Each collection represents a set of books that are collectively known by the collection's name. In the list of books (shown below the table of collections), each book also refers to the collection it belongs to (if it does).
| Name | Description | Alternate Names | Date |
|---|
| Vedas | Sacred hymns, which are a large body of texts originating in ancient India. Composed in Vedic Sanskrit, the texts constitute the oldest layer of Sanskrit literature and the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. There are four Vedas, and these constitute the Hindu canon. | Samhita | 1500-500 BCE[1] |
| Shakhas | Vedic school. Each school taught a Veda in a specific way, over time evolving specific styles and emphasis, based on how / by whom / where it was taught. | |
| Brahmanas | Commentary and elaboration on vedas and description of religious procedures. | date=July 2012}} |
| Upanishads | Philosophy in response to Vedas and Brahmanas. | date=July 2012}} |
| Vedanta | Later commentary on the Vedas, Brahmanas and Upanishads. | |
| Itihasas | Ramayana and Mahabharata are known as the itihasas (‘once upon a time’). | |
| Pali Canon | Essential collections of teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha, as written by his followers, three centuries later. | Tipitaka | |
| Puranas | Historic texts (usually about a royal lineage) - written by court-appointed historians. Usually contrasted with historical descriptions in vedas, brahmanas, etc., that are written by priests. | |
| Dharmasastra | Collection and description of laws (man-made and natural). | |
| Book | Subject Area | Topic | Collection | Language | Author | Date | Reign of | Reign Age | Geographic Region | Modern Name of Geographic Region | Notes | | Rig Veda | Hindu hymns about various gods, and references to historic events. | Part 1 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | No concrete information available, but attributed to several rishis. | 1500-500 BCE[1] | Sapta Sindhva | Indus region (Indus + its five tributaries + Saraswati) |
| Yajur Veda | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Part 3 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | No concrete information available, but attributed to several 'rishis' | 1500-500 BCE[1] | Sapta Sindhva | Indus region (Indus + its five tributaries + Saraswati) |
| Sama Veda | Hindu music and arts. | Part 2 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | 1500-500 BCE[1] |
| Atharva Veda | Hindu medicine, magic, sorcery. | Part 4 of the four part Hindu canon. | Veda/Samhita | Sanskrit | Attributed to rishis "Atharvana" and Angirasa. | 1500-500 BCE[1] |
| Taittiriya Shakha | Recension of Yajur Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit | |
| Shaunaka Shakha | Recension of Atharva Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit |
| Paippalada Shakha | Recension of Atharva Veda | Shakha | Sanskrit |
| Satapatha Brahmana | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Commentary on Yajur Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | date=July 2012}} | |
| Aitareya Brahmana | Hindu vedic practices. | Commentary on Rig Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit | |
| Kaushitaki Brahmana | Commentary on Rig Veda | Sanskrit | |
| Taittiriya Brahmana | Hindu sacrificial knowledge. | Commentary on Yajur Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Samavidhana Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Arseya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Devatadhyaya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Shakdwipiya Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Tandyamaha Brahmana | Hindu music and arts. | Commentary on Sama Veda | Brahmana | Sanskrit |
| Aitareya Aranyaka | Sanskrit |
| Kaushitaki Aranyaka | Sanskrit |
| Taittiriya Upanishad | Upanishad | Sanskrit | |
| Maitri Upanishad | Upanishad | Sanskrit | |
| | Mimamsa | Sanskrit | |
| | Theravada Buddhism | Buddhist Pali Canon | Pali | |
| | Yoga | Sanskrit | |
| Ramayana | Life of Rama, a prince of the Sun dynasty. | Sanskrit | Valmiki | 400 BCE - 400 CE [2] |
| Mahabharata | Sanskrit | Lord Ganesha while Veda Vyasa narrated it. | 400 BCE - 400 CE [2] | |
| Bhagavad Gita | Krishna's advice to Arjuna on duty. | Sanskrit | Veda Vyasa | 200 BCE - 200 CE [2] | Not a separate work. Part of Mahabharata. |
| Hatha Yoga Pradipika | Sanskrit | |
| Gheranda Samhita | Sanskrit | |
| Yoga Sutras of Patanjali | Sanskrit | Patanjali | |
| Vishnu Purana | Purana | Sanskrit | |
| Persian Wars | Greek | Herodotus | |
| Arthashastra | polity | Sanskrit | Chanakya (aka Kautilya) | Chandragupta Maurya | date=July 2012}} | Magadha | Bihar | |
| Milinda Panha | Dialogues with King Milinda (Menander) | Pali | Menander | date=July 2012}} | Sagala | Sialkot in Punjab | |
| Buddhacharita | Buddhism | Life of Shakyamuni Buddha | Sanskrit | Ashvagosha | Kanishka | date=July 2012}} | Purushapura | Peshawar | |
| Periplus of the Erythrean Sea | A naval guide to Indian commerce. | Greek | date=July 2012}} | |
| Manusmriti (aka Manava Dharmaśāstra) | Law, code of conduct. | Code of conduct as described by Manu. | Dharmaśāstra | Sanskrit | |
| | Puranas | Sanskrit | |
| Kamasutra | Sex | A manual of love. | Sanskrit | Vātsyāyana | |
| Charaka Samhita | Medicine | Medical text. | Sanskrit | Charaka | |
| Ashtadyayi | Sanskrit language | Sanskrit grammar | Sanskrit | Panini | |
| Siddhāntakaumudī | Sanskrit language | Sanskrit grammar. Rearranges and provides descriptions for Panini's Ashtadyayi. | Sanskrit | Bhattoji Diksita | |
| Mahabhashya | Sanskrit language | Sanskrit grammar | Sanskrit | Patanjali | |
| Devichandraguptam | Drama | Drama about Chandragupta II | Sanskrit | Vishakhadatta | |
| Aryabhatiya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Āryabhaṭa | |
| Surya Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | |
| Romaka Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | |
| Paulisa Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | |
| Vasishtha Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | |
| Paitamaha Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Panchasiddhantika | Sanskrit | Varahamihira | |
| Brāhmasphuṭasiddhānta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Brahmagupta | |
| Mahabhaskariya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhaskara I | Expansion of Aryabhatta's work |
| Dhavala | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Virasena | Amoghavarsha | |
| Ganit Saar Sangraha | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Mahavira | Rashtrakuta | |
| Nav Shatika | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Sridhara | Bengal | |
| Maha-Siddhanta | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Aryabhata II | Bengal | Commentary on Sridhara's work |
| Siddhanta Sekhara | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Śrīpati | |
| Ganit Tilaka | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Śrīpati | |
| Dhikotidakarana | Mathematics | Lunar and solar eclipses | Sanskrit | Śrīpati | |
| Siddhanta Shiromani | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Lilavati | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Bijaganita | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Gola Addhyaya | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Griha Ganitam | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Karun Kautoohal | Mathematics | Mathematics | Sanskrit | Bhāskara II | |
| Travels of Faxian | Social life | Travels in India during the Chandragupta II era | Mandarin | Faxian | Chandragupta II | date=July 2012}} | Magadha | Bihar | |
| Shakuntala | Drama | Drama about a girl forgotten by her husband | Sanskrit | Kalidasa | Chandragupta II | date=July 2012}} | Magadha | Bihar | |
| Meghadūta | Drama | Story of a cloud carrying a message amongst lovers | Sanskrit | Kalidasa | Chandragupta II | date=July 2012}} | Magadha | Bihar | |
| Mrichakatika | Drama | Story of a poor brahman falling in love with a courtesan. | Sanskrit | Shudraka | Chandragupta II | date=July 2012}} | Magadha | Bihar | |
| Harshacharita | Biography | Life of King Harsha Vardhana | Sanskrit | Bāṇabhaṭṭa | Harsha Vardhana | date=July 2012}} | Thanesar | near Delhi | |
| In the footsteps of Buddha | Travel | Mandarin | Xuanzang | Harsha Vardhana | date=July 2012}} | Thanesar | near Delhi | |
| In the footsteps of Buddha | Travel | Mandarin | Xuanzang | Pulakesin II (Pulikesi) | date=July 2012}} | Badami | near Krishna river | |
| Samkhya verses | Sanskrit | Isvara Krishna |
| Soundarya Lahari | Sanskrit | Sankaracharya | |
| Bhagavata Purana | Religion | Various mythologic stories | Puranas | Sanskrit | Attributed to Vyasa | 1100-1200 CE | |
| Mattavilasa Prahasana | Sanskrit | Mahendravarman I | Mahendravarman I (Pallava) | date=July 2012}} | Kancheepuram | Kancheepuram | |
| Ratirahasya | Sex | Sanskrit |
| | Medicine | Ma'dan ul Shifa | Arabic | Sikandar Lodi | date=July 2012}} | Delhi | |
| | Music | Lahjat I Sikandar Shahi | Arabic | Sikandar Lodi | date=July 2012}} | Delhi | |
| | Persian | Kabir | |
| Baburnama | Autobiography | Babur's life | Chagatai | Babur | Babur | Mughal Empire | |
| Humayunnama | Biography | Humayun's life | Persian | Gulbadan Begum | Humayun | Mughal Empire |
| Nimmatnama-i-Nasiruddin-Shahi | Cooking | Cooking | Ghiyath Shah |
| Akbarnama | Chronicle | official chronicle of the reign of Akbar | Persian | Abu'l-Fazl ibn Mubarak | Akbar |
| Tulsidas Ramayan | Hinduism | Translation of Ramayana into Hindi | Hindi | Tulsidas | Akbar | date=July 2012}} | Mughal Empire | |
| Tuzk-e-Jahangiri | Autobiography | Jahangir's life | Persian | Jahangir | Jahangir | Mughal Empire |
| Guru Granth Sahib | Sikhism | Holy scripture of Sikhism | Sant Bhasha | Guru Arjan Dev | Jehangir | date=July 2012}} | Punjab | |
| Padshahnama | Abdul Hamid Lahori |
| Shahjahannama | Biography | Life and Reign of Shah Jahan | Persian | Inayat Khan | Shah Jahan | Mughal Empire |
| Baharistan-i-Ghaibi | History | chronicle on the history of Bengal, Cooch Behar, Assam and Bihar | Persian | Mughal Empire |
| Jatakalankara | Astrology | Sanskrit | Ganesa | 1613 CE |
| Chahar Gulshan | History | History of India | Persian | Rai Chatar Man Kayath | 1759 CE | Ahmad Shah Bahadur | Mughal Empire |
1. ^1 2 3 4 {{cite book | last1=Flood |first1=Gavin |title=An Introduction to Hinduism|isbn=0521438780|year=1996 |page=37}}
2. ^1 2 {{cite book | last1=Molloy |first1=Michael |title=Experiencing the World's Religions|isbn=9780073535647|year=2008 |page=87}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Historic Indian texts}}