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| Home > Indian Literature > Ancient Indian Literature
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| | Ancient Indian Literature
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Ancient Indian literature can also be termed as Puranic Literature or Sanskrit Literature. Sanskrit Literature is one of India`s two oldest languages and the basis of several modern languages in India. Sanskrit has been extensively used in religious literature, its position in Indian culture is one of prime position.
The Vedic Period
 Composed between 2000 B.C -500 B. C., there are four books of Vedas- Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva, some people consider the first three as the most important ones. Each book has four types of associated literature- hymns, rituals, meditation and mystical philosophy. The Vedas are not written in any single time but compiled over several centuries by different people. As a result, the Vedas provide valuable insights into the historical and cultural development of India during this period. Their content is diverse and includes different lines of thought and belief.
The Upanishads form a part of the Vedas and are strongly philosophical in content. Vedic Sanskrit is archaic and pithy and bears resemblance to Avestan, the language in which the scriptures of zorastrianism are written. The commentaries help us in understanding them better.
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