Among all the ancient literatures, that of India is... undoubtedly in intrinsic value and aesthetic merit second only to that of Greece.

-from the Introduction

It is the oldest recognized language on the planet-indeed, Sanskrit was considered the language of the gods by ancient Indians. This is perhaps the first truly accessible volume ever published on the literature of the grand philosophers and poets of ancient India, and its power and importance has not diminished since it first appeared in 1900.

This compact yet comprehensive overview of Sanskrit works covers the Rigveda, the Sutras, the epics, lyric poetry, drama, fairy tales & fables, and more.

With profound insights into the mindsets of ancient and medieval India, this important volume will please students of history, world literature, and comparative linguistics.

British scholar ARTHUR A. MACDONELL (1854-1930) was Boden Professor of Sanskrit at Oxford University. He is also the author of A Vedic Reader for Students, Sanskrit Grammar for Students, and India's Past: A Survey of Her Literatures, Religions, Languages and Antiquities.