DIDACTIC LITERATURE IN SANSKRIT

 

Poems meant for instruction are known as Didactic poems. Didactic poems cover a wide range of topics such as the fickle nature of human existence, the worthlessness of worldly pleasures, the advantages of detachment and renunciation, the power of inevitable fate, the need of human effort, the honor attached to wealth and contempt of poverty, the results of good and bad company, the nature of the wise and wicked, the greatness of learning, the policies to be adopted for success in any undertakings by the kings., and they are expressed in a language endowed with much poetic beauty.

         The origin of Didactic poetry can be traced to the Rig Veda.  Mahabharata contains rich collections of such verses among which विदुरनीतिः in the उद्योगपर्व is very famous.  An early collection of such verses in one book form is चाणक्य -नीतिशास्त्रम् containing 340 stanzas dealing with rules of conduct in a general way.  It is not clear whether the author of this work is the well known minister of Chandragupta Maurya.  The work धम्मपाद is an attempt of the Buddhists to compose didactic poetry for the use of men of their faith.