"The south wind, as it drifts the sweet smell of mango trees over my limbs, feels as if it were the close touch of Spring stroking me with his palm - sympathetically asking, through the joyful coos of the impassioned cuckoos, whether I am surviving love`s agony." -- King Agnimitra, Third Act of Malavikagnimitra, by Kalidasa

This is one of the several manifestations of the enigma of Sanskrit literature, which from its very origin has mesmerised men with its umpteen complex turns and sheer unknowingness. Sanskrit literature considered the very oldest language in the country is also esteemed as the `parent language` of several modern languages in India. Given its extensive use in religious literature, primarily in Hinduism and the fact that most modern Indian languages have been directly derived from or strongly influenced by Sanskrit, it is not unexpected that the position of Sanskrit in Indian culture is very much like that of ancient Latin in the then European scenario. Literature in Sanskrit bears its first initiations with the Vedas and continues with the Sanskrit Epics of Iron Age India (Iron Age in the Indian subcontinent follows the Late Harappan (Cemetery H) culture, also acknowledged as the last phase of Indus Valley Tradition). The golden age of Classical Sanskrit literature dates back to late Antiquity (approximately the 3rd to 8th centuries A.D). Literary output of this Indian ancient language had witnessed a comparative late efflorescence during the 11th century, before eventually waning after 1100 A.D. However, efforts on the part of Indian cultural societies have not ceased towards hopelessness, with contemporary efforts towards revivification of Sanskrit literature being witnessed with events like "All-India Sanskrit Festival" (since 2002), holding authorship contests.

As has been witnessed previously, Sanskrit literature traces its roots back to the Vedic Age. The earliest forms of theatrical arts could have existed in the form of dance dramas evidenced by iconography from Indus Valley Civilization. This form of theatre however had died a natural death along with the Indus Valley Civilization and was later replaced by the dramatic forms of the Vedic Age. Vedic drama, running parallel with the Greek drama, however owed its origin to religion and its influences. The Yama Yami episode in Rig Veda for instance presents one of the earliest forms of drama in Indo-European style of literature. It was in all probability enacted by the brahmanas as part of ancient Vedic ritual. Alexander the Great`s conquest of India was a significant episode in Sanskrit literature, which was fundamental to lay stress on Sanskrit drama. Despite the influence, Sanskrit plays uphold their individualism and subjects of the plays ranged from tragedy to light comedy. Many Sanskrit dramatists are also known to have based their works pivoting around the plot of Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The four Vedas in Sanskrit literature - Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda and Atharva Veda, each with a principal Samhita and a number of circum-Vedic genres, also includes Brahmanas, Aranyakas,Vedang, i.e. Grhyasutras and Shrautasutras and Dharmasutras. The basic period of Vedic literary activity falls within ca. the 9th to 7th centuries, when the various shakhas (schools) had amassed, collected and memorised their particular corpus. The older Upanishads (Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya, Jaiminiya Upanishad Brahmana, Katha, Maitrayaniya) also belong to the Vedic period, but the larger part of the Muktika canon is attributed to post-Vedic times. The Aranyakas also form part of both the Brahmana and Upanishad corpus.

Sutra literature under Sanskrit literature was the upcoming genre that had indeed witnessed much advancement in ancient Indian literary forms. Continuing on the tradition of the late Vedic Shrautasutra literature, Late Iron Age scholarship (ca. 500 to 100 B.C.E.) had built up knowledge into the cardinal Sutra treatises. The Sanskrit Sutra treatises had included the Vedanga and the religious or philosophical Brahma Sutras, Yoga Sutras and Nyaya Sutras. In the Vedanga categories of grammar and phonetics, no author perhaps has had impressed greater influence than Panini with his Astadhyayi (ca. 5th century B.C.). In the genre of Sutra literature, retelling the full grammar of Sanskrit with cautious elaborations, keeping in mind not to prolong any more further, Panini`s exuberance lies in the nature of his work of a `prescriptive generative grammar`, necessitating metarules, transformations and recursion. Being prescriptive for all later grammatical works, just like Patanjali`s Mahabhasya, Panini`s grammar indeed had successfully mended the grammar of Classical Sanskrit literature. The Backus-Naur Form or BNF grammars, employed to describe modern programming languages, bear surprising similarities with Panini`s grammar rules. Shulba Sutras, Kalpa Sutras, Dharma Sutras and Shastras are some of the authentic commentaries on Sutras in Sanskrit literature.

When viewed chronologically, it can uniquely be noticed that the evolution of Sanskrit literature indeed had happened in a rhythmic and systematic manner, with each period significantly following its predecessor. The Epic Age with their priceless Sanskritic epic poetry had appeared approximately between the 6th to 1st centuries B.C. and witnessed the authoring and editing of the two great epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana. Subsequent editing process indeed had also progressed down to the 4th century A.D. revered and acknowledged as itihasa, or that which had occurred.

The Mahabharata (literary translated into English as Great Bharata), is considered as one of the largest poetic treatises in the world. While it is indelibly a masterpiece poetic epic in Sanskrit literature, it also comprises enormous tracts of Hindu mythology, philosophy and religious tracts. Traditionally, authorship of the Mahabharata is assigned to the hallowed sage Vyasa. According to the Adi-parva of the Mahabharata (81, 101-102), the text originally contained 8800 verses when it was composed by Vyasa and was known as the Jaya (Victory). However, the epic had later been elevated to 24,000 verses in the Bharata recited by Vaisampayana. The broad span of the story of Mahabharata chronicles the story of supreme antagonism between two families for control of Hastinapur, a city in Ancient India. The less that is stated regarding the sublime impact of the Mahabharata on India, Sanskrit literature and Hinduism at large, is more better, because it cannot be stressed enough. Having been wholly shaped and regulated by Indian culture, it has in turn influenced the development of Indian culture. Thousands of later Indian writers would borrow freely from the story and sub-stories of this very great Sanskritic epic.

If compared to the colossal and strategically envisioned Mahabharata, the Ramayana is still twice as big as the Iliad and Odyssey put together. Traditionally, the authorship of Ramayana is ascribed to the Hindu sage who is referred to as Adikavi, or the "first poet." Valmiki, the Hindu sage who is known to have penned Ramayana, in fact had introduced the Anushtubh metre to Indian literature for the first time. Akin to the Mahabharata, the Ramayana was also passed down in the oral tradition and had since evolved through several centuries, before being finally metamorphosed into the written method. Ramayana in Sanskrit literature includes tales that form the basis for modern Hindu festivals and even comprises a description of that parallel marriage practice which is still observed in contemporary times by people of Hindu beliefs and thoughts.

This Sanskritic literary story deals with Prince Rama also venerated as Ram or Sri Ram, his exile and the abduction of his wife by the demon (rakshasa) king Ravana, and the decisive Lanka war. On similar lines with the Mahabharata, the Ramayana also holds within itself umpteen full-fledged stories, coming along as sub-plots. The Ramayana in Vedic Sanskrit literature has also played a similar and equally crucial role in the germination of Indian culture just like the Mahabharata.

Classical Sanskrit Literature
The classical period of Sanskrit literature dates back to the Gupta period and the consecutive pre-Islamic Middle kingdoms of India (refers to the political existences in India from 2nd century B.C. since the downfall of the Mauryan Empire, and the corresponding ascension of the Satavahana dynasty, beginning with Simuka, from 230 B.C.), spanning approximately the 3rd to 8th centuries C.E.

Sanskrit drama as an ostensibly distinctive genre of Sanskrit literature had catapulted forth during the final pre-Christian centuries, influenced in part by Vedic mythology and partly by Hellenistic drama. Sanskrit drama indeed had touched its peak sky-high limit within the 4th and 7th centuries, before waning into the unknown together with Sanskrit literature as a whole. Celebrated and respected Sanskrit dramatists include Shudraka, Bhasa, Asvaghosa and of course, Kalidasa. Though numerous plays written by these playwrights are still obtainable in a mass format, yet, very trivial is known about the authors themselves.

One of the earliest known Sanskrit literary plays is Mrichakatika, conceived to have been composed by Shudraka during the 2nd century B.C. The Natya Shastra (ca. 2nd century A.D., literally standing for "Scripture of Dance," though it sometimes interpreted as "Science of Theatre") is considered a backbone piece in Sanskrit literature, devoted enthusiastically to the subject of stagecraft. Bhasa and Kalidasa are path-breaking early authors belonging to the first centuries A.D., Kalidasa passing off effortlessly as the greatest poet and playwright in Sanskrit. He primarily dealt with far-famed Hindu legends and themes; three celebrated plays by Kalidasa include Vikramorvasiya (Vikrama and Urvashi), Malavikagnimitra (Malavika and Agnimitra), and the play that he is most respected and acknowledged for: Abhijnanasakuntalam (The Recognition of Shakuntala). Late (post 6th century) dramatists comprise Dandi and Sri Harsha. The only surviving ancient Sanskrit drama theatre is Koodiyattam, which has religiously been preserved in Kerala by the Chakyar community. Amidst the literary forms like, scholarly treatise, Fairy tales and fables in Sanskrit literature, in the midst of the classical aura of the classical poetry in Sanskrit literature and amidst the religiousness of Puranas, the very contour of Sanskrit literature gained shape.

The period of later Sanskrit literature is acknowledged to have begun post the Classical Sanskrit development and culmination, precisely after the 10th century. Some significant works from the 11th century literary genre comprise the Katha-Sarit-Sagara and the Gita Govinda. The Katha-sarita-sagara (An Ocean of Stories) by Somadeva in Sanskrit was an 11th century poetic adaptation of Brihat-katha, penned during 5th century B.C. in the Paishachi (an extinct language of classical India) dialect. One of the most legendary series of stories in this work include the Vikrama and Vet?la series, a much respected and trusted fairy-tale series for every child in India. The Gita Govinda (The song of Govinda) by the Oriya composer Jayadeva is the account of Krishna`s passion for Radha and is scripted in stupefying lyrical and musical Sanskrit, irreplaceable till to this date. A cardinal text for several Hindu religious factions in eastern India, the Gita Govinda is chanted habitually in major Hindu pilgrimage sites like the Jagannath temple at Puri, Orissa. The Ashtapadis of the Gita Govinda also establishes itself as a staple theme in Bharatanatyam and Odissi classical dance performances.

The daily employment of Sanskrit for general literature and literary purposes beyond the 11th century, indeed had suffered a sudden decline, most importantly due to the incredible emergence of literature in vernacular Indian languages (most notably Hindi, Marathi, Kannada and Telugu). Sanskrit however continued to be utilised, primarily for Hindu religious rituals and philosophical literatures. Sanskrit literature indeed had stimulated literature in vernacular languages to speed up and the Sanskrit language itself continued to exercise a profound influence over the evolvement of Indian literature in general. However, this most ancient development and sophistication in Indian literary domain was not left to be take for granted; soulful attempts to revive Sanskrit have been undertaken in the Republic of India, since its initiation in 1947.