India has a millennia-long, glorious past. In mankind’s history, it is unmistakably a rich chapter: splendid in expression and awe-inspiring in immensity. Recognised world-wide for the sublimity of its thought that transcends cosmic categories, the cultural glory of ancient India is well-manifest in its long intellectual traditions of Darsana (philosophy), Dharmasastras (ethical codes/sociology), Ayurveda (medicine), Niti (polity/statecraft), Itihasa-Purana (history and mythology), Vyakarana (grammar) and Kavyasastra (literary theory/poetics). And, these apart, it is seen in the heights it achieved in the realms of sculptural art, architecture, drama, poetry, music, and even erotics. Notwithstanding its vastly complex expressions, the book develops a sharply-chiselled cultural profile of ancient India – with spotlight on its creative genius, its intellectual traditions, and its landmark achievements. In projecting these distinguishing features of a great heritage, the author: an Indologist of international renown, has drawn on a bewildering mass of literary evidence: ranging from Vedic writings to Vastuvidya texts, from Arthasastra treatises to Alamkara-sastra works. With wide-ranging bibliographic references and a comprehensive glossary of Sanskrit terms running over a hundred pages, the book will interest specialists and lay-readers alike.
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