The historical development of Sanskritology has developed in such a way that the efforts of most researchers have been focused on studying only ancient Indian literature. Medieval Sanskrit literature remains poorly studied. By the end of the Gupta era, Kavya already had a detailed genre canon and a centuries-old tradition, the highest achievements of which were embodied in the works of Kalidasa. But even in later times the sacred language was not forgotten by poets. The epic poem, which originated in ancient times, also continued to exist, always occupying the highest level in the genre hierarchy. Therefore, consideration of the features of its development in the 6th-12th centuries. allows us to understand how, by rethinking canonical motifs, changing traditional plots, transforming ancient genre forms, medieval authors created new and sometimes innovative works. Contents: Introduction. Mahakavya. Genre and its history 5Chapter 1. From space to temple 17Chapter 2. From king to lover 62Chapter 3. The problem of the genre 100Chapter 4. The problem of the author 131Bibliography 155Summary 159