Kāvya


Kāvya was the Sanskrit literary style used by Indian court poets flourishing between c. 200 BCE and 1200 CE.
This literary style, which includes both poetry and prose, is characterised by abundant usage of figures of speech such as metaphors, similes, and hyperbole to create its characteristic emotional effects. The result is a short lyrical work, court epic, narrative or dramatic work. Kāvya can refer to the style or the completed body of literature. Aśvaghoṣa, a philosopher and poet considered the father of Sanskrit drama, is attributed with first using the term.

Early kāvya

Although very little literature in the kāvya style written before the time of Kālidāsa survives, it can be assumed from quotations in Patañjali's grammatical treatise the Mahābhāṣya, as well as from poems written on various inscriptions of the 4th to 6th centuries CE, that it dates back to an early time.
One early epic work in this style is the Buddhacarita by Aśvaghoṣa. Only the first half of this survives in Sanskrit, and the rest in a Chinese translation made c. 420 CE.

Mahākāvya

is believed to have lived in the early 5th century CE. He is the author of two epics, the Raghuvaṃśa and Kumārasambhava. These two epics are traditionally known as mahākāvya "great epics".
Other writers of great epics were Bhāravi, author of Kirātārjunīya; Māgha, author of Śiśupālav-adha, an epic famous for its linguistic ingenuity, and Śrīharṣa, author of Naiṣadhīya-carita. Another epic often called a mahākāvya, is Bhaṭṭikāvya, which is simultaneously a narrative and a manual of grammatical instruction. It is believed by some to have been written by the 7th-century poet and grammarian Bhartṛhari.

Prose writers

Those who wrote in prose included Subandhu, author of Vāsavadattā, a romantic tale, and Bāṇabhaṭṭa , author of Kādambarī, a romantic novel, and of Harṣacarita, a biography written in poetic prose.
Another well-known writer of the period was Daṇḍin, who, as well as poetry, wrote the Kāvyādarśa, a discussion of poetics, and the Daśakumāracarita.

Some examples of kāvya

Source:

Epics

  • Rāmāyaṇa – Vālmīki
  • Mahābhārata – Vyāsa
  • Kumāra-sambhava – Kālidāsa
  • Buddha-carita – Aśva-ghoṣa
  • Raghu-vaṃśa – Kālidāsa
  • Madhurā-vijaya – Gaṅgā-devī
  • Kṛṣṇa-vilāsa – Sukumāra
  • Vikramāṅka-deva-carita – Bilhaṇa
  • Śiva-līlārṇava – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Kirātārjunīya – Bhāravi
  • Śiśupāla-vadha – Māgha
  • Naiṣadhīya-carita – Śrī-harṣa
  • Jānakī-pariṇaya – Cakra-kavi
  • Raghunāthābhyudaya – Rāma-bhadrāmbā
  • Gāṅgāvataraṇa – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Daśāvatāra-carita – Kṣemendra
  • Pūrva-purāṇa – Jina-sena
  • Rukmiṇīśa-vijaya – Vādi-rāja
  • Dharma-śarmābhyudaya – Hari-candra
  • Bāla-bhārata – Amara-candra
  • Śrīkaṇṭha-carita – Maṅkha
  • Rāma-carita – Abhinanda
  • Jānakī-haraṇa – Kumāra-dāsa
  • Yādavābhyudaya – Vedānta-deśika
  • Yudhiṣṭhira-vijaya – Vāsudeva
  • Rāvaṇa-vadha – Bhaṭṭi
  • Kapphiṇābhyudaya – Śiva-svāmī
  • Hara-vijaya – Ratnākara
  • Rāghava-pāṇḍavīya – Kavi-rāja

    Plays

  • Ūru-bhaṅga – Bhāsa
  • Svapna-vāsavadatta – Bhāsa
  • Matta-vilāsa-prahasana – Mahendra-varmā
  • Bhagavadajjukīya – Mahendra-varmā
  • Mṛcchakaṭika – Śūdraka
  • Kunda-mālā – Diṅnāga
  • Mālavikāgnimitra – Kālidāsa
  • Ratnāvalī – Harṣa-vardhana
  • Vikramorvaśīya – Kālidāsa
  • Abhijñāna-śākuntala – Kālidāsa
  • Nāgānanda – Harṣa-vardhana
  • Prabodha-candrodaya – Kṛṣṇa-miśra
  • Uttara-rāma-carita – Bhava-bhūti
  • Veṇī-saṃhāra – Bhaṭṭa-nārāyaṇa
  • Mudrā-rākṣasa – Viśākha-datta
  • Padma-prābhṛtaka – Śūdraka
  • Pāda-tāḍitaka – Śyāmilaka
  • Pratijñā-yaugandharāyaṇa – Bhāsa
  • Hāsya-cūḍāmaṇi – Vatsa-rāja
  • Karpūra-carita-bhāṇa – Vatsa-rāja
  • Bāla-carita – Bhāsa
  • Avimāraka – Bhāsa
  • Āścarya-cūḍāmaṇi – Śakti-bhadra
  • Priya-darśikā – Harṣa-vardhana
  • Karṇa-sundarī – Bilhaṇa
  • Tāpasa-vatsa-rāja – Māyu-rāja
  • Naiṣadhānanda – Kṣemīśvara
  • Viddha-śālabhañjikā – Rāja-śekhara
  • Laṭaka-melaka – Śaṅkha-dhara
  • Hāsyārṇava – Jagadīśa
  • Prasanna-rāghava – Jaya-deva
  • Mahāvīra-carita – Bhava-bhūti
  • Mālatī-mādhava – Bhava-bhūti
  • Hanumannāṭaka
  • Ubhayābhisārikā – Vara-ruci
  • Dhūrta-viṭa-saṃvāda – Īśvara-datta
  • Anargha-rāghava – Murāri
  • Bāla-rāmāyaṇa – Rāja-śekhara
  • Saṅkalpa-sūryodaya – Vedānta-deśika

    Stories and Fables

  • Pañca-tantra – Viṣṇu-śarmā
  • Hitopadeśa – Nārāyaṇa-paṇḍita
  • Siṃhāsana-dvātriṃśikā
  • Vetāla-pañcaviṃśati – Jambhala-datta
  • Jātaka-mālā – Ārya-śūra
  • Bhoja-prabandha – Ballāḻa
  • Śuka-saptati – Cintā-maṇi
  • Puruṣa-parīkṣā – Vidyā-pati
  • Prabandha-koṣa – Rāja-śekhara
  • Prabandha-cintāmaṇi – Meru-tuṅga

    Prose Works

  • Daśa-kumāra-carita – Daṇḍī
  • Kādambarī – Bāṇa-bhaṭṭa
  • Harṣa-carita – Bāṇa-bhaṭṭa
  • Tilaka-mañjarī – Dhana-pāla
  • Vāsava-dattā – Subandhu

    Campū

  • Rāmāyaṇa-campū – Bhoja
  • Nīlakaṇṭha-vijaya-campū – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Viśva-guṇādarśa-campū – Veṅkaṭādhvarī
  • Bhārata-campū – Ananta-bhaṭṭa
  • Varadāmbikā-pariṇaya-campū – Tirumalāmbā
  • Yātrā-prabandha – Samara-puṅgava-dīkṣita
  • Nṛsiṃha-campū – Daivajña-sūrya
  • Pārijātāpaharaṇa-campū – Śeṣa-śrī-kṛṣṇa
  • Udaya-sundarī-kathā – Soḍḍhala
  • Yaśastilaka-campū – Soma-deva-sūri
  • Nala-campū – Trivikrama-bhaṭṭa

    Short Poems

  • Ṛtu-saṃhāra – Kālidāsa
  • Nīti-dviṣaṣṭikā – Sundara-pāṇḍya
  • Nīti-śataka – Bhartṛhari
  • Vairāgya-śataka – Bhartṛhari
  • Amaru-śataka – Amaruka
  • Sabhā-rañjana – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Kali-viḍambana – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Vairāgya-śataka – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Śānti-vilāsa – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Megha-dūta – Kālidāsa
  • Bhāminī-vilāsa – Jagannātha
  • Gīta-govinda – Jaya-deva
  • Bhallaṭa-śataka – Bhallaṭa
  • Anyāpadeśa-śataka – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Mahiṣa-śataka – Vāñcheśvara
  • Dṛṣṭānta-kalikā-śataka – Kusuma-deva
  • Cāṇakya-nīti – Cāṇakya
  • Gumānī-śataka – Gumānī-kavi
  • Śānti-śataka – Śilhaṇa
  • Haṃsa-sandeśa – Vedānta-deśika
  • Kokila-sandeśa – Uddaṇḍa
  • Āryā-sapta-śatī – Govardhana
  • Tīrtha-prabandha – Vādi-rāja
  • Pārśvābhyudaya – Jina-sena
  • Sahṛdayānanda – Śrī-kṛṣṇānanda
  • Subhāṣita-kaustubha – Veṅkaṭādhvarī
  • Subhāṣita-nīvī – Vedānta-deśika

    Devotional Hymns

  • Śivānanda-laharī – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Śrī-kṛṣṇa-karṇāmṛta – Līlā-śuka
  • Gaṅgā-laharī – Jagannātha
  • Śivotkarṣa-mañjarī – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Saundarya-laharī – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Sudhā-laharī – Jagannātha
  • Varada-rāja-stava – Appayya-dīkṣita
  • Ānanda-sāgara-stava – Nīlakaṇṭha-dīkṣita
  • Mūka-pañcaśatī – Mūka-kavi
  • Pādukā-sahasra – Vedānta-deśika
  • Lakṣmī-nṛsiṃha-karāvalambana-stotra – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Devyaparādha-kṣamāpaṇa-stotra – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Śiva-mahimnaḥ stotra – Puṣpa-danta
  • Śyāmalā-daṇḍaka
  • Śiva-pādādi-keśānta-stotra – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Viṣṇu-pādādi-keśānta-stotra – Śaṅkarācārya
  • Gopāla-viṃśati – Vedānta-deśika
  • Karuṇā-laharī – Jagannātha
  • Lakṣmī-laharī – Jagannātha
  • Rāma-karṇāmṛta – Rāmabhadra-dīkṣita
  • Rāmāṣṭa-prāsa – Rāmabhadra-dīkṣita
  • Raṅgarāja-stava – Parāśara-bhaṭṭa
  • Garuḍa-pañcāśat – Vedānta-deśika
  • Stuti-kusumāñjali – Jagaddhara
  • Caṇḍī-śataka – Bāṇa-bhaṭṭa
  • Sūrya-śataka – Mayūra
  • Nārāyaṇīya – Nārāyaṇa-bhaṭṭatiri
  • Devī-śataka – Ānanda-vardhana
  • Īśvara-śataka – Īśvara-kavi
  • Lakṣmī-sahasra – Veṅkaṭādhvarī

    Satires and Verse Narratives

  • Darpa-dalana – Kṣemendra
  • Kuṭṭinī-mata – Dāmodara
  • Deśopadeśa – Kṣemendra
  • Kalā-vilāsa – Kṣemendra
  • Narma-mālā – Kṣemendra
  • Rāmāyaṇa-mañjarī – Kṣemendra
  • Bhārata-mañjarī – Kṣemendra
  • Kathā-sarit-sāgara – Soma-deva
  • Rāja-taraṅgiṇī – Kalhaṇa
  • Sevya-sevakopadeśa – Kṣemendra
  • Cāru-caryā – Kṣemendra
  • Bṛhatkathā-mañjarī – Kṣemendra
  • Caturvarga-saṅgraha – Kṣemendra
  • Deśopadeśa – Kṣemendra
  • Samaya-mātṛkā – Kṣemendra
  • Bhikṣāṭana-kāvya – Utprekṣā-vallabha

    Anthologies

  • Samayocita-padya-mālikā
  • Subhāṣitāvalī – Vallabha-deva
  • Subhāṣita-ratna-koṣa – Vidyākara
  • Subhāṣita-ratna-bhāṇḍāgāra
  • Subhāṣita-sudhā-nidhi – Sāyaṇācārya
  • Padyāvalī – Rūpa-gosvāmī
  • Śārṅgadhara-paddhati – Śārṅgadhara
  • Sūkti-muktāvalī – Jalhaṇa
  • Sadukti-karṇāmṛta – Śrīdhara-dāsa

    Modern Works

  • Vātsalya-rasāyana – Sridhar Bhaskar Warnekar
  • Kāma-śuddhi – V Raghavan
  • Kālidāsa-rahasya – Sridhar Bhaskar Warnekar
  • Nāṭya-pañcagavya – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Pañca-kulyā – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Prekṣaṇaka-trayī – V Raghavan
  • Candra-sena – S D Joshi and Vighna Hari Deo
  • Laharī-daśaka – Radhavallabh Tripathi
  • Śiva-rājyodaya – Sridhar Bhaskar Warnekar
  • Anārkalī – V Raghavan
  • Megha-prati-sandeśa – Mandikal Rama Shastri
  • Kaṇṭakāñjali – K S Arjunwadkar
  • Vicchitti-vātāyanī – Jagannath Pathak
  • Kāpiśāyinī – Jagannath Pathak
  • Parīvāha – Balram Shukla
  • Nipuṇa-prāghuṇaka – Shankar Rajaraman
  • Bhārāvatāra-stava – Shankar Rajaraman
  • Mṛtkūṭa – Bhaskaracharya Tripathi
  • Pratijñā-kauṭilya – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Citra-naiṣadha – Shankar Rajaraman
  • Sītā-rāvaṇa-saṃvāda-jharī – C Rama Shastri and Sitarama Shastri
  • Lokālaṅkāra-paṅkīya – S Jagannatha
  • Asta-vyasta – S Jagannatha
  • Kāvya-kalāpa – Jaggu Shingararya
  • Abhirāja-saptaśatī – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Abhirāja-sāhasrī – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Nāṭya-nava-ratna – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Rūpa-rudrīya – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Akiñcana-kāñcana – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Mīrā-laharī – Kshama Rao
  • Mṛgāṅka-dūta – Abhiraj Rajendra Mishra
  • Kavitā-putrikā-jāti – Balram Shukla
  • Pratijñā-śāntanava – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Maṇi-haraṇa – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Apratima-pratima – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Prasanna-kāśyapa – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Vivekānanda-vijaya – Sridhar Bhaskar Warnekar
  • Śatālaṅkāra-kṛṣṇa-śataka – H V Nagaraja Rao
  • Vyājokti-muktāvalī – Mahalinga Shastri
  • Bhramara-dūta – Mahalinga Shastri
  • Adbhutāṃśuka – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Madhurāñjali – Galagali Ramacharya
  • Adbhuta-dūta – Jaggu Vakulabhushana
  • Laghu-raghu – Bhaskaracharya Tripathi
  • Devī-dānavīya – Shankar Rajaraman