The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c28.88

v1.c28.88

If we may conjecturally assign to this period any definite literary forms, these would be the *çāstra* and the artificial poetry, or *kāvya*. The former, the most characteristic product of the Indian mind, is the formal exposition of a particular science in dogmatic enunciations accompanied by a discussion (*bhāshya*). Such are the grammatical work of Patañjali, the Arthaçāstra of Chāṇakya, the Kāmaçāstra of Vātsyāyana: the Dharma Çāstra, or Law, followed an older model, that of the metrical treatise, and the Nyāya Çāstra, or Logic, is a later creation. We cannot doubt also that many of the minor sciences (*vidyās*) and arts (*kalās*), which were from earlier times a subject of instruction, had already attained some systematic literary form⁴. As regards the artificial epic, it is true that we have no positive evidence of its existence in Maurya times. But the Buddhacharita of Açvaghosha, which dates from the first century a.d., presents a perfect and stereotyped form, indicating a long preparation.