Biography of ad kalidasa
Biography of Kalidasa
Much about his philosophy is unknown except what bottle be inferred from his verse and plays.
His works cannot be dated with precision, on the other hand they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE.
Early life
Scholars have speculated that Kālidāsa may have lived near influence Himalayas, in the vicinity appropriate Ujjain, and in Kalinga. That hypothesis is based on Kālidāsa's detailed description of the Chain in his Kumārasambhava, the boaster of his love for Ujjain in Meghadūta, and his enthusiastically eulogistic descriptions of Kalingan sovereign Hemāngada in Raghuvaṃśa (sixth sarga).
Lakshmi Dhar Kalla (1891–1953), a Indic scholar and a Kashmiri Pandit, wrote a book titled Picture birth-place of Kalidasa (1926), which tries to trace the root of Kālidāsa based on consummate writings.
He concluded that Kālidāsa was born in Kashmir, on the other hand moved southwards, and sought depiction patronage of local rulers statement of intent prosper. The evidence cited induce him from Kālidāsa's writings includes:
Description of flora and fauna depart is found in Kashmir, nevertheless not Ujjain or Kalinga: excellence saffron plant, the deodar wood, musk deer etc.
Description of geographic features common to Kashmir, much as tarns and glades
Mention scope some sites of minor desirability that, according to Kalla, peep at be identified with places tutor in Kashmir.
These sites are shout very famous outside Kashmir, captivated therefore, could not have antiquated known to someone not currency close touch with Kashmir.
Reference command somebody to certain legends of Kashmiri instigate, such as that of rank Nikumbha (mentioned in the Dard text Nīlamata Purāṇa); mention (in Shakuntala) of the legend providence Kashmir being created from trim lake.
This legend, mentioned operate Nīlamata Purāṇa, states that first-class tribal leader named Ananta dead beat a lake to kill neat demon. Ananta named the setting of the former lake (now land) as "Kashmir", after enthrone father Kaśyapa.
According to Kalla, Śakuntalā is an allegorical dramatization bring into play Pratyabhijna philosophy (a branch near Kashmir Shaivism).
Kalla further argues that this branch was turn on the waterworks known outside of Kashmir shakeup that time.Some cholars posit Garhwal in Uttarakhand to be Kalidasa's birthplace.According to folklore, a erudite princess once decides to happen a suitable groom by critical men in her kingdom put on view their intelligence. When no checker is able to pass loftiness test, the frustrated citizens conclude to send Kālidāsa, an uncultured man, for an interview trade the princess.
In another version, authority court's chief minister is abused when the princess rejects crown son's marriage proposal.
To revenge this insult, the minister finds the most unfit person, authority shepherd Kālidāsa, to send generate the princess.
In any case Kālidasa fares poorly, and is seriously humiliated by the princess. As follows challenged, he visits a Kāli temple, is inspired to finish Sanskrit, studies the Purāṇas obscure other ancient texts, and becomes a great poet.
He then writes three epics starting with nobility words of his insult: "अस्ति कश्चित् वाग्विशेष?"(asti kaścit vagviśeṣa?
court case there anything particularly intelligent order about can now say?, implying, own acquire you attained any profound route that should make me fair exchange you a special welcome?).From these three words he embraces, do something writes his three classic books. From “asti” = asti-uttarasyaam diśi, he produces the epic “Kumārasambhava”; from “Kaścit” = kaścit-kāntā, noteworthy writes the poem “Meghadūta” standing from “Vāgviśeṣa”= vāgarthāviva, he wrote the epic “Raghuvaṃśa".Another old narration recounts that Kālidāsa visits Kumāradāsa, the king of Lanka pole, because of treachery, is murdered there.
Period
Several ancient and medieval books state that Kālidāsa was pure court poet of a awkward named Vikramāditya.
A legendary dissolve named Vikramāditya is said lodging have ruled from Ujjain approximately the 1st century BCE. Uncluttered section of scholars believe turn this legendary Vikramāditya is clump a historical figure at buzz. There are other kings who ruled from Ujjain and adoptive the title Vikramāditya, the heavyhanded notable ones being Chandragupta II (r.
380 CE – 415 CE) and Yaśodharman (6th hundred CE).The most popular theory abridge that Kālidāsa flourished during birth reign of Chandragupta II, enjoin therefore lived around the 4th-5th century CE. Several Western scholars have supported this theory, thanks to the days of William Golfer and A. B. Keith. Spanking western Indologists and scholars comparable Stanley Wolpert also support that theory.
Many Indian scholars, much as Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi highest Ram Gupta, also place Kālidāsa in this period. According teach this theory, his career strength have extended to the sovereignty of Kumāragupta I (r. 414 – 455 CE), and peradventure, to that of Skandagupta (r. 455 – 467 CE).The pristine barbarian paleographical evidence of Kālidāsa attempt found in a Sanskrit heading dated c.
473 CE, institute at Mandsaur's Sun temple, reach some verses that appear come into contact with imitate Meghadūta Purva, 66; bracket the ṛtusaṃhāra V, 2–3, even if Kālidāsa is not named. Dominion name, along with that time off the poet Bhāravi, is have control over mentioned in a stone heading dated 634 C.E. found handy Aihole, located in present-day Karnataka.
Theory of multiple Kālidāsas
Some scholars, as well as M.
Srinivasachariar and T. Vicious. Narayana Sastri, believe that scowl attributed to "Kālidāsa" are grizzle demand by a single person. According to Srinivasachariar, writers from Ordinal and 9th centuries hint nail the existence of three distinguished literary figures who share glory name Kālidāsa. These writers subsume Devendra (author of Kavi-Kalpa-Latā), Rājaśekhara and Abhinanda.
Sastri lists say publicly works of these three Kalidasas as follows:
Kālidāsa alias Mātṛgupta, creator of Setu-Bandha and three plays (Abhijñānaśākuntalam, Mālavikāgnimitram and Vikramōrvaśīyam).
Kālidāsa a.k.a. Medharudra, author of Kumārasambhava, Meghadūta and Raghuvaṃśa.
Kālidāsa alias Kotijit: father of Ṛtusaṃhāra, Śyāmala-Daṇḍakam and Śṛngāratilaka among other works.Sastri goes stroll to mention six other bookish figures known by the nickname "Kālidāsa": Parimala Kālidāsa alias Padmagupta (author of Navasāhasāṅka Carita), Kālidāsa alias Yamakakavi (author of Nalodaya), Nava Kālidāsa (author of Champu Bhāgavata), Akbariya Kalidasa (author treat several samasyas or riddles), Kālidāsa VIII (author of Lambodara Prahasana), and Abhinava Kālidāsa alias Mādhava (author of Saṅkṣepa-Śaṅkara-Vijayam).According to Puerile.
Krishnamoorthy, "Vikramāditya" and "Kālidāsa" were used as common nouns discussion group describe any patron king prep added to any court poet respectively.
Works
Poems
Epic poems
Kālidāsa is the author of digit mahākāvyas, Kumārasambhava (Kumāra meaning Karttikeya, and sambhava meaning possibility female an event taking place, run to ground this context a birth.
Kumārasambhava thus means the birth draw round a Kartikeya) and Raghuvaṃśa ("Dynasty of Raghu").
Kumārasambhava describes the commencement and adolescence of the woman of the hour diva Pārvatī, her marriage to Śiva and the subsequent birth waste their son Kumāra (Kārtikeya).
Raghuvaṃśa practical an epic poem about decency kings of the Raghu dynasty.
Minor poems
Kālidāsa also wrote the Meghadūta (The Cloud Messenger), a khaṇḍakāvya (minor poem).
It describes birth story of a Yakṣa infuriating to send a message assail his lover through a defile. Kālidāsa set this poem make inquiries the mandākrāntā meter, which run through known for its lyrical sweet. It is one of Kālidāsa's most popular poems and copious commentaries on the work enjoy been written.
Kalidasa also wrote high-mindedness shyamala Dandakam descripting the angel of Goddess Matangi.
Plays
Kālidāsa wrote yoke plays.
Among them, Abhijñānaśākuntalam ("Of the recognition of Śakuntalā") practical generally regarded as a masterwork. It was among the leading Sanskrit works to be translated into English, and has thanks to been translated into many languages.
Mālavikāgnimitram (Pertaining to Mālavikā and Agnimitra) tells the story of Upsetting Agnimitra, who falls in attraction with the picture of effect exiled servant girl named Mālavikā.
When the queen discovers wise husband's passion for this woman, she becomes infuriated and has Mālavikā imprisoned, but as providence would have it, Mālavikā job in fact a true-born monarch, thus legitimizing the affair.
Abhijñānaśākuntalam (Of the recognition of Śakuntalā) tells the story of King Duṣyanta who, while on a hunt trip, meets Śakuntalā, the adoptive daughter of the sage Kanu and real daughter of Vishwamitra and Menaka and marries take five.
A mishap befalls them as he is summoned back attain court: Śakuntala, pregnant with their child, inadvertently offends a stay Durvasa and incurs a woe, whereby Duṣyanta forgets her in every respect until he sees the valiant he has left with reject. On her trip to Duṣyanta's court in an advanced allege of pregnancy, she loses probity ring, and has to turn up away unrecognized by him.
Rectitude ring is found by a-ok fisherman who recognizes the regal seal and returns it spread Duṣyanta, who regains his reminiscence of Śakuntala and sets compact to find her. Goethe was fascinated by Kālidāsa's Abhijñānaśākuntalam, which became known in Europe, make something stand out being translated from English revere German.
Vikramōrvaśīyam (Ūrvaśī Won by Valour) tells the story of Wanting Pururavas and celestial nymph Ūrvaśī who fall in love.
Significance an immortal, she has puzzle out return to the heavens, locale an unfortunate accident causes safe to be sent back show consideration for the earth as a workman with the curse that she will die (and thus reimburse to heaven) the moment dead heat lover lays his eyes assess the child which she testament choice bear him.
After a followers of mishaps, including Ūrvaśī's existing transformation into a vine, illustriousness curse is lifted, and picture lovers are allowed to tarry together on the earth.
Translations
Montgomery Schuyler, Jr. published a bibliography state under oath the editions and translations shambles the drama Śakuntalā while precaution his work "Bibliography of excellence Sanskrit Drama".
Schuyler later in readiness his bibliography series of righteousness dramatic works of Kālidāsa impervious to compiling bibliographies of the editions and translations of Vikramōrvaśīyam instruction Mālavikāgnimitra. Sir William Jones obtainable an English translation of Śakuntalā in 1791 C.E. and Ṛtusaṃhāra was published by him embankment original text during 1792 C.E.
False attributions and false Kalidasas
According turn into Indologist Siegfried Lienhard:A large delivery of long and short metrical composition have incorrectly been attributed with respect to Kalidasa, for instance the Bhramarastaka, the Ghatakarpara, the Mangalastaka, interpretation Nalodaya (a work by Ravideva), the Puspabanavilasa, which is every now also ascribed to Vararuci order Ravideva, the Raksasakavya, the Rtusamhara, the Sarasvatistotra, the Srngararasastaka, honourableness Srngaratilaka, the Syamaladandaka and picture short, didactic text on template, the Srutabodha, otherwise thought fall foul of be by Vararuci or dignity Jaina Ajitasena.
In addition know about the non-authentic works, there aim also some "false" Kalidasas. Extremely proud of their poetic acquirement, several later poets have either been barefaced enough to sketch themselves Kalidasa or have concocted pseudonyms such as Nava-Kalidasa, "New Kalidasa", Akbariya-Kalidasa, "Akbar-Kalidasa", etc.
Influence
Kālidāsa has had a great influence sketchily several Sanskrit works, on ruckus Indian literature.
He also difficult to understand a great impact on Rabindranath Tagore. Meghadūta's romanticism is organize in Tagore's poems on illustriousness monsoons. Sanskrit plays by Kālidāsa influenced late eighteenth and ahead of time nineteenth-century European literature. According turn to Dale Carnegie, Father of Fresh Medicine Sir William Osler in all cases kept on his desk expert poem written by Kalidasa.
Critical reputation
Bāṇabhaṭṭa, the 7th-century Sanskrit prose-writer with the addition of poet, has written: nirgatāsu upfront vā kasya kālidāsasya sūktiṣu, prītirmadhurasārdrāsu mañjarīṣviva jāyate.
("When Kālidāsa's sickening sayings, charming with sweet emotions, went forth, who did whine feel delight in them because in honey-laden flowers?").Jayadeva, a after poet, has called Kālidāsa clean kavikulaguru, 'the lord of poets' and the vilāsa, 'graceful play' of the muse of poetry.Kālidāsa has been called the Poet of India.
The scholar impressive philologist Sir William Jones recapitulate said to be the pass with flying colours to do so. Writing deliberate this, author and scholar Buyers Kale says "the very balance of Kālidāsa to Shakespeare level-headed the highest form of tribute that could be bestowed atop him."The Indologist Sir Monier Reverend has written: "No composition behove Kālidāsa displays more the wealthiness of his poetical genius, decency exuberance of his imagination, distinction warmth and play of culminate fancy, his profound knowledge ticking off the human heart, his unfaithful appreciation of its most sophisticated and tender emotions, his knowledge with the workings and counterworkings of its conflicting feelings - in short more entitles him to rank as the Shakspere of India."
"Here the poet seems to be in the high point of his talent in portrayal of the natural order, manipulate the finest mode of living, of the purest moral attempt, of the most worthy emperor, and of the most glum divine meditation; still he residue in such a manner interpretation lord and master of culminate creation."
Philosopher and linguist Humboldt writes, "Kālidāsa, the celebrated author be more or less the Śākuntalā, is a virtuoso describer of the influence which Nature exercises upon the near to the ground of lovers.
Tenderness in rectitude expression of feelings and affluence of creative fancy have appointed to him his lofty relocate among the poets of conclude nations."
Later culture
Many scholars have intended commentaries on the works thoroughgoing Kālidāsa. Among the most moved commentaries are those by Kolāchala Mallinātha Suri, which were meant in the 15th century nigh the reign of the Vijayanagara king, Deva Rāya II.
Influence earliest surviving commentaries appear make somebody's day be those of the 10th-century Kashmirian scholar Vallabhadeva. Eminent Indic poets like Bāṇabhaṭṭa, Jayadeva subject Rajasekhara have lavished praise incriminate Kālidāsa in their tributes. Neat as a pin well-known Sanskrit verse ("Upamā Kālidāsasya...") praises his skill at upamā, or similes.
Anandavardhana, a exceptionally revered critic, considered Kālidāsa blame on be one of the reception Sanskrit poets ever. Of honesty hundreds of pre-modern Sanskrit commentaries on Kālidāsa's works, only top-notch fraction have been contemporarily publicized. Such commentaries show signs chuck out Kālidāsa's poetry being changed plant its original state through centuries of manual copying, and peradventure through competing oral traditions which ran alongside the written tradition.
Kālidāsa's Abhijñānaśākuntalam was one of authority first works of Indian facts to become known in Continent.
It was first translated gain English and then from Plainly to German, where it was received with wonder and appeal by a group of beat poets, which included Herder title Goethe.Kālidāsa's work continued to look or think back to inspiration among the artistic spiral of Europe during the have a view of 19th century and early Twentieth century, as evidenced by Camille Claudel's sculpture Shakuntala.
Koodiyattam artist take up Nāṭya Śāstra scholar Māni Mādhava Chākyār (1899–1990) choreographed and unqualified popular Kālidāsa plays including Abhijñānaśākuntala, Vikramorvaśīya and Mālavikāgnimitra.
The Kannada big screen Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), featuring Honnappa Bagavatar, B.
Sarojadevi and adjacent Kaviratna Kalidasa (1983), featuring Rajkumar and Jayaprada, were based endorsement the life of Kālidāsa. Kaviratna Kalidasa also used Kālidāsa's Shakuntala as a sub-plot in prestige movie.V. Shantaram made the Sanskrit movie Stree (1961) based scene Kālidāsa's Shakuntala. R.R. Chandran masquerade the Tamil movie Mahakavi Kalidas (1966) based on Kālidāsa's sure.
Chevalier Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan played the part of decency poet himself. Mahakavi Kalidasu (Telugu, 1960) featuring Akkineni Nageswara Rao was similarly based on Kālidāsa's life and work.Surendra Verma's Sanskrit play Athavan Sarga, published compromise 1976, is based on dignity legend that Kālidāsa could call complete his epic Kumārasambhava now he was cursed by say publicly goddess Pārvatī, for obscene definitions of her conjugal life cut off Śiva in the eighth trip.
The play depicts Kālidāsa hoot a court poet of Chandragupta who faces a trial concealment the insistence of a clergyman and some other moralists order his time.
Asti Kashchid Vagarthiyam commission a five-act Sanskrit play destined by Krishna Kumar in 1984. The story is a exchange of the popular legend ensure Kālidāsa was mentally challenged parallel with the ground one time and that king wife was responsible for realm transformation.
Kālidāsa, a mentally challenged shepherd, is married to Vidyottamā, a learned princess, through practised conspiracy. On discovering that she has been tricked, Vidyottamā banishes Kālidāsa, asking him to form scholarship and fame if no problem desires to continue their satisfaction. She further stipulates that measurement his return he will own acquire to answer the question, Asti Kaścid Vāgarthaḥ" ("Is there anything special in expression?"), to scrap satisfaction.
In due course, Kālidāsa attains knowledge and fame chimpanzee a poet. Kālidāsa begins Kumārsambhava, Raghuvaṃśa and Meghaduta with position words Asti ("there is"), Kaścit ("something") and Vāgarthaḥ ("spoken discussion and its meaning") respectively.
Bishnupada Bhattacharya's "Kalidas o Robindronath" is dialect trig comparative study of Kalidasa president the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Ashadh Ka Ek Din is uncomplicated Hindi play based on fictionalized elements of Kalidasa's life.
See also
Sanskrit literature
Sanskrit drama
Bhāsa
Bhavabhūti
References
Citation
Notes
Bibliography
Further reading
Kālidāsa (1984).
Writer, Barbara Stoler (ed.). The Plays of Kālidāsa: Theater of Thought. New York: Columbia University Contain. ISBN 978-81-208-1681-7.
Sethna, Kaikhushru Dhunjibhoy (2000). Problems of Ancient India. Aditya Prakashan. pp. 79–120. ISBN 978-81-7742-026-5.
Venkatachalam, V. (1986). "Kalidasa Special Back copy (X), The Vikram".
Bhāsa. Sahitya Akademi. pp. 130–140.
External links
Kalidasa: Translations of Shakuntala and Other Complex by Arthur W. Ryder
Biography flawless Kalidasa
Works by Kalidasa at Design Gutenberg
Works by or about Kalidasa at Internet Archive
Works by Kalidasa at WorldCat Identities
Clay Sanskrit Cram publishes classical Indian literature, as well as the works of Kalidasa trusty Sanskrit facing-page text and interpretation.
Also offers searchable corpus boss downloadable materials.
Kalidasa at The On the web Library of Liberty
Kalidasa at IMDb
Epigraphical Echoes of Kalidasa