bunch

of Tamil literature emerges um then you

have the rise of regional literature now

before the rise of regional literature

you have the prits and prits if you look

carefully have a regional tilt about

them there is magadii so it's near Bihar

SA which is near the matura region

maharash which is near the Maharashtra

region so you can see how the region

name is coming uh maharasht prit saasen

um prit you have um the magadii prit uh

regions become important another

geographical clue comes as I said

thousand years ago when Regional

literature Rises you have uh after Tamil

you have Canada then you have Telugu Ura

followed by Bengali and Malayalam so

look at the sequence first it's Tamil

then it's Canada then it's Telugu and

Ura followed by Bengal Bengali

literature and um asamese literature um

you have uh malayali literature uh of

course there's a lot of arguments which

comes first and all but generally this

is the sequence that we take ases can be

a little earlier um and then you have

the North Indian literature is emerging

braj Basha literature aadii literature

so you have tulsidas writing

you have got U jasi writing and then you

have Persian literature Udu literature

emerging gradually over time than modern

literature emerging so geography plays a

very important role history plays a very

important role thank you D I think it's

a very important framework which you

give to students to you know understand

such a vast topic like literature and

culture students you should remember

that you know there's one thing to read

a chapter and topic but then more

important is to

retain revise recall and reproduce in

your uh examination and for that such

such Frameworks like studying a topic

from the perspective of you know

framework of history and geography time

and space become so important and

therefore when you're making notes try

to you know incorporate such tools such

techniques which uh through which D that

explains his uh topics for your

examination now let's move on to the

next very important question and uh we

all know that literature in our country

is not just one type of literature or

there's no one variety there there are

multiple kinds of literature uh to

Simply put it that we have various

genres of Indian literature so D that

can you please uh Enlighten us on

various genres of Indian literature what

are the major genres like genres how do

you understand Indian literature some of

the uh words that I used for example uh

when you're reading the vidc period you

talk about mantras so the mantras which

are written um and they form because

they're oral Traditions they're

Remembered in the metrical format

there's a Chanda so number of syllables

in each line number of lines each line

has a set of syllables to help you Aid

memory so these are called mantras then

you have sutras which are fixed

sentences then you have shastras which

are more pros and less poet poetry so

there's poetry and there is Pros poetry

is called schlo schloka has a rhythmic

format and there is Sutra which is Pros

but in a stakato sentences yoga Sutra

early Dharma Sutra followed by Dharma

shastra shastra you have scho which is

poetic and then you have Bashas which

are commentaries so Pros poetry then

vast commentaries called Bashas and this

these are some of the genres that we

remember in Classical period we have

cavia literature so cavia is poetry epic

poetry there's Maha cavia is epics cavia

is poetry

um that's how you remember the various

genre is it poetry is it Pros if it is

poetry then is it Mantra poetry is it

shlokas uh is it cavya if it is Pros is

it brahmana literature from the Vic

period

or is it shastras which is organized

knowledge uh or is it um what about

shlokas which are rhythmic poetries

which are told so you can chant them

very um they are Pros but they are

written in this rhythmic

format these are some of the Jour Bashas

are commentaries vast commentaries

written on the shastras so sutras would

be a sentence and then you have a bhasha

so you'll have a mimansa Sutra followed

by mimansa Basha Sutra is a short

sentence and aphorism in English

followed by a commentary so these are

some of the genres to remember cavia is

an important thing when you talk of

kalidasa the naaka has become important

plays uh which are more dialogue based

very different from mahak cavia then

there is something called

um champu literature there is something

called champu literature which is Pros

followed by Beach be by poetry so champu

is very famous where there will be pros

and poetry then there are of course

stories which are written lots of

stories jataka Tales panchatantra T

hitopadesha these are stories but again

the stories in the middle of it you'll

find little bits of poetry all the

knowledge is passed on in the form of

poetry you have the stories which are

written

um novel format as we know it today the

novel emerges much later um comes only

with the British 19th century the novels

start being written ravindr tagor writes

novels uh mad Michael madhusudan write

novels so the idea of a novel comes to

India much later in the 19th century

before that we have natakas cavas and of

course gas songs bhajans krans songs

oral Traditions preferred poetry

preferred songs uh written Literature

Like shastras

Bashas um are mostly among the educated

class who have access to texts but the

average people have access to poetry and

therefore poetry plays a very important

role so all those who are watching our

show today will understand and will

agree that when you are studying a topic

like literature from the perspective of

culture it's it's just not the text or

the matter or what is written in the

literature which is important for us uh

what is also important are these

building blocks like genres okay which

tells you so much about that particular

society uh about literature

itself for example pros and poetry we

all know about it we use it we are fond

of it even today isn't it but uh how is

it that these uh uh genres become

important from the perspective of

culture to understand that particular

literature that is something which we

should focus on now let's move on to the

next question if B you allow next

question is a big question it's a vast

question which is uh sometimes difficult

to

teach then there's also difficult to

study especially to retain and when I'm

talking about all these things you will

understand that I'm talking about how to

list down or what are the

important literary text or the

literature which students should keep in

their mind while they're studying this

topic uh if you can Enlighten

us so uh what are the major literatures

let's say if you want to understand

literature from pre Vic uh sorry pre

Gupta times now Gupta period is around

um we take 500 C simple way of under

remembering it's about 4th Century CE

1500 years ago but Indian history begins

uh at least literary history is 3,000

years ago so in those 1500 years that is

between 1,000 BCE and 500 CE this 1500

years what was the literature that was

produced now most of the literature that

we have is from North India uh and later

you have Tamil literature so first you

classify it as we have North Indian Vic

literature uh and then you have some

Tamil literature coming in the latter

part of this period now North Indian

literature which is sanskrit can again

be divided into vidc Sanskrit literature

and then post Panini classical Sanskrit

literature uh we also have prakrit

literature emerging from the Bihar

region in the form of Jin and Buddhist

uh compositions these were all

transmitted orally for a very long

period before they were put down in

writing writing comes to India much

later these are I'm building up the case

now what is the oldest Vic literature

that we have we have the mantras that

are compiled as samitas the rig rig

samita Sam samita yajur samita and Atara

samita samita means collection these are

mantras these are poetries they are

accompanied by Pros which is called

brahmana literature so all of them have

brahmanas associated with them one

specific form of Brahma is called the

araka literature araka literature Brahma

literature dealt with rituals which are

performed inside the village araka dealt

with rituals that are performed in the

forest ARA means Forest but they

basically Pros literature explaining

rituals uh in in which these mantras

were attached all religious literature

right then we have some philosophical

Works called as open so the philosophy

starts to emerge now this is around um

we have come to 800

BCE uh so we are still 2,800 years ago

so quite some time now comes the Buddha

now these are all the Vic cus this Vic

cus is you know I call it 4x4 Matrix 4x4

is r s atar yajur that's the rows and

the columns would be samitas brahmanas

aranas open that's one cus then comes

the Buddhist literature that's like a

challenge coming to these people and and

you have again they are all oral

Traditions Buddha uh's knowledge is

captured in three baskets the first

basket is called vinaka rules for monks

then there is the suaka which is the

ethical and moral conduct for General

people and adaka which is more

metaphysical and philosophical so these

are the Buddhist texts that are emerging

you also have the gentics emerging which

are called aamas and angas now what

happens is they're orally transmitted in

case of the Jan text it is said that uh

many of them were lost and therefore the

D gambers and the shamers argue how much

of the ancient literature still survives

now as we come to about 2,000 years ago

dramatic change takes place the vidc

people now confronted with Buddhist and

Jin ideas redefine themselves and a new

set of literature emerges this is called

the shastra period shastra basically

means organized knowledge knowled the

knowledge is sometimes written in short

sentences these are called sutras or in

Poetic formats which are called shlokas

rhythmic schok schloka is rhythmic

poetry and Sutra is short T Pros now so

you have the shastras being written what

are the shastras being written um so you

have Dharma shastras you have ARA

shastra you

have

kastra you have n shra so Dharma shastra

deals with how to live your life it

deals with uh daily rituals rituals

through your life it deals with VNA Ash

Dharma VNA is cast rules ashama is about

how you get married retire then there

are rights of Passage rituals to be

performed at the time of birth at the

time of death at the time of marriage

that's dastra arastra deals with

economics and politics kastra deals with

pleasure NRA deals with theater so the

shastra literature is emerging um this

is also the Vic culture is dying so you

have uh books being written uh to

capture and remember the old vidc ways

these are called the vanga rituals the

vanga books are basically to remember

those Old Vic ways so you have how to

measure time that is jooa shastra how to

measure space and geometry sua shastra

how to perform ceremonies kalpa sutras

um sutras remember the word I'm using

kalpa Sutra sometimes and shastra

sometimes Sutra is the short sentences

shastra is organized knowledge in the

schloka format uh you have the sh sutras

the Ceremonies for public and the graas

sutras which are Ceremonies for private

all these are being compiled you also

have books related to language nuk which

is about etimology vakar which is about

gramar Sika which is about phonetics

Chanda which is about how to how many

syllables and how many sentences create

the perfect poetry so that's Chanda and

you have these subjects emerging so

language becomes important time space

becomes important ceremony becomes

important because they're dying because

in the Buddhist and J influence the

world is going through a dramatic change

this is the Maan period we approaching

the Gupta period by which time we have

um extremely refined Sanskrit poetry of

bhasha kalidasa the poetry the cavia

literature by which time you have the

mahak cavas have been written so the

ramayan has been written the Mahabharat

has been written not just orally

composed but they've started being

written the puranas start to emerge the

stories of Shiva Vishnu Brahma the Hindu

Trinity so all these are religious

literature also reappearing but it's a

new form of Hinduism emerging important

to understand the process by which this

is happening and now South India opens

up you have Tamil literature emerging

the forms of songs of Love and War

coming from Tamil Nadu songs of love and

these are called suum poetry because

they were sung in Gatherings where

everybody came together that was called

the suum and you have Sanam poetry

emerging um remember if you had Sanskrit

grammar of Panini you have a Tamil

grammar called

tum uh so you have Tamil literature

emerging um and you have Tamil epics

being written uh with this Buddhist inin

in nature like

shikar manial so you have the

Tamil literature emerging this is but

till the Gupta period after that of

course it changes again so we all were

prepared that it's going to be a long

answer because there are so many

literature

or examp but what is important for you

to know that you need to know these

certain uh you know major and important

literature D just talked about not only

from the perspective of your factual

knowledge of prelims but also from the

perspective of means answer writing

because after all what will you write in

the body of your answer so you should

know about them uh this there's a very

famous phrase that you should know

something about everything and

everything about something so try to

apply that uh now let's move on to uh

next important question because we

talked about pre Gupta period but when

we come to Gupta period

specifically we we hear that it was a

Classical period for Sanskrit

literature is it true D so when we see

classic Sanskrit literature we're really

talking about the Gupta period so 1500

years ago now first we must understand

the difference between Vic Sanskrit and

classical Sanskrit between Vic Sanskrit

and classical Sanskrit so Vic Sanskrit

is as I said 3,000 years old around the

time of the Buddha there is a Garian who

lives in the Gandhara takshashila region

which is modern Pakistan and Pani this

man's name is Panini he's a grammarian

and he puts down gramar rules which

become very very important and when

people start writing following Panini

grammar we call it classical Sanskrit so

classical Sanskrit emerges uh from the

maian period and refines Itself by the

Gupta period and therefore you see a

shift in Sanskrit literature and we find

a transformation in literature from a

very religious literature which is a

vidc corpus of uh which we have

discussed for the r s yajur um Atara the

samitas the brahmanas aranas upanishads

and of course this Corpus of vanga all

these are religious literature that is

emerging and in response to that you

have other forms of religious semi-

religious literature Mo social the

shastra texts emerging uh shastra texts

such as Dharma shastra AR shastra kastra

these are emerging but then you have a

shift in The Classical period of secular

literature now what has happened is we

must remember on something called

Pancham V the Old Vic ways are dying and

in order to survive new Innovations are

emerging and one of the Innovations is

let's tell the form of tell these ideas

in the form of stories so ramayan and

Mahabharat is written between the maian

period and the Gupta period in U

classical Sanskrit it is a mix of

classical Sanskrit and Vic Sanskrit to

be honest and based on this you have

plays Sanskrit plays that start to be

written uh by the Gupta period so Basha

writes uh Sans plays on ramayan and

Mahabharat so does kalidas so you know

when you read kalidas is plays

shakuntalam it is deals with episode in

the Mahabharata or he talks

about urvashi and pururava again an

episode from the Mahabharata he also

writes ragua which is on ramayan now

before kalidas there was another scholar

known as bhasha who also wrote plays in

Sanskrit for ramayan based and

Mahabharat based So ramayan based plays

like pratim nataka and then there is uh

Mahabharat plays like urub bangam or the

breaking of duryodhan's tha or Kabam the

burden of karna pancharatra five nights

and before bash so you have kalidasa and

just before kalidasa you have Basha and

just before Basha you have a guy called

asag goosha now this is an important

name to remember because asag hosha

writes In classical Sanskrit but he's

not writing stories related to The Vedas

or to the puranas or ramay and

Mahabharat he's interested in Buddha's

life and he writes Buddha Char the first

time we have the live the biography of

the Buddha is written in classical

Sanskrit by asosa and that is an

important thing to remember because it's

classical Sanskrit but it is not uh

ramayan Mahabharat that's happening

around this time the Jes also start

using Sanskrit at this time there's

something a very famous philosophical

test respected by both the ders and the

Sham that is composed around this time

which is called Tas Sutra by UMAS Swami

which contains the essence of Jin

philosophy which is emerging in Sanskrit

at this time so you have Buddhist

literature emerging in Sanskrit you have

Jin literature emerging in Sanskrit and

you have Hindu literature but really the

court literature it's cavia poetry

produced for the entertainment of the

royal members of the Court not religious

literature the kind that you found in uh

the Vic Corpus of course panas are being

written these are religious literature

around this time also so the earliest

puran that we have would be Vishnu puran

uh which would be around the 4th Century

CE so around the Gupta period so that's

how you understand the classical

Sanskrit of the Gupta

period thank you very much ddat for

first of all starting that answer by

telling us a difference between the

classical Sanskrit and the Vic Sanskrit

and that's how in fact these answers

should start because you have to uh

start with Basics and um even even in

your examination when you're writing an

answer do keep these things in mind that

even if the answer is or the question is

quite Advanced and analytical these are

the certain points which uh one look for

in your answers so one thing is that and

the other thing which I noticed is that

when you mentioned about ramay

Mahabharat Buddhas and J text or

literature I'm sure a lot of students

would have

thought

that so maybe in the uh upcoming

episodes we'll talk more in detail about

uh these very popular uh text and lit

literary sources which everybody is

interested in uh now before going

towards the end of this episode I would

request you to give a point to ponder

for your

[Music]

viewers so I want you to think about

um travel logs when people travel to

India many people travel to India right

Greeks travel to India Chinese people

travel to India AR people from Arabia

Persia Central Asia traveled to India

people from Europe traveled to India and

they wrote travelogs now what is the

impact and importance of these travelogs

in understanding Indian culture think

about it wow that's a great point to

ponder very interesting and personally

for me because I'm interested in this

question and we'll be looking forward

for the next episode where you will talk

about this probably uh thank you so much

D thank you everyone for watching us uh

this is uh the ongoing Series where we

are talking about art and culture with d

patnayak if you haven't seen previous

episodes do go to the playlist and watch

uh the earlier episodes uh also we are

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you and finally think smart work hard

conquer your goal bye-bye man Shas

signing

off