text: Kiratarjuniya by Bharavi in 6th century CE: Arjuna's encounter with a Kirata (Shiva) 18 cantos
  Naiśadha-carita by Shriharsha in 1174 AD: on the life of King Nala and Queen Damayanti, 22 cantos
  Śiśupāla-vadha by Māgha in 7th century CE: the slaying of Shishupala by Krishna,  22 cantos (about 1800 verses)
  To this list, sometimes a sixth one is also added.
  Bhaṭṭikāvya, by Bhaṭṭi in 7th century CE: describes the events of the Ramayana and simultaneously illustrates the principles of Sanskrit grammar, 22 cantos
  Characteristics
  In the mahākāvya genre, more emphasis was laid on description than on narration. Daṇḍin's Kāvyādarśa lists the traditional characteristics of a mahākāvya as:
  It must take its subject matter from the epics (Ramayana or Mahabharata), or from history,
  It must help further the four goals of man (Purusharthas),
  It must contain descriptions of cities, seas, mountains, moonrise and sunrise, and "accounts of merrymaking in gardens, of bathing parties, drinking bouts, and love-making. It should tell the sorrow of separated lovers and should describe a wedding and the birth of a son. It should describe a king's council, an embassy, the marching forth of an army, a battle, and the victory of a hero".
  About this list, Ingalls observes: