Some Notes on the Historical Sources of the post-Parikshita-pre-Bimbisara Era

The accession of Parikshita took place shortly after the Bharata War also known epically as the Mahabharat War.

The purpose of this brief note is to list some of the major categories of historical sources on the period between the accession of Parikshita and the pre-Bimbisara era. There are 5 main categories of historical sources:

a. Undatable Brahmanical literature of the post-Parikshit-pre-Bimbisarian era
- the last book of Atharva Veda
- Aitareya, Satapatha and other Brahmans
- classical upanishads like Brihadaranyaka, Chandogya etc

b. Undatable Brahmanical literature of the post-Bimbisarian period
- Ramayana
- Mahabharata
- Puranas

c. Datable  Brahmanical literature of the post-Bimbisarian period
- Kautilya Arthashastra
- Patanjali Mahabhashya

d. Buddhistic works
- Suttas
- Vinaya texts

e. Jaina texts