* c. 500 BC: The earliest reference to Pachisi in the Mahabharata, the Indian epic.

writes: " Most famous horses are said to come either from Sindhu or Kamboja ; of the latter ( i. e the Kamboja ), the Indian epic Mahabharata speaks among the finest horsemen ".

Indian epic Mahabaratha written by sage Vyasar talks about concepts what is called today Virtual reality, Transportation in to matrix and web conferencing.

Dicing is mentioned as an Indian game in the Rigveda, Atharvaveda and Buddha games list ; it also plays a critical role in the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, where Yudhisthira plays a game of dice against the Kauravas for the northern kingdom of Hastinapura, which becomes the trigger for a war.

According to Dumezil the forerunner of all frame gods is an Indian epic hero who was the image ( avatar ) of the Vedic god Dyaus.

** Buddhacarita by ( Indian epic poetry )

** Saundaranandakavya by ( Indian epic poetry )

** Kumārasambhava by Kālidāsa ( Indian epic poetry )

** Raghuvaṃśa by Kālidāsa ( Indian epic poetry )

* Indian epic poetry

The epic employs the story within a story structure, otherwise known as frametales, popular in many Indian religious and non-religious works.

The background to the Mahabharata suggests the origin of the epic occurs at a time " after the very early Vedic period " and before " the first Indian ' empire ' was to rise in the third century B. C .".

Other ancient epic poetry includes the Greek epics Iliad and Odyssey, the Old Iranian books the Gathic Avesta and Yasna, the Roman national epic, Virgil's Aeneid, and the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata.

However, in the same epic, when questioned by Kunti to give an example of polyandry, Yudhisthira cites Gautam-clan Jatila ( married to seven Saptarishis ) and Hiranyaksha's sister Pracheti ( married to ten brothers ), thereby implying a more open attitude toward polyandry by the then Indian society.

The Indian epic the Mahabharata includes the polyandrous marriage of Draupadi to the five Pandava brothers.

One of the first written references to the island is found in the Indian epic Ramayana, which provides details of a kingdom named Lanka that had been created by the divine sculptor Vishwakarma, for Kubera, the lord of wealth.

The ancient Indian epic Ramayana mentions cloves.

In particular, the theatrical version of Thailand's national epic Ramakien, a version of the Indian Ramayana, remains popular in Thailand even today.

In one type of story, the world is born from a world egg ; such stories include the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, the Chinese story of Pangu or the Indian Brahmanda Purana.

* The Mahabharata, a Indian Sanskrit epic, is finalised.

Unique types of maces known as " Gada " were used extensively in ancient Indian warfare, and the enchanted talking mace Sharur made its first appearance in Sumerian / Akkadian mythology during the epic of Ninurta.

** Mughal-e-Azam, an Indian film, a romantic epic about the early life of Emperor Jahangir

Dumézil recalls that in the Indian epic poem Mahabharata the episodes of Karttikeya, god of war and son of Agni and of Agni and the daughters of Nila bear the same theme of the flames as the sex organ of the god.

The concept of diplomatic immunity can be found in ancient Indian epics like Ramayana ( between 500 and 301 BC ) and Mahabharata ( around 4th century BC ) where messengers and diplomats were given immunity from capital punishment.

* Clay Sanskrit Library publishes classical Indian literature, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with facing-page text and translation.

Earlier Indian epics such as Vyasa's Mahabharata and Valmiki's Ramayana also contained fables within the main story, often as side stories or back-story.

The name derives from the Sanskrit श ् र ी ल ं क ा śrī ( venerable ) and lankā ( island ), the name of the island in the ancient Indian epics Mahabharata and the Ramayana.

* Khmer and Malay theatre – In Cambodia, at the ancient capital Angkor Wat, stories from the Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabharata have been carved on the walls of temples and palaces.

The usage of maces in warfare is also described in the ancient Indian epics Ramayana and Mahabarata.

Ramayana Scene, Gupta Art, Indian National Museum, New Delhi.

The Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Indian life and culture.

According to Indian tradition, and according to the Ramayana itself, the Ramayana belongs to the genre of itihāsa, like the Mahabharata.

Sakas receive numerous mentions in Indian texts, including the Puranas, the Manusmriti, the Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Mahabhashya of Patanjali.

* Van or Vana, meaning forest in Sanskrit, Hindi and many Indian languages, giving rise to terms like Vana Parva ( the Episode of Forest ) in the epic Ramayana

This concept can be found in ancient Indian literature, such as the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, Vishnu Sarma's Panchatantra, Syntipas ' Seven Wise Masters, the Hitopadesha, and Vikram and the Vampire.

The earliest examples of " frame stories " and " stories within stories " were in ancient Indian literature, such as the Mahabharata, Ramayana, Fables of Bidpai, Hitopadesha and Vikram and the Vampire.

* Clay Sanskrit Library publishes classical Indian literature, including the Mahabharata and Ramayana, with facing-page text and translation.

One of the most important literary works of ancient India, the Ramayana has had a profound impact on art and culture in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

Today, dramatic enactments of the story of Ramayana, known as Ramleela, take place all across India and in many places across the globe within the Indian diaspora.

Puranic works such as the Indian epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata, have influenced countless other works, including Balinese Kecak and other performances such as shadow puppetry ( wayang ), and many European works.

References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient texts, including epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.

The compound walls are decorated with typically Thai murals, based on the Indian epic Ramayana.