CAPF AC 2025 Q40: Art & Culture – Literature & Languages
Who among the following classical poets is the author of the book Kiratarjunyam?
- (a) Thiruvalluvar
- (b) Bharavi
- (c) Valmiki
- (d) Panini
Answer: (b) Bharavi
Explanation
Author of Kiratarjuniyam
How to think: *Kiratarjuniya* is a Sanskrit mahakavya (epic poem), based on the Mahabharata story in which Arjuna fights Shiva disguised as a hunter (kirata).
Its author is Bharavi, a poet of the 6th century CE.
| Person | Known for |
|---|---|
| Thiruvalluvar | Tirukkural (Tamil) |
| Bharavi | Kiratarjuniya (Sanskrit mahakavya) |
| Valmiki | Ramayana |
| Panini | Ashtadhyayi (Sanskrit grammar) |
Bharavi is linked with the Pallava and Western Ganga courts; his work is praised for the strength of its 'artha' (meaning).
Answer: (b) Bharavi.
Why each option is right or wrong
- (a) Incorrect. Thiruvalluvar wrote the Tirukkural in Tamil.
- (b) CORRECT. Bharavi wrote the Kiratarjuniya.
- (c) Incorrect. Valmiki wrote the Ramayana.
- (d) Incorrect. Panini wrote the Sanskrit grammar Ashtadhyayi.
Key point
Bharavi: Kiratarjuniya (18 cantos, 6th century); other mahakavyas: Kalidasa's Raghuvamsha and Kumarasambhava, Magha's Shishupalavadha, Sri Harsha's Naishadhacharita.
Remember
Bharavi wrote the Kiratarjuniya (Arjuna and the hunter).
Common mistakes
- Giving the work to Kalidasa, the best-known Sanskrit poet.
- Mixing it up with Magha's Shishupalavadha, a mahakavya of the same period.
- Taking a grammar text (Panini) for a poem.
Exam tip
Educated guess: Valmiki, Thiruvalluvar and Panini each have a famous work that is not Kiratarjuniya. Only Bharavi is left.
Sources
- NCERT Class XI An Introduction to Indian Art, Part I, chapter on Literature and Art in the Gupta and post-Gupta period
- A. K. Warder, Indian Kavya Literature, Volume 3: Bharavi and the Kiratarjuniya