• Sanskrit was the language of higher culture throughout South India, and a significant volume of literature in its various branches arose from the activity of ports and scholars over the centuries.

• The history of this literary activity is outlined before studying the literatures in the languages of the people, namely Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, and Malayalam, in the probable order of their development.

• All these Dravidian languages owed much to Sanskrit, which transformed each from a patois to a literary idiom.

• The interaction between these languages and their mutual influence was significant but cannot be fully explored in this brief sketch.

• The beginnings of Marathi literature fall within the period discussed but are not included, as Marathi is considered more of a North Indian vernacular.

• The bulk of Marathi literature from this period was primarily devotional and represented by authors such as Jñäneivara (1290), Namdev (1425), Eknath (1608), and Tukäräm (1608-49), who are more prominent in the religious field than in literature.

Sanskrit

• Vedic religion of sacrifice spread across India by the beginning of the Christian era, and Vedic literature and exegesis claim initial attention in the domain of Sanskrit.

• Apastamba authored a complete set of frauta, griya, and dharma sûtras, preserved in its entirety, and likely flourished around 300 B.C. in the Godavari valley.

• His language appears to precede Panini, with his school thriving in the land south of the Narmada.

• The Satyäshädha Hiragyakesins school, influenced by Apastamba’s teachings, emerged in the Sahya region (Malabar and S. Kanara) between the first century B.C. and A.D..

• The Vaikhanasas school, active in South India, focused on Grihya sutras and showed influences from Dravidian languages.

• The foundations of the Chola and Vijayanagar empires were marked by significant efforts to elucidate the Vedas.

• During the reign of Chola Parantaka I, Venkata Madhava wrote the Rigarthadipikd in the Kaveri region.

• Under the patronage of Vijayanagar kings like Bukka I, a group of scholars, led by Sayana, completed the monumental task of commenting on the Samhitas of all four Vedas, Brahmanas, and Aranyakas.

• Despite being later than the texts they commented on, their work preserved traditional interpretations from the Vedic schools of the 10th and 14th centuries in South India.

• Bharatasvamin‘s commentary on the Samaveda, written under Hoysala Ramanatha, is notable among pre-Sayana commentaries.

• Between Venkata Madhava and Sayana, Shadgurušishya (early 13th century) commented on the Altareya Brahmana and Aranyaka and Kätyäyana’s Sarvamakramani.

• Ancillary works like Prátišäkhyas (phonetics manuals) and Kalpa sûtras (rituals) were also annotated.

• Talavrintaniväsin and Caundapācārya (14th century) wrote commentaries on Apastamba Srauta, while Shadgurušishya wrote on Alvalayana Srauta sitra.

• Bodhdyana Srauta had two commentaries, one by Bhavasvamin (9th-10th century) and the other by Sayana.

• Haradatta wrote well-known annotations on Aivalayana Grihya sūtra, Apastamba Grikya sūtra, and Gautama-dharmasitra.

• Devaraja’s Nighanțu Vydkkyd, written in the 15th century at Srirangam, is a learned exposition on Yäska’s treatise on Vedic lexicology.

• The Bhagavata Purana, composed around the 10th century in South India, summarized the neo-bhakti cult and combined emotion and Advaita philosophy.

• The Vishnu Purana, commented on by Vishnu Chitta in the 12th century, is notable for its Vishishtadvaita viewpoint.

• Atreya Varadarāja composed the Vivekatilaka on the Ramayana in the 12th century, later than Rämänuja.

• Govindaraja wrote the Bhashana on the Ramayana, drawing inspiration from Tirupati.

• Madhava Yogi wrote an important commentary on the Ramayana, presenting textual criticism and viewing Rama as an avatar of Brahma.