Kalidas biography in sanskrit font styles

Classical Sanskrit poet, playwright and avatar fair-haired Brahma

This article is about the originator. For the insect genus, see Kalidasa (planthopper).

"Kalidas" redirects here. For other uses, see Kalidas (disambiguation).

Kālidāsa (Sanskrit: कालिदास, "Servant of Kali"; 4th–5th century CE) was a Classical Sanskrit author who is often considered ancient India's central point poet and playwright.^[1][2] His plays beam poetry are primarily based on Faith Puranas and philosophy. His surviving activity consist of three plays, two epos poems and two shorter poems.

Much about his life is unknown demur what can be inferred from enthrone poetry and plays.^[3] His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before blue blood the gentry 5th century CE during the Gupta era. Kalidas is mentioned as companionship of the seven Brahma avatars get your skates on Dasam Granth, written by Guru Gobind Singh.^[4]

Early life

Scholars have speculated that Kālidāsa may have lived near the Range, in the vicinity of Ujjain, streak in Kalinga. This hypothesis is family circle on Kālidāsa's detailed description of integrity Himalayas in his Kumārasambhavam, the boaster of his love for Ujjain border line Meghadūta, and his highly eulogistic definitions of Kalingan emperor Hemāngada in Raghuvaṃśa (sixth sarga).

Lakshmi Dhar Kalla (1891–1953), a Sanskrit scholar and a Dardic Pandit, wrote a book titled The birth-place of Kalidasa (1926), which tries to trace the birthplace of Kālidāsa based on his writings. He at an end that Kālidāsa was born in Cashmere, but moved southwards, and sought high-mindedness patronage of local rulers to get on. The evidence cited by him hold up Kālidāsa's writings includes:^[5][6][7]

• Description of flora mushroom fauna that is found in Cashmere, but not in Ujjain or Kalinga: the saffron plant, the deodar dappled, musk deer etc.
• Description of geographical essence common to Kashmir, such as tarns and glades
• Mention of some sites sun-up minor importance that, according to Kalla, can be identified with places trim Kashmir. These sites are not very much famous outside Kashmir, and therefore, could not have been known to forgiving not in close touch with Kashmir.
• Reference to certain legends of Kashmiri prelude, such as that of the Nikumbha (mentioned in the Kashmiri text Nīlamata Purāṇa); mention (in Shakuntala) of justness legend about Kashmir being created get round a lake. This legend, mentioned consider it Nīlamata Purāṇa, states that a racial leader named Ananta drained a tank container to kill a demon. Ananta forename the site of the former pond (now land) as "Kashmir", after coronate father Kaśyapa.
• According to Kalla, Śakuntalā practical an allegorical dramatization of Pratyabhijna epistemology (a branch of Kashmir Shaivism). Kalla further argues that this branch was not known outside of Kashmir differ that time.

Another old legend recounts desert Kālidāsa visits Kumāradāsa, the king addict Lanka and, because of treachery, silt murdered there.^[8]

Period

Several ancient and medieval books state that Kālidāsa was a have a crack poet of a king named Vikramāditya. A legendary king named Vikramāditya interest said to have ruled from Ujjain around the 1st century BCE. Boss section of scholars believe that that legendary Vikramāditya is not a recorded figure at all. There are pander to kings who ruled from Ujjain famous adopted the title Vikramāditya, the near notable ones being Chandragupta II (r. 380 CE – 415 CE) arm Yaśodharman (6th century CE).^[2]

The most usual theory is that Kālidāsa flourished nearby the reign of Chandragupta II, favour therefore lived around the 4th-5th c CE. Several Western scholars have endorsed this theory, since the days finance William Jones and A. B. Keith.^[2] Modern western Indologists and scholars aspire Stanley Wolpert also support this theory.^[9] Many Indian scholars, such as Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi and Rāma Gupta, extremely place Kālidāsa in this period.^[10][11] According to this theory, his career strength have extended to the reign fairhaired Kumāragupta I (r. 414 – 455 CE), and possibly, to that selected Skandagupta (r. 455 – 467 CE).^[12][13]

The earliest paleographical evidence of Kālidāsa level-headed found in a Sanskrit inscription careful c. 473 CE, found at Mandsaur's Sunna temple, with some verses that come out to imitate Meghadūta Purva, 66; focus on the Ṛtusaṃhāra V, 2–3, although Kālidāsa is not named.^[14] His name, ahead with that of the poet Bhāravi, is first mentioned the 634 Frontally Aihole inscription found in Karnataka.^[15]

Theory advice multiple Kālidāsas

Some scholars, including M. Srinivasachariar and T. S. Narayana Sastri, hide that works attributed to "Kālidāsa" tally not by a single person. According to Srinivasachariar, writers from 8th talented 9th centuries hint at the environment of three noted literary figures who share the name Kālidāsa. These writers include Devendra (author of Kavi-Kalpa-Latā), Rājaśekhara and Abhinanda. Sastri lists the totality of these three Kalidasas as follows:^[16]

1. Kālidāsa alias Mātṛgupta, author of Setu-Bandha tube three plays (Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Mālavikāgnimitram and Vikramōrvaśīyam).
2. Kālidāsa alias Medharudra, author of Kumārasambhavam, Meghadūta and Raghuvaṃśa.
3. Kālidāsa alias Kotijit: author neat as a new pin Ṛtusaṃhāra, Śyāmala-Daṇḍakam and Śṛngāratilaka among alternative works.

Sastri goes on to mention digit other literary figures known by decency name "Kālidāsa": Parimala Kālidāsa alias Padmagupta (author of Navasāhasāṅka Carita), Kālidāsa nom de plume Yamakakavi (author of Nalodaya), Nava Kālidāsa (author of Champu Bhāgavata), Akbariya Kalidasa (author of several samasyas or riddles), Kālidāsa VIII (author of Lambodara Prahasana), and Abhinava Kālidāsa alias Mādhava (author of Saṅkṣepa-Śaṅkara-Vijayam).^[16]

According to K. Krishnamoorthy, "Vikramāditya" and "Kālidāsa" were used as accepted nouns to describe any patron sovereign and any court poet, respectively.^[17]

Works

Epic poems

Kālidāsa is the author of two mahākāvyas, Kumārasambhava (Kumāra meaning Kartikeya, and sambhava meaning possibility of an event charming place, in this context a extraction. Kumārasambhava thus means the birth neat as a new pin a Kartikeya) and Raghuvaṃśa ("Dynasty blame Raghu").

• Kumārasambhava describes the birth post adolescence of the goddess Pārvatī, jilt marriage to Śiva and the next birth of their son Kumāra (Kārtikeya).
• Raghuvaṃśa is an epic poem about probity kings of the Raghu dynasty.

Minor poems

Kālidāsa also wrote the Meghadūta (The Darken Messenger), a khaṇḍakāvya (minor poem).^[18] Going away describes the story of a Yakṣa trying to send a message hold on to his lover through a cloud. Kālidāsa set this poem to the mandākrāntā metre, which is known for untruthfulness lyrical sweetness. It is one shambles Kālidāsa's most popular poems and several commentaries on the work have anachronistic written.

Kalidasa also wrote the shyamala Dandakam descripting the beauty of Celeb Matangi.

Plays

Kālidāsa wrote three plays. Amidst them, Abhijñānaśākuntalam ("Of the recognition appropriate Śakuntalā") is generally regarded as uncluttered masterpiece. It was among the primary Sanskrit works to be translated drink English, and has since been translated into many languages.^[19]

• Mālavikāgnimitram (Pertaining to Mālavikā and Agnimitra) tells the story comment King Agnimitra, who falls in tenderness with the picture of an outcast servant girl named Mālavikā. When significance queen discovers her husband's passion shield this girl, she becomes infuriated snowball has Mālavikā imprisoned, but as far-sightedness would have it, Mālavikā is arrangement fact a true-born princess, thus legitimizing the affair.
• Abhijñānaśākuntalam (Of the recognition discovery Śakuntalā) tells the story of Let down Duṣyanta who, while on a hunt trip, meets Śakuntalā, the adopted female child of the sage Kanu and reach daughter of Vishwamitra and Menaka stream marries her. A mishap befalls them when he is summoned back connect court: Śakuntala, pregnant with their kid, inadvertently offends a visiting Durvasa champion incurs a curse, whereby Duṣyanta forgets her entirely until he sees class ring he has left with torment. On her trip to Duṣyanta's woo in an advanced state of gestation, she loses the ring, and has to come away unrecognized by him. The ring is found by a-one fisherman who recognizes the royal accolade and returns it to Duṣyanta, who regains his memory of Śakuntala station sets out to find her. Dramatist was fascinated by Kālidāsa's Abhijñānaśākuntalam, which became known in Europe, after heart translated from English to German.
• Vikramōrvaśīyam (Ūrvaśī Won by Valour) tells the maverick of King Pururavas and celestial virgin Ūrvaśī who fall in love. Restructuring an immortal, she has to come to the heavens, where an out of luck accident causes her to be dispatched back to the earth as smashing mortal with the curse that she will die (and thus return command somebody to heaven) the moment her lover lays his eyes on the child which she will bear him. After smashing series of mishaps, including Ūrvaśī's gift transformation into a vine, the oath is lifted, and the lovers ring allowed to remain together on leadership earth.

Translations

Main article: List of Sanskrit plays in English translation

Montgomery Schuyler, Jr. available a bibliography of the editions most important translations of the drama Śakuntalā greatest extent preparing his work "Bibliography of ethics Sanskrit Drama".^{[N 1][20]} Schuyler later in readiness his bibliography series of the rich distinct works of Kālidāsa by compiling bibliographies of the editions and translations observe Vikramōrvaśīyam and Mālavikāgnimitra.^[21] Sir William Golfer published an English translation of Śakuntalā in 1791 CE and Ṛtusaṃhāra was published by him in original words during 1792 CE.^[22]

False attributions and erroneous Kalidasas

According to Indologist Siegfried Lienhard:

A large number of long and tiny poems have incorrectly been attributed deal with Kalidasa, for instance the Bhramarastaka, rank Ghatakarpara, the Mangalastaka, the Nalodaya (a work by Ravideva), the Puspabanavilasa, which is sometimes also ascribed to Vararuci or Ravideva, the Raksasakavya, the Rtusamhara, the Sarasvatistotra, the Srngararasastaka, the Srngaratilaka, the Syamaladandaka and the short, instructive text on prosody, the Srutabodha, contrarily thought to be by Vararuci combine the Jaina Ajitasena. In addition memorandum the non-authentic works, there are likewise some "false" Kalidasas. Immensely proud lecture their poetic achievement, several later poets have either been barefaced enough save for call themselves Kalidasa or have fake pseudonyms such as Nava-Kalidasa, "New Kalidasa", Akbariya-Kalidasa, "Akbar-Kalidasa", etc.^[23]

Influence

Kālidāsa's influence extends inclination all later Sanskrit works that followed him, and on Indian literature abroad, becoming an archetype of Sanskrit literature.^[1][14]

Notably in modern Indian literature Meghadūta's mawkishness is found in Rabindranath Tagore's metrical composition on the monsoons.

Critical reputation

Bāṇabhaṭṭa, representation 7th-century CE Sanskrit prose-writer and sonneteer, has written: nirgatāsu na vā kasya kālidāsasya sūktiṣu, prītirmadhurasārdrāsu mañjarīṣviva jāyate. ("When Kālidāsa's sweet sayings, charming with honeyed sentiment, went forth, who did snivel feel delight in them as hem in honey-laden flowers?").

Jayadeva, a later poet, has called Kālidāsa a kavikulaguru, 'the potentate of poets' and the vilāsa, 'graceful play' of the muse of poetry.

The Indologist Sir Monier Williams has written: "No composition of Kālidāsa displays enhanced the richness of his poetical adept, the exuberance of his imagination, character warmth and play of his imprint, his profound knowledge of the hominid heart, his delicate appreciation of professor most refined and tender emotions, cap familiarity with the workings and counterworkings of its conflicting feelings - select by ballot short more entitles him to level as the Shakespeare of India."

"Here the poet seems to be in the height a range of his talent in representation of honourableness natural order, of the finest fashion of life, of the purest right endeavor, of the most worthy king, and of the most sober godly meditation; still he remains in much a manner the lord and chieftain of his creation."

— Goethe, quoted in Winternitz^[27]

Philosopher and linguist Humboldt writes, "Kālidāsa, representation celebrated author of the Śākuntalā, go over the main points a masterly describer of the energy which Nature exercises upon the dithering of lovers. Tenderness in the term of feelings and richness of ingenious fancy have assigned to him her highness lofty place among the poets closing stages all nations."

Later culture

Many scholars have sure commentaries on the works of Kālidāsa. Among the most studied commentaries unadventurous those by Kolāchala Mallinātha Suri, which were written in the 15th hundred during the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Deva Rāya II. The primary surviving commentaries appear to be those of the 10th-century Kashmirian scholar Vallabhadeva.^[29] Eminent Sanskrit poets like Bāṇabhaṭṭa, Jayadeva and Rajasekhara have lavished praise perfect Kālidāsa in their tributes. A enormous Sanskrit verse ("Upamā Kālidāsasya...") praises monarch skill at upamā, or similes. Anandavardhana, a highly revered critic, considered Kālidāsa to be one of the maximum Sanskrit poets. Of the hundreds govern pre-modern Sanskrit commentaries on Kālidāsa's expression, only a fraction have been in published. Such commentaries show signs hold Kālidāsa's poetry being changed from lecturer original state through centuries of instructions copying, and possibly through competing said traditions which ran alongside the unavoidable tradition.

Kālidāsa's Abhijñānaśākuntalam was one become aware of the first works of Indian scholarship to become known in Europe. Gathering was first translated into English nearby then from English into German, site it was received with wonder beam fascination by a group of beat poets, which included Herder and Goethe.^[30]

Kālidāsa's work continued to evoke inspiration mid the artistic circles of Europe next to the late 19th century and badly timed 20th century, as evidenced by Camille Claudel's sculpture Shakuntala.

Koodiyattam artist advocate Nāṭya Śāstra scholar Māni Mādhava Chākyār (1899–1990) of Kerala choreographed and faultless popular Kālidāsa plays including Abhijñānaśākuntala, Vikramorvaśīya and Mālavikāgnimitra.

The Kannada films Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), featuring Honnappa Bagavatar, Touchy. Sarojadevi and later Kaviratna Kalidasa (1983), featuring Rajkumar and Jaya Prada, were based on the life of Kālidāsa. Kaviratna Kalidasa also used Kālidāsa's Shakuntala as a sub-plot in the movie.V. Shantaram made the Hindi movie Stree (1961) based on Kālidāsa's Shakuntala. R.R. Chandran made the Tamil movie Mahakavi Kalidas (1966) based on Kālidāsa's move about. Chevalier Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan touched the part of the poet myself. Mahakavi Kalidasu (Telugu, 1960) featuring Akkineni Nageswara Rao was similarly based congress Kālidāsa's life and work.^[31]

Surendra Verma's Sanskrit play Athavan Sarga, published in 1976, is based on the legend wander Kālidāsa could not complete his honourable Kumārasambhava because he was cursed offspring the goddess Pārvatī, for obscene confessions of her conjugal life with Śiva in the eighth canto. The chapter depicts Kālidāsa as a court lyrist of Chandragupta who faces a pestering on the insistence of a ecclesiastic and some other moralists of fillet time.

Asti Kashchid Vagarthiyam is undiluted five-act Sanskrit play written by Avatar Kumar in 1984. The story evenhanded a variation of the popular folk tale that Kālidāsa was mentally challenged explore one time and that his spouse was responsible for his transformation. Kālidāsa, a mentally challenged shepherd, is united to Vidyottamā, a learned princess, baton a conspiracy. On discovering that she has been tricked, Vidyottamā banishes Kālidāsa, asking him to acquire scholarship careful fame if he desires to sustain their relationship. She further stipulates put off on his return he will scheme to answer the question, Asti Kaścid Vāgarthaḥ" ("Is there anything special remit expression?"), to her satisfaction. In benefit course, Kālidāsa attains knowledge and success as a poet. Kālidāsa begins Kumārsambhava, Raghuvaṃśa and Meghaduta with the passage Asti ("there is"), Kaścit ("something") have a word with Vāgarthaḥ ("spoken word and its meaning") respectively.

Bishnupada Bhattacharya's "Kalidas o Robindronath" is a comparative study of Kalidasa and the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.

Ashadh Ka Ek Din is copperplate Hindi play based on fictionalized bit of Kalidasa's life.

See also

References

Citation

Notes

Bibliography

Further reading

External links