• The Hindu literature is one of the oldest.

It is estimated that the first record emerged more

than 4000 years ago in what is now India and in some regions of Pakistan. It is also known
as Sanskrit literature because most of the pieces are written in Sanskrit, ancient language
consisting of several types of scriptures.

• In general terms, Hindu literature talks about wisdom, religion, worship and social norms,
themes that were treated throughout the writings. It should be noted that the oldest writings
found are compiled in a book called Vedas (from the term "truth"), and these became the
basis of the Hindu religion.

• An essential feature of this literature is the linguistic, mythical and religious richness
through which it widely collects the history of a region since its genesis, taking into account
different types of language as well as the manifestation of other cultures and practices that
nourished it.

• The first manifestations of Hindu literature were intimately related to religion. Then, while
the genre was developing, the works began to cover other topics, even in contrast to the
• Origins and history

• The first manifestations of Hindu literature are known from the emergence of the
Vedas, a series of ancient writings (arose between 1600 and 700 BC), which were
preserved because they are the basis of what would later be Hinduism.

The Vedas They contemplate a series of rituals, precepts, myths and chants that
were originally transmitted orally. Later, these would be written to be used in
rituals headed by the ancient priests.
Then, the post-Vedic period was characterized by the presence of new doctrines
that served to contradict some of the postulates that were raised in the Vedas.
It should be noted that it was at this time that the two most important works of
Hindu literature were composed: Ramayana and the Majabharatá .
The four main stages of Hindu literature
• There were four main stages in the formation and development of Hindu literature, from its beginnings to the present. The
characteristics of each of these stages are detailed below.
1- Adikal Literature
• The main expression of this literature was poetry, focusing in turn on religiosity and heroic stories.
2- Literature Bhakti Kal
• It was developed between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries. At this stage begins the process of highlighting the
importance of God consciousness, although records of epic poems have also been found. Thanks to the Islamic presence at that
time, it is possible to find the influence of religion in various artistic expressions.
3- Ritikal Literature
• Period developed between 1600 and 1850 d. C. Ritikal literature emphasizes the power of love and other emotions throughout
the poems made at the time.
4- Adhunikaal Literature
• It was developed from the mid-nineteenth century to the present. It is divided into four phases: Renaissance, Dwivedi Yug,
Chhayavada Yug and the contemporary period.
• Different styles and literary genres are explored, such as drama, comedy, criticism, the novel, short stories and non-fiction.
Main characteristics

Despite the convergence of different styles, languages and religious manifestations, it is

possible to point out some general characteristics of Hindu literature:

• - The vast majority of the texts speak of gods and the benefits that men get when they are
granted a favor from them. Likewise, they also relate the punishments they must assume
for improper conduct. This reflects the importance of religious content.

• - The elements that interact with man, both inanimate objects or not, have their own
personality and qualities.

• - The stories seek to leave some kind of value teaching for the reader.

• - There is an intention to explain the origins of the world, so it is usual to find stories that
• There is an accumulation of fantastic facts in which beings with supernatural and
extraordinary qualities intervene.

• - The protagonists of these stories have special and very unique features: they are
gods or divine reincarnations, they have great beauty, courage and admirable
moral behavior.

• - There is an emphasis on the fact that the balance of the Universe depends on
the respect that is given to all the living beings that live together. Any action taken
against any of them will affect the next life.
MAHABHARATA (Ganesha, Vyasa)
• Majabharatá is considered as the second longest work in universal literature,
since it contains more than 200 thousand verses.
• The Legend of Lord Ganesha and Veda Vyasa is related to the scripting of the
Mahabharata, one of the main ancient Sanskritepics of India.
• The legend states that Ganesha acted as the scribe who scripted the
Mahabharata, which is an epic tale of the Kurukshetra War and the lives of the
Pandavas and the Kauravas.
• The legend also states that Lord Ganesha utilized his broken tusk to script the
Sanskrit Mahabharata, which is considered as the longest epic in the world. It is
also mentioned that the Mahabharata should not be read hurriedly. The epic
should be listened to every day in small parts in order to understand the inner
meanings of the tale.
 Mahabharata Character List
• Yudhishtra
The eldest of the Pandava brothers,
Yudhisthira is their leader as both king
and commander in battle. A bad series
of dice games he plays lands him, his
wife, and his brothers in exile for 13
years, which precipitates a war
between the Pandavas and
Duryodhana. Yudhisthira is described
as living fully by dharma, and in turn
always has the gods on his side.
• Arjuna
One of the Pandavas brothers, Arjuna
is dubbed the "wealth-winner." He is
the greatest warrior of all the
brothers, having been trained by his
future military opponent Drona.
Arjuna is a skilled archer and popular
with women.
 Mahabharata Character List
• Karna
Karna is technically the oldest of the
Pandava brothers, but was raised by
adoptive parents, and therefore does
not consider himself part of the family.
He fights alongside Duryodhana, and is
ultimately killed by Arjuna. The
Pandavas are devastated to later learn
that Karna was one of their own.
• Dhritarashtra
The blind king of Hastinapur who believes
his blindness is a curse upon him, he gives
birth to 100 sons who are demons
incarnate. The most powerful of these sons
is Duryodhana, who leads the 100 brothers
into war against the Pandavas. From early
on, Dhritarashtra is well aware that fate is
working against Duryodhana, and the blind
king pleads with his son over and over to
compromise with the Pandavas, lest he
violate dharma.
 Mahabharata Character List
• Draupadi
The wife of the five Pandava brothers,
Draupadi is a celebrated princess who is
widely regarded as the most beautiful
woman in the world. During their years
in exile, Draupadi must pose as a
maidservant and suffer a series of
indignities, including an attempted rape
by one of Duryodhana's brothers. The
humiliation she suffers ends up being
one of the causes of the great battle that
the Mahabharata revolves around.
• Duryodhana
The leader of 100 demon brothers who are all
born of the blind king Dhritarashtra,
Duryodhana is portrayed as living in flagrant
violation of dharma. He is motivated by
greed, jealously, and a desire for retribution,
tricking Yudhisthira into a dice game that
ultimately robs the Pandavas of their
kingdom, and gladly engaging them in war
when they return from exile and seek what is
rightfully theirs. Duryodhana hides in a lake
after all his warriors are killed, and is
ulimately killed by Bhima. In the afterlife, he
resides in hell.
 Mahabharata Character List
• Bhima
The strongest of the Pandavas, Bhima
is often the brother who kills the
brothers' greatest enemies and
protectors them from their most skilled
aggressors. Bhima is often described as
"wolf-bellied" and is ruthless in acts of
violence.
• Krsna
The god who assists the Pandavas
throughout the story, Krsna helps them
understand their dharma as rulers and
fighters in the war, and constantly
reassures them that any violent act they
have trepidation about is mandated by
faith. His speech on dharma and action
to Arjuna is known as the "Bhagavad
Gita," and has been accepted as central
to the Hindu tradition alongside the
traditional Vedic texts.
 Mahabharata Character List
• Drona
At the time of the story, Drona is an 85-
year-old man who fights like a 16-year-
old. Even though he fights on behalf of
Duryodhana, he shares a close bond with
the Pandavas, having trained Arjuna as a
warrior. Like many in Duryodhana's
army, and unlike Duryodhana himself,
Drona is a strict adherent of dharma, and
lays down his weapons to accept his
death at the Pandava's hand when he
violates his dharma on the battlefield.
• Vyasa
As depicted in the story, Vyasa is the
narrator of the entirety of the
Mahabharata epic, dictating the tale to
Ganesha. The historical Vyasa is
popularly considered to have written
the Mahabharata and is considered one
of the seven immortal beings in the
Hindu tradition.
Panchatantra collection of fables by vishnu
sharma
• The Panchatantra is a collection of folktales and fables that were believed
to have been originally written in Sanskrit by Vishnu Sharma more than
2500 years ago. This collection of stories features animal characters which
are stereotyped to associate certain qualities with them. The origins of the
Panchatantra lie in a tale of its own, when a King approached a learned
pandit to ask him to teach the important lessons of life to his ignorant and
unwise sons. This learned scholar knew that the royal princes could not
understand complex principles in an ordinary way. So, he devised a
method wherein he would impart important knowledge in the form of
simple and easy-to-understand folktales. Thus, the Panchatantra came into
origin. It is one of the most popular collection of Indian tales, and has
influenced literature all over the world since the time of its conception.
This particular version of the Panchatantra was translated by G L
Chandiramani, who has also translated the Hitopadesha. Panchatantra
comes from the individual words, 'pancha' and 'tantra'. While pancha
refers to the number five, tantra refers to ways/strategies related to inner
fulfilment. The stories in this book aim to impart the deeper wisdom of
life, through the simple portrayal of animal characters.
• 1925. The Panchatantra is a collection of Indian animal fables, known
in Europe as the Fables of Bidpai. The original work was in Sanskrit,
and could have been written anytime between 100 BC and 500 AD
though some of the tales contained in it can be traced as far back as
1500 BC to the Rig-Veda. The original text is a mixture of prose and
verse, with the stories contained in one of five frame stories. The
introduction, which acts as an enclosing frame for the entire work,
attributes the tales to a learned Brahmin called Vishnusharma, who
used these stories to teach worldly wisdom to the three dull-witted
sons of a king.

• It was the great scholar, Vishnu Sharma who wrote the Panchatantra
stories long time ago. He wrote it to teach 4 princes the ways of life.
There is something to learn from every Panchatantra story. However,
not every Panchatantra story is suitable for kids.
• The etymology of term ‘Panchatantra’ suggests that it is a
combination of two words, ‘Pancha’ (five) and ‘Tantra’ (practice/
principle). So, the five principles or practices illustrated by
Panchatantra are ‘Mitra Bhedha’ (Loss of Friends), ‘Mitra Laabha’
(Gaining Friends), ‘Suhrudbheda’ (Causing discord between Friends),
‘Vigraha’ (Separation) and ‘Sandhi’ (Union).The running theme of the
`Panchatantra' is "Knowledge is the true organ of sight, not the eyes"
and is a practical guide to niti, or the art of intelligent living.”Here,
I’ve chosen the peepal tree as a “tree of life”, which is also known as
“tree of knowledge and intellect”.