Indian Kavya Literature

Book excerpt: Volume III in this series presents some of the most celebrated classical writers of India, including Sudraka, Visnusarman, Kalidasa, Pravarasena, Amaruka, Bharavi, Subandhu and Visakhadatta. A new analysis and appreciation of their poetry, drama and fiction is offered, in the light of Indian literary criticism, especially of the important critical works only recently recovered from scattered manuscripts. During the disastrous later middle ages (about the thirteenth century and later), most of the earlier literature was destroyed by invading fanatics and plunderers. In order to offer a more complete picture of the early medieval literature, an effort has been made here to resurrect, from the critics and elsewhere, such once famous writers as Sarvasena, Candragomin, Matrgupta, Mentha and Brahmayasas, together with what is known of the mysterious `Vikramaditya`. To provide some social background to such aspects of criticism as trends in the characterisation of heroes, the history of the period (+200 to +600) is briefly touched on at the beginning of some of the chapters. The sculpture photographed on the dust jacket, courtesy of the National Museum, New Delhi, is believed to represent a scene from the Toy Cart, though it seems more likely to be from some earlier play.