INDIAN LITERATURE

INDIA

• The Land of
Mystery and
Diversity
•“Namaste”
('I greet the
divine within
you')
 Vocabulary Words

Vedic (adjective) - referring to the Vedas or the large body of religious texts Indians
follow especially when performing rituals
1 The couple consulted the Vedic practices for marriage to ascertain blessings on their
wedding day.

quell (verb) - to stop something by using force

2 The powerful dam was able to quell the raging flood waters.

limpid (adjective) - very clear

3 The blood red wine looks perfectly delicious in the expensive, limpid goblet.
 Vocabulary Words

penury (noun) - being very poor

4 My grandmother lived in a time when our country was suffering from penury.

nishka (common noun) - an Indian accessory usually worn as an earring, a hair

ornament, or a necklace
5 Young women flaunted their nishkas in what was considered to be the wedding of the
century.
Indian Literature

● pertains to the literature of India, Pakistan, and

Bangladesh since these countries were considered as one
until the partition of India in 1947 and the secession of
Bangladesh from Pakistan in 1971
● recognizes 22 languages
● Sanskrit - ancient language used for writing epics and
religious texts
● Vedas - collection of sacred books written in Sanskrit
● Vedas - collection of sacred books written in Sanskrit

- Rig Veda (“knowledge of the verses”) - a collection of 1,028 sacred

hymns; divided into ten books called Mandalas
- Yajur Veda (“knowledge of the sacrifice”) - priests’ handbook in the
performance of sacrificial rituals
- Sama Veda (“knowledge of the melodies”) - collection of chants and
melodies drawn from the Rig Veda and are to be sung during
worship
- Atharva Veda (“knowledge of the fire priest”) - a collection of
charms, spells, and hymns
Mahabharata by Vyasa
● ancient tale of war within
a family caused by a desire for
power
● contains 100,000 lines
● considered as one of the
longest literary masterpieces
Ramayana by Valmiki (5th C BC.)
● part of Mahabharata; romantic treatment in the form of kavya
or court poetry
● centers on the life and adventures of the couple Ramachandra
and Sita
● The tale of Savitri - another narrative found in Mahabharata; it
is told to the exiled king of the Pandavas by way of consoling
him for the plight of his much-tried queen, Draupadi
Ramayana by Valmiki (5 C BC.)
th

 Purpose: to demonstrate the

importance of values such as loving
and respecting your family, keeping
your promises, protecting the weak
•Dharma- role/duty
The father of Prince Rama remembered
to grant the wish of his second wife
which demanded Rama to banish from
the kingdom. Rama accepted the decree
without question. "I gladly obey
Father's command," he said to his
stepmother. "Why, I would go even if
you ordered it." Rama followed his duty
as a son and agreed to go into exile.
Based on the story, what lesson is being
taught based on the story?

A. Following his dharma, he kept and

honored his words
B. Misunderstandings and doubts are
dangerous
C. To protect the virtuous from the wicked
D. None of the above
ANSWER:

Letter A
Modern Writers

● Arundhati Roy - God of Small Things (Man Booker Prize for

Fiction, 1997)
● Rabindranath Tagore - Nobel Prize in Literature (1913)
- Manasi (1890)
- Chitrangada (1892)
- Sonar Tori (1894)
ARUNDHATI ROY

• Themes:
Patriarchy
Domestic abuse
Divorce
Disgrace
- It is about childhood experiences of
fraternal twins whose lives are destroyed by
the "Love Laws" that lay down "who should
be loved and how.”
RABINDRANATH TAGORE

• Nobel Prize in Literature

(1913)
• Gitanjali
• Theme: devotion, and its
motto is “I am here to sing
thee songs.”
••Koan- a paradox to be meditated
upon that is used to train Zen
Buddhist monks to abandon ultimate
dependence on reason and to force
them into gaining sudden intuitive
enlightenment.
IF A TREE FELL
IN THE FOREST
AND NO ONE
HEARS, IS
THERE A
SOUND?