The Aesthetic and Intellectual Traditions of

IndiaBy Crystal Zeng For Mr. Haskvitz

Sanskrit Literature

• Sanskrit language of the rich Sanskrit literature was influenced by the Aryans

• The earliest written accounts of Hindu beliefs, including the Rig-Veda, were written in Sanskrit

• Sanskrit literature can be found in a vast collection of poetry, drama, stories and epics

• The Ramaya and Mahabharata are two of India’s most famous epics

Sanskrit Literature cont.

• A few of the greatest Sanskrit poems can be found in the Mahabharata, including Kalidasa’s Raghuvamsa and Kumarasambhava, and Kiratarjuniya of Bharavi

• Sanskrit literature used to be a primary source of gaining knowledge and was used during religious rituals

• Now, Sanskrit is mainly seen as used for entertainment

Bhagavad Gita

• One of India’s greatest epic poems• Tells the story of five brothers who try to

conquer and Indian kingdom• The Indian god Krishna encourages one of

the brothers before he leaves for battle• Krishna talks about important Hindu

beliefs• Considered one of the most important

Hindu writings in Sanskrit literature

Medicine

• During India’s golden ages, Indian doctors gained advanced knowledge about medicine

• They learned how to used plants to make different kinds of medicine

• They knew how to fix broken bones and heal wounds

• They had general understanding of the importance of the spinal cord in the human body

Mathematics

• New discoveries in mathematics were also made in India

• They developed the idea and symbol of zero

• An Indian mathematician created and used a number system that consisted of zero and nine digits

Mathematics cont.

• The number system was eventually passed on to the Europeans

• Today, we call these Indian numbers Arabic numerals and the Indian number system the decimal system

• The Indians also developed algebra and geometry

Metallurgy

• Metallurgy is the technique of working with metals

• Early Indian metallurgists have advanced in metallurgy

• One of India’s greatest works of art is the Iron Pillar of Delhi

• Indian chemists used metals to create different medicines

Assessment

• What does Sanskrit literature consist of?• What was the significance of the

Bhagavad Gita?• What was one important discovery the

doctors in India made?• The Indians developed which two areas of

math?• How does Indian metallurgy relate to

Indian medicine?

Assessment Answers• It consists of poetry, drama, stories, and epics• It was one of India’s greatest epic poems/it was

considered one of the most important Hindu writings in Sanskrit literature

• They learned how to used plants to make different kinds of medicine/they knew how to fix broken bones and heal wounds/they had general understanding of the importance of the spinal cord in the human body

• Algebra and geometry• Indian chemists used metals to create different

medicines