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This article attempts to capture in one place the names of books and other works written in ancient India. For the purpose of this list, we consider all books written in the Indian subcontinent up to and including the Mughal era as being 'ancient books'.
Each collection represents a set of books that are collectively known by the collection's name. In the list of books (shown below the table of collections), each book also refers to the collection it belongs to (if it does).
| Name | Description | Alternate Names | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vedas | Sacred hymns on 5 supreme gods led by Surya, which are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas, and these constitute the Hindu canon (but they are largely religious scriptures, some telling it to be God's words). Each Veda has four subdivisions – the Samhitas (mantras and benedictions), the Aranyakas (text on rituals, ceremonies, sacrifices and symbolic-sacrifices), the Brahmanas (commentaries on rituals, ceremonies and sacrifices), and the Upanishads (texts discussing meditation, philosophy and spiritual knowledge). | Samhita | 1500-800 BCE [1] |
| Shakhas | Vedic school. Each school taught a Veda in a specific way, over time evolving specific styles and emphasis, based on how / by whom / where it was taught. | ||
| Brahmanas | Commentary and elaboration on vedas and description of religious procedures. | 900-500 BCE [2] | |
| Upanishads | Philosophy in response to Vedas and Brahmanas. There are 108 Upnishads, among which 13 are considered the principal ones. | 800-400 BCE [2] | |
| Vedanta | Later commentary on the Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. | ||
| Itihasa | Ramayana and Mahabharata are known as the itihasas (‘thus it happened’). | present form c.800 BCE for Mahabharata and c.300 BCE for Ramayana | |
| Pāli Canon | Essential collections of teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, as written by his followers, three centuries later. | Tripiṭaka | |
| Puranas | Historic texts (usually about a royal lineage or local legends) - written by court-appointed historians. Usually contrasted with historical descriptions in vedas, brahmanas, etc., that are written by priests. | c.700 BCE (origins) [3] : 59– 200 CE to 1000 CE (for canonical ones) (some portions, especially, but not limited to, portions of Bhavishya Purana were added until 1850 CE) | |
| Dharmaśāstra | Collection and description of laws (man-made and natural). | 300 BCE - 300 CE | |
| Sangam literature | Collection of texts on ethics, polity, love, and ancient Indian lifestyle, especially in the southern part of the peninsular India. | 300 BCE - 300 CE |
| Book | Subject Area | Topic | Collection | Language | Author | Date | Reign of | Reign Age | Geographic Region | Modern Name of Geographic Region | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rig Veda | Hindu hymns about various gods, scientific revelations and references to historic events. | Part 1 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | No concrete information available, but attributed to several rishis. | 1500-1200 BCE [1] | Sapta Sindhva | Indus region (Indus + its five tributaries + Saraswati) | |||
| Yajur Veda | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Part 3 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | No concrete information available, but attributed to several 'rishis' | 1500-500 BCE [1] | Sapta Sindhva | Indus region (Indus + its five tributaries + Saraswati) | |||
| Sama Veda | Hindu music and arts. | Part 2 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | 1500-500 BCE [1] | ||||||
| Atharva Veda | Hindu medicine, magic, sorcery. | Part 4 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | Attributed to rishis "Atharvana" and Angirasa. | 1500-500 BCE [1] | |||||
| Taittiriya Shakha | Recension of Yajur Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Sushruta Samhita | Medicine and Surgery | Sanskrit | Suśruta | ||||||||
| Shaunaka Shakha | Recension of Atharva Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Paippalada Shakha | Recension of Atharva Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Shulba Sutras | Hinduism | Geometry related to fire altar construction in Hinduism, including pythagorean theorem and square root | Śrauta | Sanskrit | 200 CE | ||||||
| Satapatha Brahmana | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Commentary on Yajur Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | 500 CE - 1200 CE[ citation needed ] | ||||||
| Aitareya Brahmana | Hindu vedic practices. | Commentary on Rig Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Kaushitaki Brahmana | Commentary on Rig Veda | Sanskrit | |||||||||
| Taittiriya Brahmana | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Commentary on Yajur Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Samavidhana Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Arseya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Devatadhyaya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Shakdwipiya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Tandyamaha Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Aitareya Aranyaka | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Kaushitaki Aranyaka | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Taittiriya Upanishad | Upanishad | Sanskrit | |||||||||
| Maitri Upanishad | Upanishad | Sanskrit | |||||||||
| Mimamsa | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Theravada Buddhism | Buddhist Pali Canon | Pali | |||||||||
| Yoga | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Aṣṭādhyāyī | Sanskrit Grammar | Vyākaraṇa | Sanskrit | Pāṇini | 4th Century - 6th Century C.E | Peshawar | |||||
| Ramayana | Life of Rama, a prince of the Sun dynasty. | Sanskrit | Valmiki | 200 BCE - 400 CE [4] | |||||||
| Mahabharata | Story of Arjuna, of royal line of Kuru Kingdom | Sanskrit | Lord Ganesha while Veda Vyasa narrated it. | 400 BCE - 400 CE [4] | |||||||
| Purva Mimamsa Sutras | Sanskrit | Rishi Jaimini | 300 BCE - 200 BCE | ||||||||
| Bhagavad Gita | Krishna's advice to Arjuna on duty. | Sanskrit | Veda Vyasa | 200 BCE - 200 CE [4] | Not a separate work. Part of Mahabharata. | ||||||
| Panchatantra | Compilation of moral stories | Sanskrit | Vishnusharma | 200 B.C.E | |||||||
| Hatha Yoga Pradipika | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Gheranda Samhita | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | Sanskrit | Patanjali | |||||||||
| Vishnu Purana | Purana | Sanskrit | |||||||||
| Persian Wars | Greek | Herodotus | |||||||||
| Arthashastra | polity | Sanskrit | Chanakya (aka Kautilya) | Chandragupta Maurya | 321 BCE - 301 BCE[ citation needed ] | Magadha | Bihar | ||||
| Milinda Panha | Dialogues with King Milinda (Menander) | Pali | Menander | circa 150 BCE[ citation needed ] | Sagala | Sialkot in Punjab | |||||
| Sangam literature | Tamil | 100 B.C.E - 250 C.E | Tamil Nadu | ||||||||
| Buddhacharita | Buddhism | Life of Shakyamuni Buddha | Sanskrit | Ashvagosha | Kanishka | 100[ citation needed ] | Purushapura | Peshawar | |||
| Shatkhandagama | Jainism | Prakrit | Dharasena | 1st century BCE | Mudabidri | Karnataka | |||||
| Periplus of the Erythrean Sea | A naval guide to Indian commerce. | Greek | 0-100 CE[ citation needed ] | ||||||||
| Manusmriti (aka Manava Dharmaśāstra) | Law, code of conduct. | Code of conduct as described by Manu. | Dharmaśāstra | Sanskrit | |||||||
| Gaha Sattasai | Anthology of Poems | Prakrit | Hāla | 20 - 24 CE | Satavahana | Amaravati | Andhra Pradesh | ||||
| Puranas | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Kamasutra | pleasure | A manual of love. | Sanskrit | Vātsyāyana | |||||||
| Charaka Samhita | Medicine | Medical text. | Sanskrit | Charaka | |||||||
| Siddhāntakaumudī | Sanskrit language | Sanskrit grammar. Rearranges and provides descriptions for Panini's Ashtadyayi. | Sanskrit | Bhattoji Diksita | |||||||
| Mahabhashya | Sanskrit language | Sanskrit grammar | Sanskrit | Patanjali | |||||||
| Devichandraguptam | Drama | Drama about Chandragupta II | Sanskrit | Vishakhadatta | |||||||
| Aryabhatiya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Āryabhaṭa | |||||||
| Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Brahmagupta | |||||||
| Mahabhaskariya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhaskara I | Expansion of Aryabhatta's work | ||||||
| Nav Shatika | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Sridhara | Bengal | ||||||
| Maha-Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Aryabhata II | Bengal | Commentary on Sridhara's work | |||||
| Travels of Faxian | Social life | Travels in India during the Chandragupta II era | Classical Chinese | Faxian | Chandragupta II | 375-415 CE[ citation needed ] | Magadha | Bihar | |||
| Shakuntala | Drama | Drama about a girl forgotten by her husband | Sanskrit | Kalidasa | Chandragupta II | 375-415 CE[ citation needed ] | Magadha | Bihar | |||
| Meghadūta | Drama | Story of a cloud carrying a message amongst lovers | Sanskrit | Kalidasa | Chandragupta II | 375-415 CE[ citation needed ] | Magadha | Bihar | |||
| Mrichakatika | Drama | Story of a poor Brahman falling in love with a courtesan. | Sanskrit | Shudraka | Chandragupta II | 375-415 CE[ citation needed ] | Magadha | Bihar | |||
| Surya Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | 575 C.E | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
| Romaka Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | 575 C.E | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
| Paulisa Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | 575 C.E | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
| Vasishtha Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | 575 C.E | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
| Paitamaha Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | 575 C.E | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
| Harshacharita | Biography | Life of King Harsha Vardhana | Sanskrit | Bāṇabhaṭṭa | Harsha Vardhana | 606-647 CE[ citation needed ] | Thanesar | near Delhi | |||
| In the footsteps of Buddha | Travel | Classical Chinese | Xuanzang | Harsha Vardhana | 606-647 CE[ citation needed ] | Thanesar | near Delhi | ||||
| In the footsteps of Buddha | Travel | Classical Chinese | Xuanzang | Pulakesin II (Pulikesi) | 610-642 CE[ citation needed ] | Badami | near Krishna river | ||||
| Samkhya verses | Sanskrit | Isvara Krishna | |||||||||
| Soundarya Lahari | Sanskrit | Sankaracharya | |||||||||
| Mattavilasa Prahasana | Sanskrit | Mahendravarman I | Mahendravarman I (Pallava) | 600-630 CE[ citation needed ] | Kancheepuram | Kancheepuram | |||||
| Grahacāraṇibandhana | Parahita system of astronomical computations | Sanskrit | Haridatta | 683 CE | Kerala | ||||||
| Slokavrittika | Reflection | Commentary on Shabara's Commentary on Jaimini's Mimamsa Sutras Part 1 | Sanskrit | Kumarila Bhatta | Early 8th century | ||||||
| Tantravrttika | Reflection | Commentary on Shabara's Commentary on Jaimini's Mimamsa Sutras Part 2 | Sanskrit | Kumarila Bhatta | Early 8th century | ||||||
| Tuptika | Reflection | Commentary on Shabara's Commentary on Jaimini's Mimamsa Sutras Part 3 | Sanskrit | Kumarila Bhatta | Early 8th century | ||||||
| Kataoka | Reflection | Commentary on Shabara's Commentary on Jaimini's Mimamsa Sutras Part 4 | Sanskrit | Kumarila Bhatta | Early 8th century | ||||||
| Prabhakara Mimamsa | Reflection | Sanskrit | Prabhakara Bhatta | 6th Century | |||||||
| Gaudapada Karika | Hindu Religion | Commentary on 'Māṇḍukya Kārikā' | Sanskrit | Gaudapada | 6th Century | ||||||
| Kāvyādarśa | Poetic | Sanskrit | Dandin | 7th - 8th Century | Karnataka | ||||||
| Daśakumāracarita | Prose | Sanskrit | Dandin | 7th - 8th Century | Karnataka | ||||||
| Avantisundarī | Prose | Story of the beautiful lady of Avanti | Sanskrit | Dandin | 7th - 8th Century | Karnataka | |||||
| Vivekacūḍāmaṇi | Hindu Religion | Advaita Vedanta | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Upadeśasāhasri | Hindu Religion | Thousand teachings | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Śataśloki | Hindu Religion | Upanishads | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Daśaśloki | Hindu Religion | Who am I? | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Ekaśloki | Hindu Religion | Essence of Vedanta | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Pañcīkaraṇa | Hindu Religion | Primordial Elements | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Ātma bodha | Hindu Religion | Awareness of Atman | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Aparokṣānubhūti | Hindu Religion | Essential truth | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Sādhana Pañcakaṃ | Hindu Religion | Vedantic Sadhana | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Nirvāṇa Ṣaṭkam | Hindu Religion | The State of Nirvana | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Manīśa Pañcakaṃ | Hindu Religion | Essence of Advaita Vedanta | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Yati Pañcakaṃ | Hindu Religion | Greatness of the liberated person | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Vākyasudha (Dṛg-Dṛśya-Viveka) | Hindu Religion | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | ||||||
| Tattva bodha | Hindu Religion | Awakening to the Reality | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Vākya vṛtti | Hindu Religion | Direct perception of the Brahman | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Siddhānta Tattva Vindu | Hindu Religion | The Song of Self | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Nirguṇa Mānasa Pūja | Hindu Religion | Worship of the formless in ones mind | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Prasnottara Ratna Malika | Hindu Religion | Q&A on Spiritual and Temporal Living | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| prabodhasudhakara | Hindu Religion | Oneness of Saguna Bhakti and Nirguna Bhakti | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Naishkarmya Siddhi | Hindu Philosophy | Treatise on Advaita Vedanta | Sanskrit | Sureśvara | Approx. 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| svatma prakasika | Hindu Religion | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | ||||||
| Brahmasūtra | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Brahmasutra | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Aitareya Upaniṣad (Rigveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Rigveda | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (Śukla Yajurveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Sukla Yajurveda | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Īśa Upaniṣad (Śukla Yajurveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Isa Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Taittirīya Upaniṣad (Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Taittriya Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Śvetāśvatara Upaniṣad (Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Svetasvatara Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Kaṭha Upaniṣad (Kṛṣṇa Yajurveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Katha Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Kena Upaniṣad (samaveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Kena Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Chāndogya Upaniṣad (samaveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Chandogya Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Māṇḍūkya Upaniṣad | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Mandukya Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Muṇḍaka Upaniṣad (Atharvaveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Mandukya Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Praśna Upaniṣad (Atharvaveda) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Prasna Upanishad | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Bhagavadgīta (Mahabhārata) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Bhagavadgita | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Vishnu Sahasranama (Mahabhārata) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Vishnu Sahasranama | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Sānatsujātiya (Mahabhārata) | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Sanatsujatiya | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Gāyatri Mantraṃ | Hindu Religion | Commentary on Gayathri Mantram | Sanskrit | Adi Shankara | Early 8th Century | Kerala | |||||
| Nyayavinishchaya vivarana | Logic and Reasoning | Sanskrit | Akalanka Deva | 8th Century | Tamil Nadu | ||||||
| Tattvartha Sutra | Jain Religion | Philosophy | Sanskrit | Akalanka Deva | 8th Century | Tamil Nadu | |||||
| Ṛjuvimalāpañcikā | Reflection | Sanskrit | Śālikanātha | 800 C.E | |||||||
| Dīpaśikhāpañcikā | Reflection | Sanskrit | Śālikanātha | 800 C.E | |||||||
| Nityashodashikarnava | Sanskrit | ||||||||||
| Tantraraja Tantra | Self Realisation | Sriyantra | Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Govindakriti | Astronomy and Mathematics | Place value system and Sine table | Sanskrit | Govindasvami | 800 - 860 CE | Kodungallur | Kerala | ||||
| Gaṇitasārasan̄graha | Mathematics | Algebra formulas | Kannada | Mahavira | 850 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Kavirajamarga | Kannada Language | Grammar & Poetics of Kannada Language | Kannada | Amoghavarsha I | 850 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Prashnottara Ratnamalika | Hindu Religion | Sanskrit | Amoghavarsha I | 850 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Laghu Bhaskariya Vivarana | Astronomy and Mathematics | Commentary on Lagu Bhaskara by Bhaskara I, established an Astronomical observatory | Sanskrit | Śaṅkaranārāyaṇa | 869 CE | Kodungallur | Kerala | ||||
| Karpuramanjari Kavyamimamsa Bālabhārata Bālarāmāyaṇa Viddhaśālabhañjikā | Play Children's Ramayana and Mahabharata | Prakrit | Rajashekhara | 880 CE | |||||||
| Trisatika Pāṭīgaṇita | Mathematics | Separated algebra from arithmetic Formula for quadratic equations | Sanskrit | Śrīdharācārya | 870 - 930 CE | Hugli | West Bengal | ||||
| Tantraloka | Hindu Religion | Tantra Philosophy | Sanskrit | Abhinavagupta | 950 - 1016 C.E | ||||||
| Tantrasara | Hindu Religion | Summary of Tantra | Sanskrit | Abhinavagupta | 950 - 1016 C.E | ||||||
| Dhikotidakarana | Astronomy | Calculating Solar and Lunar Eclipses | Śrīpati | 1039 CE | |||||||
| Dhruvamanasa | Astronomy | Calculating planetary longitudes, eclipses and planetary transits | Śrīpati | 1056 CE | |||||||
| Siddhantasekhara | Astronomy & Mathematics | Śrīpati | 1056 CE | ||||||||
| Ganitatilaka | Mathematics | Extended the work done by Shridhara determining the rules for addition, subtraction, division, multiplication, square roots, cube roots, and quadratic equations | Śrīpati | 1056 CE | |||||||
| Mitākṣarā | Legal | Commentary on inheritance of property | Sanskrit | Vijñāneśvara | 1055 C.E - 1126 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Dāyabhāga | Legal | Commentary on inheritance of property | Sanskrit | Jimutavahana | 12th Century | ||||||
| Kalaviveka | Time | Auspicious timings | Sanskrit | Jimutavahana | 12th Century | ||||||
| Nyayaratna-mātrikā | Legal | Jurisprudence | Sanskrit | Jimutavahana | 12th Century | ||||||
| Siddhanta Shiromani | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Lilavati | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Bijaganita | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Gola Addhyaya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Griha Ganitam | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Karun Kautoohal | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | 1114 - 1185 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Bhagavata Purana | Religion | Various mythologic stories | Puranas | Sanskrit | Attributed to Vyasa | 1100-1200 CE | |||||
| Shat-sthala-vachana | Hindu Religion | Six Stages of Salvation | Kannada | Basaveshwara | 12th Century | Karnataka | |||||
| Kala-jnana-vachana | Hindu Religion | Forecasts of the future | Kannada | Basaveshwara | 12th Century | Karnataka | |||||
| Mantragopya | Hindu Religion | Kannada | Basaveshwara | 12th Century | Karnataka | ||||||
| Ghatachakra-vachana | Hindu Religion | Kannada | Basaveshwara | 12th Century | Karnataka | ||||||
| Raja-yoga-vachana | Hindu Religion | Kannada | Basaveshwara | 12th Century | Karnataka | ||||||
| Rasendra Chudamani | Chemistry | Mercury and its processing for medicinal use | Sanskrit | Aacharya Somadeva | 12th and 13th Century | ||||||
| Brahmasutra Bhashya | Hindu Religion | Commentaries on Brahmasutras | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Anu Vyakhyana | Logic and Reasoning | Commentaries on Brahmasutras | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||
| Nyaya Vivarana | Commentaries on Brahmasutras | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Anu Bhashya | Commentaries on Brahmasutras | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Ishavasya Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Kena Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Katha Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Mundaka Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Satprashna Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Mandukya Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Aitareya Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Taittireeya Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Brihadaranyaka Upanishad Bhashya) | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Chandogya Upanishad Bhashya | Commentaries on Upanishads | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Rigbhashyam | Commentaries on Rigveda | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Mahabharata Tatparya Nirnaya | Commentaries on Rigveda | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Krishnamruta Maharnava | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Sadachara Smruti | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Tantra Sara Sangraha | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Yati Pranava Kalpa | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Jayanti Nirnaya | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Nyasapaddhati | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Tithinirnaya | Sanskrit | Madhvacharya | 1238-1317 C.E | ||||||||
| Tarka Bhasa | Logic and Reasoning | Exposition of Reasoning | Sanskrit | Kesava Mitra | 1275 C.E | ||||||
| Ratirahasya | Sex | Sanskrit | |||||||||
| Karmapradipika | Mathematics | Commentary on Bhaskara II's Lilavati | Narayana Pandita | 1356 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Ganita Kaumudi | Mathematics | Narayana Pandita | 1356 C.E | Karnataka | |||||||
| Bijaganita Vatamsa | Mathematics | Algebra - Second order indeterminate equations | Narayana Pandita | 1356 C.E | Karnataka | ||||||
| Golavada Madhyamanayanaprakara Mahajyanayanaprakara (Method of Computing Great Sines) Lagnaprakarana Aganita-grahacara Chandravakyani (Table of Moon-mnemonics) | Mathematics | infinite series, calculus, trigonometry, geometry, and algebra. | Madhava of Sangamagrama | 1350 CE | Aloor, Irinjalakuda in Thrissur | Kerala | |||||
| Bhatadipika | Astronomy | Commentary on Āryabhaṭīya of Āryabhaṭa I | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Karmadipika | Astronomy | Commentary on Mahabhaskariya of Bhaskara I | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Paramesvari | Astronomy | Commentary on Laghubhaskariya of Bhaskara I | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Sidhantadipika | Astronomy | Commentary on Mahabhaskariyabhashya of Govindasvāmi | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Vivarana | Astronomy | Commentary on Surya Siddhanta and Lilāvati | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Drgganita | Astronomy | Description of the Drig system | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Goladipika | Astronomy | Spherical geometry and astronomy | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Grahanamandana | Astronomy | Computation of eclipses | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Grahanavyakhyadipika | Astronomy | rationale of the theory of eclipses | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Vakyakarana | Astronomy | Methods for the derivation of several astronomical tables | Parameshvara | 1430 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | |||||
| Medicine | Ma'dan ul Shifa | Arabic | Sikandar Lodi | 1489-1517 CE[ citation needed ] | Delhi | ||||||
| Music | Lahjat I Sikandar Shahi | Arabic | Sikandar Lodi | 1489-1517 CE[ citation needed ] | Delhi | ||||||
| Persian | Kabir | ||||||||||
| Baburnama | Autobiography | Babur's life | Chagatai | Babur | Babur | Mughal Empire | |||||
| Humayunnama | Biography | Humayun's life | Persian | Gulbadan Begum | Humayun | Mughal Empire | |||||
| Nimatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi | Cooking | Cooking | Persian | Ghiyath Shah | |||||||
| Tantrasangraha | Astronomy | Sanskrit | Nilakantha Somayaji | 1501 CE | Tirur | Kerala | |||||
| Akbarnama | Chronicle | official chronicle of the reign of Akbar | Persian | Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak | Akbar | ||||||
| Yuktibhāṣā Drkkarana | Mathematics and Astronomy | Infinite series, Power series, Trigonometric series, Sine, Cosine, Tangent series, Taylor series | Malayalam | Jyeshtadeva | 1550 CE | Alathiyur | Kerala | ||||
| Ganita-yukti-bhasa | Mathematics and Astronomy | Malayalam | Jyeshtadeva | 1550 CE | |||||||
| Yukti-dipika Laghu-vivrti | Commentary on Tantrasamgraha | Shankara Variyar | 1540 CE | Ottapalam | Kerala | ||||||
| Praveśaka | Sanskrit grammar | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | ||||||
| Karaṇottama | Astronomy | Mean and Longitudes of planets | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | |||||
| Uparāgakriyākrama | Astronomy | Lunar and solar eclipses | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | |||||
| Sphuṭanirṇaya | Astronomy | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | ||||||
| Chāyāṣṭaka | Astronomy | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | ||||||
| Uparāgaviṃśati | Astronomy | Manual on the computation of eclipses | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | |||||
| Rāśigolasphuṭānīti | Astronomy | Reduction of the moon's true longitude in its own orbit t | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | Kerala | |||||
| Veṇvārohavyākhyā | Commentary on the Veṇvāroha of Mādhava | Sanskrit | Achyutha Pisharadi | 1580 CE | |||||||
| Tulsidas Ramayan (Ramcharitmanas) | Hinduism | Translation of Ramayana into Awadhi | Awadhi | Tulsidas | |||||||
| Baharistan-i-Ghaibi | History | chronicle on the history of Bengal, Cooch Behar, Assam and Bihar | Jatakalankara | Astrology | Sanskrit | Ganesa | 1613 CE | ||||
| Nirṇayāmṛta | Religious | Sanskrit | Allāḍanātha | 14th-16th century | Yamuna valley | ||||||
| Dayabhagatippani | Legal | Sanskrit | Srinath Acharyachudamani | 16th Century | |||||||
| Dayabhagatika | Legal | Sanskrit | Raghunandan Bhattacharya | 16th Century | Bengal | ||||||
| Praśastapādabhāṣya | Laugākṣi Bhāskara | 17th Century | |||||||||
| Tarkasangraha | Logic and Reasoning | Annam Bhatta | 17th Century | ||||||||
| Tarkakaumudi | Logic and Reasoning | Laugākṣi Bhāskara | 17th Century | ||||||||
| Arthasangrahah | Laugākṣi Bhāskara | 17th Century | |||||||||
| Chahar Gulshan | History | History of India | Persian | Rai Chatar Man Kayath | 1759 CE | ||||||
| Sadratnamala | Astronomy and Mathematics | Traditional Vedic Mathematics | Sanskrit | Sankara Varman | 1819 CE | Malabar | Kerala |
Sutra in Indian literary traditions refers to an aphorism or a collection of aphorisms in the form of a manual or, more broadly, a condensed manual or text. Sutras are a genre of ancient and medieval Indian texts found in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
The Hindu calendar, also called Panchanga, is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adopt a similar underlying concept for timekeeping based on sidereal year for solar cycle and adjustment of lunar cycles in every three years, but differ in their relative emphasis to moon cycle or the sun cycle and the names of months and when they consider the New Year to start. Of the various regional calendars, the most studied and known Hindu calendars are the Shalivahana Shaka found in the Deccan region of Southern India and the Vikram Samvat (Bikrami) found in Nepal and the North and Central regions of India – both of which emphasize the lunar cycle. Their new year starts in spring. In regions such as Tamil Nadu and Kerala, the solar cycle is emphasized and this is called the Tamil calendar and Malayalam calendar and these have origins in the second half of the 1st millennium CE. A Hindu calendar is sometimes referred to as Panchangam (पञ्चाङ्गम्), which is also known as Panjika in Eastern India.
The Panchatantra is an ancient Indian collection of interrelated animal fables in Sanskrit verse and prose, arranged within a frame story. The surviving work is dated to about 200 BCE, but the fables are likely much more ancient. The text's author is unknown, but it has been attributed to Vishnu Sharma in some recensions and Vasubhaga in others, both of which may be fictitious pen names. It is likely a Hindu text, and based on older oral traditions with "animal fables that are as old as we are able to imagine".
Shastra is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense. The word is generally used as a suffix in the Indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice.
Indian literature refers to the literature produced on the Indian subcontinent until 1947 and in the Republic of India thereafter. The Eighth Schedule to the Constitution of India has 22 officially recognised languages. Sahitya Akademi, India's highest literary body, also has 24 recognised literary languages.
Sanskrit literature is a broad term for all literature composed in Sanskrit. This includes texts composed in the earliest attested descendant of the Proto-Indo-Aryan language known as Vedic Sanskrit, texts in Classical Sanskrit as well as some mixed and non-standard forms of Sanskrit. Literature in the older language begins during the Vedic period with the composition of the Ṛg·veda between about 1500 and 1000 BCE, followed by other Vedic works right up to the time of the grammarian Pāṇini around 6th or 4th century BCE.
Hindu texts or Hindu scriptures are manuscripts and voluminous historical literature which are related to any of the diverse traditions within Hinduism. Some of the major Hindu texts include the Vedas, the Upanishads, and the Itihasa. Scholars hesitate in defining the term "Hindu scriptures" given the diverse nature of Hinduism, but many list the Agamas as Hindu scriptures, and Dominic Goodall includes Bhagavata Purana and Yajnavalkya Smriti in the list of Hindu scriptures as well.
The Atharvaveda or Atharva Veda or Atharvana Veda is the "knowledge storehouse of atharvāṇas, the procedures for everyday life". The text is the fourth Veda, and is a late addition to the Vedic scriptures of Hinduism.
The Alvars were the Tamil poet-saints of South India who espoused bhakti (devotion) to the Hindu preserver deity Vishnu, in their songs of longing, ecstasy, and service. They are venerated in Vaishnavism, which regards Vishnu as the Ultimate Reality.
The Vedas are a large body of religious texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism.
South Asian literature refers to the literature that is composed by authors in the Indian subcontinent and its diaspora. It has an extensive history with some of the earliest known pieces of literature. South Asia has many different languages that have been spoken due to its size and how long people have been inhabiting it. This has caused the region to be the most linguistically diverse region in the planet, and as well as having four language families, hundreds of languages and thousands of dialects. Many modern pieces of South Asian literature are written in English for a global audience. Many of the ancient texts of the subcontinent have been lost due to the inability to preserve verbally transmitted literature. South Asia has many significant authors that shaped the postcolonial period and response to the British establishment in the subcontinent. Modern South Asian literature has a deep focus on independence from Britain, mainly expressed in prose, this literature commonly discusses the partition of India and how different South Asian nations, religions, and cultures interact with each other. Countries to which South Asian literature's writers are linked include India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal. Works from Bhutan, Myanmar, Tibet, and the Maldives are sometimes also included.
The Padma Purana is one of the eighteen Major Puranas, a genre of texts in Hinduism. It is an encyclopedic text, named after the lotus in which creator god Brahma appeared, and includes large sections dedicated to Vishnu, as well as significant sections on Shiva and Shakti.
Kalpa means "proper, fit" and is one of the six disciplines of the Vedānga, or ancillary science connected with the Vedas – the scriptures of Hinduism. This field of study is focused on the procedures and ceremonies associated with Vedic ritual practice.
Pāṇini was a logician, Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and revered scholar in ancient India, variously dated between the 7th and 4th century BCE.
Palm-leaf manuscripts are manuscripts made out of dried palm leaves. Palm leaves were used as writing materials in the Indian subcontinent and in Southeast Asia dating back to the 5th century BCE. Their use began in South Asia and spread to other regions, as texts on dried and smoke-treated palm leaves of the Palmyra or talipot palm. Their use continued until the 19th century when printing presses replaced hand-written manuscripts.
Sanskrit prosody or Chandas refers to one of the six Vedangas, or limbs of Vedic studies. It is the study of poetic metres and verse in Sanskrit. This field of study was central to the composition of the Vedas, the scriptural canons of Hinduism; in fact, so central that some later Hindu and Buddhist texts refer to the Vedas as Chandas.
The Matsya Purana is one of the eighteen major Puranas (Mahapurana), and among the oldest and better preserved in the Puranic genre of Sanskrit literature in Hinduism. The text is a Vaishnavism text named after the half-human and half-fish avatar of Vishnu. However, the text has been called by the 19th-century Sanskrit scholar Horace Hayman Wilson, "although a Shaivism (Shiva-related) work, it is not exclusively so"; the text has also been referred to one that simultaneously praises various Hindu gods and goddesses.
The Rigveda or Rig Veda is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (sūktas). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts (śruti) known as the Vedas. Only one Shakha of the many survive today, namely the Śakalya Shakha. Much of the contents contained in the remaining Shakhas are now lost or are not available in the public forum.
The Epic-Puranic chronology is a timeline of Hindu mythology based on the Itihasa and the Puranas. These texts have an authoritaive status in Indian tradition, and narrate cosmogeny, royal chronologies, myths and legendary events. The central dates here are the Kurukshetra War and the start of the Kali Yuga. The Epic-Puranic chronology is referred to by proponents of Indigenous Aryans to propose an earlier dating of the Vedic period, and the spread of Indo-European languages out of India, arguing that "the Indian civilization must be viewed as an unbroken tradition that goes back to the earliest period of the Sindhu-Sarasvati Valley traditions ."