The present English translation is based on the original German work written by Professor Winternitz and has been revised in the light of further researches on the subject by different scholars in India and elsewhere. Vol. I relates to Veda (the four Samhitas), Brahmanas, Aranyakas, Upanisads, Vedangas and the Literature of the ritual. The Ramayana and The Mahabharata. Puranic literature and Tantra. Vol. II deals with the Buddhist Literature of India and the Jaina Literature. Vol. III covers Classical Sanskrit Literature comprising ornate Poetry, Drama, Narrative Literature, Grammar, Lexiocography, Philosophy, Dharma Sastra, Artha Sastra, Architecture, Music, Kama Sutra, Ayurveda, Astronomy, Astrology and Mathematics. This part also contains a useful appendix surveying briefly the modern Indian literature in Tamil, Punjabi, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali. The work is meant alike for the beginners and the advanced students of Sanskrit literature. It helps the reader to make himself aware of what is and what is not of lasting importance and what standard should be applied to distinguish between more valuable and less valuable work. The author has tried to provide the reader with a clear and lucid representation of every type of Sanskrit literature and to introduce him to the pulsating heart of the spiritual creations of India. He gives solid grounds on which further researches may be carried on.