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Important Ancient Indian Books & Authors: Sanskrit Literature to Regional Classics
beginner⏱ 30 min min read
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Seminal Literary Classics of India
| Title | Creator / Author | Classical Language / Context |
|---|---|---|
| Bhagavad Gita | Ved Vyas | Sanskrit |
| Ramayana | Valmiki | Sanskrit |
| Mahabharata | Vyasa | Sanskrit |
| Buddhacharita | Ashvaghosa | Sanskrit |
| Harshacharita & Kadambari | Banabhatta | Sanskrit (Court of King Harsha) |
| Natya Shastra | Bharata Muni | Sanskrit |
| Panchatantra | Vishnu Sharma | Sanskrit |
| Prithviraj Raso | Chand Bardai | Brajbhasha / Apabhramsha |
| Sushruta Samhita | Sushruta | Sanskrit (Ancient surgery treatise) |
| Arthashastra | Chanakya (Kautilya) | Sanskrit (Political Economy) |
| Ashtadhyayi | Panini | Sanskrit (Sanskrit grammar) |
| Rajatarangini | Kalhana | Sanskrit (Chronicle of Kings of Kashmir) |
| Nagananda, Ratnavali & Priyadarshika | Harshavardhana | Sanskrit |
| Mudrarakshasa | Vishakhadatta | Sanskrit |
| Kamasutra | Vatsyayana | Sanskrit |
| Surya Siddhanta & Aryabhatiya | Aryabhata | Sanskrit (Astronomy / Mathematics) |
| Gita Govinda | Jayadeva | Sanskrit |
| Padmavat | Malik Muhammad Jayasi | Awadhi |
| Milinda Panha | Nagasena (with King Menander) | Pali (Buddhist philosophical dialogues) |
| Amuktamalyada | Krishnadevaraya | Telugu |
| Kiratarjuniya | Bharavi | Sanskrit |
| Silappadikaram | Ilango Adigal | Tamil Sangam Literature |
| Manimekalai | Sathanar | Tamil Sangam Literature |
| Kural (Tirukkural) | Tiruvalluvar | Tamil (Known as "The Bible of Tamil Land") |