Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c13.8

c13.8

that is, it is the poetry of those who sought or enjoyed the favour of princes.¹ So wide and various, however, is the use of Sanskrit among Buddhists, Jainas and Brahmanic Hindus that the dictum is clearly an over-statement. But, undoubtedly, a large number of Sanskrit poets flourished at the courts of princes and reflect the court atmosphere. They rarely evince a definite political *motif*, but from the nature of their surroundings or their plots they often make incidental political reflections. It is impossible to refer to all Sanskrit works but it is desirable to review the more important of them. Here, as elsewhere, the uncertainty of dates is a severe handicap, but, fortunately, classical Sanskrit literature, which could make no claim to divine origin or legal authority, has suffered little from interpolations.