Literature and Poetry of Ancient India

Description: Test your knowledge about the rich literary and poetic traditions of ancient India.
Number of Questions: 15
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Tags: indian literature ancient poetry sanskrit literature
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Which ancient Indian epic poem tells the story of the Pandavas and Kauravas?

  1. Ramayana

  2. Mahabharata

  3. Bhagavad Gita

  4. Upanishads


Correct Option: B
Explanation:

The Mahabharata is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India, the other being the Ramayana.

Who is considered the author of the Ramayana?

  1. Valmiki

  2. Vyasa

  3. Kalidasa

  4. Bhavabhuti


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Valmiki is traditionally regarded as the author of the Ramayana, one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of hymns and prayers?

  1. Rigveda

  2. Samaveda

  3. Yajurveda

  4. Atharvaveda


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Rigveda is the oldest of the four Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of philosophical and religious teachings?

  1. Upanishads

  2. Brahmanas

  3. Aranyakas

  4. Sutras


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Upanishads are a collection of philosophical and religious texts that are part of the Vedas, the sacred texts of Hinduism.

Who is considered the greatest Sanskrit dramatist?

  1. Kalidasa

  2. Bhavabhuti

  3. Shudraka

  4. Vishakhadatta


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Kalidasa is considered the greatest Sanskrit dramatist and one of the greatest poets in Sanskrit literature.

Which of Kalidasa's plays is about the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala?

  1. Abhijnanashakuntalam

  2. Vikramorvashiyam

  3. Malavikagnimitram

  4. Meghaduta


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Abhijnanashakuntalam is a play by Kalidasa that tells the love story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala.

Which of Kalidasa's plays is about the story of King Raghu?

  1. Raghuvamsha

  2. Kumarasambhava

  3. Meghaduta

  4. Ritusamhara


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Raghuvamsha is a play by Kalidasa that tells the story of King Raghu.

Which of Kalidasa's poems is about the cloud messenger?

  1. Meghaduta

  2. Ritusamhara

  3. Kumarasambhava

  4. Raghuvamsha


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Meghaduta is a poem by Kalidasa that tells the story of a cloud messenger.

Which of Kalidasa's poems is about the seasons?

  1. Ritusamhara

  2. Meghaduta

  3. Kumarasambhava

  4. Raghuvamsha


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Ritusamhara is a poem by Kalidasa that tells the story of the seasons.

Which of Kalidasa's poems is about the birth of the war god Skanda?

  1. Kumarasambhava

  2. Meghaduta

  3. Ritusamhara

  4. Raghuvamsha


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Kumarasambhava is a poem by Kalidasa that tells the story of the birth of the war god Skanda.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of fables and animal stories?

  1. Panchatantra

  2. Hitopadesha

  3. Jatakas

  4. Aesop's Fables


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Panchatantra is a collection of fables and animal stories that originated in ancient India.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of moral stories and fables?

  1. Hitopadesha

  2. Panchatantra

  3. Jatakas

  4. Aesop's Fables


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Hitopadesha is a collection of moral stories and fables that originated in ancient India.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of stories about the previous lives of the Buddha?

  1. Jatakas

  2. Panchatantra

  3. Hitopadesha

  4. Aesop's Fables


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

The Jatakas are a collection of stories about the previous lives of the Buddha.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of fables and moral stories attributed to Aesop?

  1. Aesop's Fables

  2. Panchatantra

  3. Hitopadesha

  4. Jatakas


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Aesop's Fables is a collection of fables and moral stories attributed to Aesop, a slave and storyteller believed to have lived in ancient Greece.

Which ancient Indian text is a collection of love poems?

  1. Gita Govinda

  2. Meghaduta

  3. Ritusamhara

  4. Kumarasambhava


Correct Option: A
Explanation:

Gita Govinda is a collection of love poems by Jayadeva, a 12th-century Sanskrit poet.

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