Understanding Ancient Indian Literary Works and Authors

This question asks us to examine pairs of ancient Indian literary works and their authors to identify how many are correctly matched. We need to go through each pair listed in the table and verify the authorship of the given literary work.

Analyzing Each Literary Work and Author Pair

Let's analyze each pair provided in the question:

1. Literary work: Devichandragupta
   Author given: Bilhana

   The play Devichandragupta is attributed to the ancient Indian playwright Vishakhadatta. Vishakhadatta is also known for the play Mudrarakshasa. Bilhana, on the other hand, was a Kashmiri poet known for works like Vikramankadevacharitam. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.

2. Literary work: Hammira-Mahakavya
   Author given: Nayachandra Suri

   Hammira-Mahakavya is indeed an epic poem written by the Jain scholar and poet Nayachandra Suri in the 15th century. It describes the life and exploits of Hammira Deva, the last ruler of the Chahamana dynasty of Ranthambore. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.

3. Literary work: Milinda-panha
   Author given: Nagarjuna

   The Milinda-panha (Questions of Milinda) is a significant Buddhist text that records a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander I (Milinda) and the Buddhist sage Nagasena. While Nagarjuna was a very important Buddhist philosopher (founder of the Madhyamaka school), he is not the author of the Milinda-panha. The text is presented as a dialogue involving Nagasena. Therefore, this pair is incorrectly matched.

4. Literary work: Nitivakyamrita
   Author given: Somadeva Suri

   Nitivakyamrita (meaning "Nectar of Sentences on Polity") is a treatise on political science written by the Digambara Jain monk Somadeva Suri in the 10th century. Therefore, this pair is correctly matched.

Summary of Correctly Matched Pairs

Based on our analysis:

• Pair 1 (Devichandragupta - Bilhana) is incorrect.
• Pair 2 (Hammira-Mahakavya - Nayachandra Suri) is correct.
• Pair 3 (Milinda-panha - Nagarjuna) is incorrect.
• Pair 4 (Nitivakyamrita - Somadeva Suri) is correct.

Thus, there are two pairs that are correctly matched.

Here is a summary table:

Out of the four pairs, exactly two are correctly matched.

Revision Table: Ancient Indian Literature and Authors

It's helpful to remember important literary works and their authors from ancient and medieval India.

Additional Information: Key Concepts in Ancient Indian Literature

Studying ancient Indian literature gives us insights into the society, culture, philosophy, and political thought of the time. Different types of literature include:

• Religious Texts: Vedas, Upanishads, Sutras, Tripitakas (Buddhist texts), Agamas (Jain texts), Puranas.
• Epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata.
• Plays and Poetry: Works by Kalidasa, Vishakhadatta, Bhavabhuti, etc.
• Scientific and Technical Literature: Treatises on astronomy, mathematics (Aryabhata, Varahamihira, Brahmagupta), medicine (Charaka, Sushruta), grammar (Panini, Patanjali), politics (Kautilya), etc.
• Historical Chronicles: Rajatarangini by Kalhana.
• Biographies and Mahakavyas: Works focusing on the lives of rulers or important figures.

Identifying authors and their works is a key aspect of preparing for exams related to ancient Indian history.