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MAHAKAVI KALIDASA's 

SIX PLAYS

About Kālidāsa

Little is known about the greatest poet in classical Sanskrit literature and one of the greatest in world literature. A most self-effacing writer, he has chosen to reveal little of himself in his work. Kālidāsa probably lived and wrote at the close of the first millennium BC, though a date later by some five centuries has been assigned to him by some scholars. It is highly probable too that he lived and wrote in Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh—splendid capital of empires, a centre of culture and India’s great emporium for a thousand years. Kālidāsa is a dramatist, a writer of epic and a lyric poet of extraordinary scope. In all, seven of his works have survived, though tradition has ascribed to him many a spurious work authored by later writers who assumed his style. The two works best known outside the country are the play, Śakuntalā and the lyric monody, Meghadūtam. Kālidāsa is a courtly poet; but at the same time he is a very learned poet who wears his learning lightly and with grace. It has been suggested that Kālidāsa was a high court official who was sent on embassies by the Emperor Chandra Gupta II to other royal courts; and that Meghadūtam was written during a long spell of separation from his wife when he was residing at the Vākataka capital of Nandhivardhana, near the ‘Rāma’s hill’ of the poem, as adviser to the widowed Queen Prabhāvati Gupta, daughter of the emperor, who was ruling the kingdom as regent for her infant son. Kālidāsa’s work is instinct with Śiva’s presence. The blend of the erotic and spiritual that characterizes Śiva-mythology is reflected in the poet’s work. A mystic feeling for the transcendental combines with a sensuous feeling for beauty in Woman and Nature.

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1) Abhijnanashakuntalam: The Recognition of Shakuntala

Kalidasa’s most famous play refashions an episode from the Mahabharata, magnificently dramatizing the love story of Shakuntala, a girl of semi-divine origin, and Dushyanta, a noble human king. After their brief and passionate but secret union at her father’s forest ashram, Dushyanta must return to his capital. He gives Shakuntala his signet ring, promising to make her his queen when she joins him later. But, placed unawares under a curse, he forgets her—and she loses the ring that would have enabled him to recognize her. Will the lovers be reunited? The world’s first full-length play centred on a comprehensive love story, The Recognition of Shakuntala is an undisputed classic of the ancient period. Vinay Dharwadker’s sparkling new translation is the definitive poetic rendering of this romantic-heroic comedy for the twenty-first century stage. His absorbing commentary and notes give contemporary readers an unparalleled opportunity to savour the riches of a timeless text.

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2) Kumarasambhavam: The Origin of Young God

Kumarasambhavam celebrates the love story of Siva and Parvati, whose passionate union results in the birth of their son, the young god Kumara. Beginning with a luminous description of the birth of Parvati, the poem proceeds in perfectly pitched sensuous detail through her courtship with Siva until the night of their wedding. It plays out their tale on the immense scale of supreme divinity, wherein the gods are viewed both as lovers and as cosmic principles. Composed in eight scintillating cantos, Kumarasambhavam continues to enchant readers centuries after it was first written. Hank Heifetz's sparkling translation brings to life the heady eroticism and sumptuous imagery of the original.

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3) The Loom of Time: A Selection of His Plays and Poems

Kalidasa is the major poet and dramatist of classical Sanskrit literature - a many-sided talent of extraordinary scope and exquisite language. His great poem, Meghadutam ( The Cloud Messenger), tells of a divine being, punished for failing in his sacred duties with a years' separation from his beloved. A work of subtle emotional nuances, it is a haunting depiction of longing and separation. The play Sakuntala describes the troubled love between a Lady of Nature and King Duhsanta. This beautiful blend of romance and comedy, transports its audience into an enchanted world in which mortals mingle with gods. And Kalidasa's poem Rtusamharam ( The Gathering of the Seasons) is an exuberant observation of the sheer variety of the natural world, as it teems with the energies of the great god Siva.

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4) Malavikagnimitram: The Dancer and the King

Believed to be Kalidasa's first work, Malavikagnimitram is the love story of King Agnimitra and the court dancer Malavika. The tale unfolds through humorous palace interludes, vivid descriptions of fine arts and the cunning machinations of court players. Even in this early work, Kalidasa's characteristic penchant for romance, art and natural beauty is evident at every delightful turn of the plot. He transforms a simple tale of forbidden love into an engrossing courtly drama filled with beauty, humour and wit. Srinivas Reddy's engaging translation captures to perfection the joyous vigour of the young dramatist's voice.

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5) The Meghadūtam: The Cloud Message

As punishment for failing in his duty, an unnamed yaksha is cursed by the god Kubera to endure a hard year in exile. Thus separated from his beloved wife, he longs to send her word of his undying love and the pain he suffers over their parting. Unable to do so himself, the lovelorn yaksha implores a passing cloud to act as his messenger. And so entrusted with this impassioned message, the cloud must travel a vast distance to the city of Alaka in the Himalayas, where the yaksha’s wife waits, consumed by thoughts of her beloved.

Filled with lush imagery—from the magnificence of the bountiful earth to the glory of the celestial gods, from the hypnotic lilt of birdsong to the passionate lovemaking of courtesans—The Cloud Message is as moving and resonant today as it was centuries ago. In Srinivas Reddy’s new and ingenious translation, Kalidasa’s celebrated poem comes to life in vivid detail.

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6) Raghuvamsam: The Line of Raghu

Long considered as Kalidasa’s greatest work, Raghuvamsam is an epic poem in classical Sanskrit. It recounts the legendary tales of the Raghu dynasty, whose scions include Rama, the hero of the Ramayana. In this majestic mahakavya, Kalidasa invokes the whole gamut of literary flavours, ranging from the erotic and the heroic to the tragic, horrific and peaceful. The forbears and the descendants of Rama are all brought to life. Within these pages we see the ideal couple, Dilipa and Sudakshina, their son Raghu’s valour and generosity, the tragic love of Aja and Indumati, the travails of Dasaratha, the feats of Kusha and Atithi, and finally, the dynasty’s downfall with Sudarshana and Agnivarna.

Composed in nineteen cantos, this mesmerizing, lyrical and very accessible new translation of Raghuvamsam will continue to enthrall readers with its insights into ancient India, its land, people and seasons, and its social and cultural values that are still relevant today.

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