Shakuntala-also known as “The

Recognition of Shakuntala”
-is a Sanskrit play by the ancient
Indian poet KALIDASA dramatizing the
story of Shakuntala told in the epic
Mahabharata.It is considered to be
the best of Kalidasa’s work
Sanskrit -language of ancient India with
3500-year history
- primary liturgical language of
Hinduism and the predominant language
of most works Hindu philosophy as well
as some of the principal texts of
Buddhism and Jainism
Sanskrit literature-originated with any oral tradition
that produced the Vedic holy text
Vedic/vedas-Book of Knowledge
-sacred texts/literature in Hinduism
4 types of Vedas
1. Rig Veda- veda of praise
collection of 1017 hymns addressed to
the Gods of Aryans (came from Central Asia)
2. Brahmanas- codified the rituals and prayers of
Brahmins (priests of the Aryans)
3. Upanishads- discourses bet.teachers and pupils
4. Puranas- the history of the Aryan race
and its relationship with the gods.
2 most famous puranic epics that serve as
sources of countless literary works
a. Mahabharata-considered as the longest
poem in any language
b. Ramayana-sequence o heroic
adventures
Kalidasa-Classical Sanskrit writer
-regarded as the greatest poet
and dramatist in the Sanskrit
language of India
- better known for his play
Sakuntala