Prahasan 1st and 2nd cent: (Bagavadddjujuka)

Said to have been written by Bodayana whose identity is not known is mentioned in an inscription along side another called   prahasna.

An ascetic called bhagavan makes his soul enter into the deadbody of a courtesan by name Ajjuka by his yogic powers after directing his disciple Shandilya to guard his body well. 
The God of death finds that the time for Ajjuka's death has not yet come and directs his men to take her soul back to earth and place it in her body. Finding that another soul has already entered her body they place her soul in the body of Bhagavan. Now the real fun starts. The courtesan begins to discourse on asceticism and philosophy while the Bhagavan begins to talk about love to the utter amazement of his disciples. all such incomplete works are found weather serious or mischief but this has been preserved mischief can be seen in the names used too. throwing light on the stateof affairs during the early ages. could be legends too.

Shukasaptathi is another interesting collection of popular tales narrated by a parrot to its erring mistress in order to refrain her from betraying her absent husband. these stories contain very high moral and are narrated in simple prose style. the author or date of the work is not known.

Simhasana dvithishika is another collection of 32 stories supposed to have been narrated by the images supporting the steps of the throne of Vikramadithya to Bhoja who attempted to ascend the throne. The stories recount the great feats of Vikramaditya. the author and date of the work are not known.

Made into tv serial and famous is Vetalapanchavishatika a colection of 25 stories supposed to have been narrated by a vampire to King Vikramaditya. King Vikrama goes to the burrial ground to fetch a corpse hanging from a tree for the magic rite of an ascetic. A vampire that has taken possession of the dead body narates a story to the king while he is carrying the corpse and puts a question in the end. the moment the king answers the vampire returns to the tree with the corpse. everyday the incident is repeated, a new story is narrated and the question is answered. This continues for 24 days and on the 25th day Vikrama proceeds without answering the question and the ascetic offered the corpse as an oblation into the fire and gained his object. He was turned into a semi divine being and he departed after granting the king many boons. these stories are very old first being written in Prakrita dilects. the sanskrit version was written by one Shivadasa in the 12th century A.D.

Oldest verses Sanskrit.

Vsadanakradhyusite paritrasormimalini
kim mam na trayase magnam vipule cakasagare.

Wby dost thou not serve me that am sunk in a broad ocean of woe, whoes coronal of waves is horror, and in which dwell the crocodiles of despondency.

Sagaram cambaraprakhyam ambaram sagaropamam
Ramaravanayor yuddham ramaravanoyor iva.

Ocean peer of sky, sky oceans counterpart Rama and Ravana alone could match their moral combat a later common place is fore shadowed in.

Tvam krtvaparato manye rupakarta sa vicvakrt
nahi rupopame hyanya tavasti cubhadarcane.

When he had made thee, I ween the allmaker stayed from his making of lovely forms for there is no beauty on earth to match thine o fair faced one.

Harsotphullanayana = eyes expanding with joy.

Locanabhyam pibam iva = men drink in faces with their eyes. (ha ha ha)

phenavirma lahasini = the ganges shows her white teeth as she smiles in the foam of tier waves.

snigdhagambhiraghosa = winds blow with fragrant cooleness, the clouds rumble with deep and pleasant sound.

suvarnakalocapamau = like golden bowls.

Lyrics. Sanskrit

sanskrit literature is rich in lyric poetry. Lyric is the expression of a feeling, thought or sentiment in a vivid manner. It is the outporing of a human heart filled with emotion. Most of the lyrical poems in sanskrit literature are not connectedpoems of considerable length, but consists of detached verses of minature paintings which depicts an amaory situation or sentiment in a jsingle stanza of four lines. Many of them bear evidence of great wealths of observations and depths of feelings and are often drawn by a master craftsmen. They are gems of beauty both of form and content.
The lyrical poems are called kandha kavyani here plant and animal world play an important part and they are treated with great charm.  Lotus is the most prominent flower and birds like chakravak, kokil chtak and chakor are frequently introduced. The lyric poets blend nature and man into one inseperable whole by the artistic use of pathetic fallacy.

1. Madhurya.
2. Vatsalya.
3. Sakhya
4. Dasya
5. Santa.

Prasannaraghava

Jayadeva (not of the Gitagovinda fame but a very great logician has dramatised the Rama epic in seven acts. in act one rama and Ravana are ridiculed in an amusing manner. the act four is the best describing graphically the rama parasurama fight. In the last act aVidyadhara couple describe the Rama ravana fight ending with Sita's agnishuddhi.
Another great work by him Chandraloka a famous alamkara work in 10 chapters called mayukhas its chapter on figures of speach has formed the basis for Appayya Dikshitar,s Kuvalayananda.

Prabodhachadrodaya.

A unique allegorical drama. Kirtivarman Chandella though defeated by a Chedi king Karna is reinstatby his bosom friend and this restoration is celebrated by the staging of the drama in which the characters are various human virtues and vices raged against each other. a holy swamy Paramahamsa of some mutt teaching the tenents of advaita Vedanta in this singular and genial fashion. Viveka the leader of the army of Patience, reason and contentment declare war against Mahamoha and defeat him. The last act is pure Philosophy and incorporates many vedic hymns like Bhavabhuti and ends with the birth of Prabhoda or knowledge compared to Chandra. In spite of its lack of dramatic power because of its uniqueness it became very popular. Vedanta desikar imitated it in his work sankalpasuryodaya glorifying visistadvaita.

Alamkara Lit.

In answering the question "What is the source of literary charm?" Critics in samskrit evolved the Sahitya sastra dealing comprehensively with poetics, literatry criticism, rhetoric and dramaturgy. 
The first great critic Bharata regarded natya or the dramatic element as the chief source of literary appeal and named his works on the fine arts after this important element natyashastra in 37 chapters it has descriptions of even the construction of the stage on which the ten kinds of rupaka's are to be staged with proper accompaniments like music dance etc. (3rd century B.C.)
Bhamaha's Kavyalamkara about 6th century A.D. defines literature, mentioning its various subdivisions. It develops upon Bharata's upama, roopak deepak or anupras. followed closely by Dandin's Kavyadarsa ading a few more topics like the three essentials in the making of a poet, elaborate treatment of yamak and various chitra bandhs like gomutrika; prahelika.
Bhamaha felt satisfied that the figure of speech especially vikrokthi is the best soul of literature. where Dandin strongly aserted athat the soul of literature should be searched in the ten gunas of vaidharbi or gaudi paths.
Vamana another great critic.

to be continued.