Klidsa

Born 4th century AD

Died 5th century AD
Gupta Empire, possibly in Ujjain or
Sri Lanka
Occupation Playwright and poet
Nationality Indian
Ethnicity Indian
Genres Sanskrit drama, Classical literature
Subjects Epic poetry, Hindu Puranas
Notable
work(s)
Abhijnakuntalam, Raghuvaa,
Meghadta, Vikramrvayam,
Kumrasambhava
Spouse(s) Said to have been married to a
princess; her name was Vidyotma.
Klidsa
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Klidsa ("servant of Kali" Sanskrit: ) was a
Classical Sanskrit writer, widely regarded as the greatest
poet and dramatist in the Sanskrit language. His floruit
cannot be dated with precision, but most likely falls within
the 5th century AD.
[1]
His plays and poetry are primarily based on the Hindu
Puranas and Hindu philosophy.
Contents
1 Early life
1.1 Period
2 Works
2.1 Plays
2.2 Translations
3 Later culture
4 Further reading
5 See also
6 References
7 Notes
8 Bibliography
9 External links
Early life
Scholars have speculated that Klidsa may have lived either near the Himalayas, or in the vicinity of Ujjain,
or in Kalinga. The three speculations are based respectively on Klidsas detailed description of the
Himalayas in his Kumrasambhava, the display of his love for Ujjain in Meghadta, and his highly
eulogistic descriptions of Kalingan emperor Hemngada in Raghuvaa (sixth sarga).
But some scholars tend to describe him as a Kashmiri
[2][3][4]
since the pioneering research done by Lakshmi
Dhar Kalla (http://www.worldcat.org/identities/lccn-no00-50105/) (1891-1953) in his continuously re-edited
book The birth-place of Kalidasa, with notes, references and appendices (http://www.worldcat.org/title/birth-
place-of-kalidasa-with-notes-references-and-appendices-etc/oclc/044812192) (1926), saying that, far from
being contradictory, these facts just show that he was born in Kashmir (based on topographic descriptions,
rural folklore, the regions fauna and flora, ... only local populations could know) but moved for diverse
reasons souther and sought the patronage of local rulers to prosper.
It is believed that he was from humble origin, married to princess and challenged by his wife, studied poetry
to become great poet.
[5]
Some believe that he visited Kumaradasa, the king of Ceylon and, because of some
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Shakuntala stops to look back
at Dushyanta, Raja Ravi
Varma (1848-1906).
treachery, Kalidasa was murdered there.
[5]
His wifes name was Vidyotama.
Period
His period was linked to the reign of one Vikramaditya. And Chandraguptha II (380 CE -515 CE) and
Skandagupta (455 CE - 480 CE), were titled Vikramaditya and Kalidasas living period is linked to their
reign.
[6]
It was also argued that Kalidasa lived in first century B.C. during the period of another
Vikramaditya of Ujjain, but now it is generally accepted that Kalidasas period falls between 5th and 6th
Century C.E.
[7]
His name, along with poet Bharavis name, is mentioned in a stone inscription dated 634 C.E.
found at Aihole, located in present day Karnataka.
[8]
Works
Plays
Klidsa wrote three plays. Among them, Abhijnakuntalam ("Of Shakuntala recognised by a token") is
generally regarded as a masterpiece. It was among the first Sanskrit works to be translated into English, and
has since been translated into many languages.
[9]
Mlavikgnimitram ("Mlavik and Agnimitra") tells the story of
King Agnimitra, who falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant
girl named Mlavik. When the queen discovers her husbands passion
for this girl, she becomes infuriated and has Mlavik imprisoned, but
as fate would have it, Mlavik is in fact a true-born princess, thus
legitimizing the affair.
Abhijnakuntalam ("Of Shakuntala recognised by a token") tells
the story of King Dushyanta who, while on a hunting trip, meets
Shakuntal, the adopted daughter of a sage, and marries her. A mishap
befalls them when he is summoned back to court: Shakuntala,
pregnant with their child, inadvertently offends a visiting sage and
incurs a curse, by which Dushyanta will forget her completely until he
sees the ring he has left with her. On her trip to Dushyantas court in an
advanced state of pregnancy, she loses the ring, and has to come away
unrecognized. The ring is found by a fisherman who recognizes the
royal seal and returns it to Dushyanta, who regains his memory of
Shakuntala and sets out to find her. After more travails, they are finally reunited.
Vikramrvayam ("Pertaining to Vikrama and Urvashi") tells the story of mortal King Pururavas and
celestial nymph Urvashi who fall in love.As an immortal, she has to return to the heavens, where an
unfortunate accident causes her to be sent back to the earth as a mortal with the curse that she will die
(and thus return to heaven) the moment her lover lays his eyes on the child which she will bear him.
After a series of mishaps, including Urvashis temporary transformation into a vine, the curse is lifted,
and the lovers are allowed to remain together on the earth.
Klidsa is the author of two epic poems, Raghuvaa ("Dynasty of Raghu") and Kumrasambhava (Birth
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of Kumara or Subrahmanya).
Raghuvaa is an epic poem about the kings of the Raghu dynasty.
Kumrasambhava describes the birth and adolescence of the goddess Parvati, and her marriage to Lord
Shiva.
He has also written two Khanda Kavyas:
tusahra describes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in each of the
seasons.
[N 1]
Meghadta or Meghasndesa is the story of a Yaksha trying to send a message to his lover through a
cloud. Kalidasa set this poem to the mandkrnta meter known for its lyrical sweetness. It is one of
Kalidasas most popular poems and numerous commentaries on the work have been written.
Translations
Montgomery Schuyler, Jr. published a bibliography of the editions and translations of the akuntal drama
while preparing his work "Bibliography of the Sanskrit Drama".
[N 2][10]
Schuyler later completed his
bibliography series of the dramatic works of Klidsa by compiling bibliographies of the editions and
translations of Vikramorva and Mlavikgnimitra.
[11]
Later culture
Many scholars have written commentaries on the works of Klidsa. Among the most studied commentaries
are those by Kolchala Mallintha Suri, which were written in the 15th century during the reign of the
Vijayanagar king, Deva Rya II. The earliest surviving commentaries appear to be those of the 10th-century
Kashmirian scholar Vallabhadeva.
[12]
Eminent Sanskrit poets like Babhaa, Jayadeva and Rajasekhara
have lavished praise on Klidsa in their tributes. A well-known Sanskrit verse ("Upam Klidsasya...")
praises his skill at upam, or similes. Anandavardhana, a highly revered critic, considered Klidsa to be one
of the greatest Sanskrit poets ever. Of the hundreds of pre-modern Sanskrit commentaries on Klidsas
works, only a fraction have been contemporarily published. Such commentaries show signs of Klidsas
poetry being changed from its original state through centuries of manual copying, and possibly through
competing oral traditions which ran alongside the written tradition.
Klidsas Abhijnakuntalam was one of the first works of Indian literature to become known in Europe.
It was first translated to English and then from English to German, where it was received with wonder and
fascination by a group of eminent poets, which included Herder and Goethe.
[13]
Willst du die Blthe des frhen, die
Frchte des spteren Jahres,
Willst du, was reizt und entzckt,
willst du was sttigt und nhrt,
Willst du den Himmel, die Erde,
mit Einem Namen begreifen;
Nenn ich, Sakuntala, Dich, und so
ist Alles gesagt.
Goethe
Wouldst thou the young years
blossoms and the fruits of its
decline
And all by which the soul is
charmed, enraptured, feasted, fed,
Wouldst thou the earth and heaven
itself in one sole name combine?
I name thee, O Sakuntala! and all
at once is said.
translation by E. B. Eastwick
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"Here the poet seems to be in the height of his talent in representation of the natural
order, of the finest mode of life, of the purest moral endeavor, of the most worthy
sovereign, and of the most sober divine meditation; still he remains in such a
manner the lord and master of his creation."
Goethe, quoted in Winternitz
[14]
Klidsas work continued to evoke inspiration among the artistic circles of Europe during the late 19th
century and early 20th century, as evidenced by Camille Claudels sculpture Shakuntala.
Koodiyattam artist and Natya Shastra scholar Mni Mdhava Chkyr (18991990) choreographed and
performed popular Klids plays including Abhijnakuntala, Vikramorvaya and Mlavikgnimitra.
The Kannada films Mahakavi Kalidasa (1955), featuring Honnappa Bagavatar, B. Sarojadevi and later
Kaviratna Kalidasa (1983), featuring Rajkumar and Jayaprada,
[15]
were based on the life of Klidsa. V.
Shantaram made the Hindi movie Stree (1961) based on Klidsas Shakuntala. R.R. Chandran made the
Tamil movie Mahakavi Kalidas (1966) based on Klidsas life. Chevalier Nadigar Thilagam Sivaji Ganesan
played the part of the poet himself. Mahakavi Kalidasu (Telugu, 1960) featuring Akkineni Nageswara
Rao
[16]
was similarly based on Klidsas life and work.
Surendra Vermas Hindi play Athavan Sarga, published in 1976, is based on the legend that Klidsa could
not complete his epic Kumrasambhava because he was cursed by the goddess Parvati, for obscene
descriptions of her conjugal life with Lord Shiva in the eighth canto. The play depicts Klidsa as a court
poet of Chandragupta who faces a trial on the insistence of a priest and some other moralists of his time.
Asti Kashchid Vagarthiyam is a five-act Sanskrit play written by Krishna Kumar in 1984. The story is a
variation of the popular legend that Klidsa was mentally challenged at one time and that his wife was
responsible for his transformation. Klids, a mentally challenged shepard, is married to Vidyottam, a
learned princess, through a conspiracy. On discovering that she has been tricked, Vidyottam banishes
Klidsa, asking him to acquire scholarship and fame if he desires to continue their relationship. She further
stipulates that on his return he will have to answer the question, Asti Kashchid Vgarthah" ("Is there
anything special in expression?"), to her satisfaction. In due course, Klidsa attains knowledge and fame as
a poet. Klidsa begins Kumrsambhava, Raghuvaa and Meghaduta with the words Asti ("there is"),
Kashchit ("something") and Vgarthah ("speech").
Bishnupada Bhattacharyas "Kalidas o Robindronath" is a comparative study of Kalidasa and the Bengali
poet Rabindranath Tagore.
Further reading
K. D. Sethna. Problems of Ancient India, p. 79-120 (chapter: "The Time of Kalidasa"), 2000 New
Delhi: Aditya Prakashan. ISBN 81-7742-026-7 (about the dating of Kalidasa)
V. Venkatachalam. Fresh light on Kalidasas historical perspective, Kalidasa Special Number (X), The
Vikram, 1967, pp. 130140.
See also
Sanskrit literature
Sanskrit drama
Bhoj
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References
^ Encyclopdia Britannica. "Kalidasa (Indian author)" (http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/310169
/Kalidasa).
1.
^ Ram Gopal (1 January 1984). Klidsa: His Art and Culture (http://books.google.com/books?id=HwHk-
Y9S9UMC&pg=PR3). Concept Publishing Company. p. 3.
2.
^ P. N. K. Bamzai (1 January 1994). Culture and Political History of Kashmir (http://books.google.com
/books?id=1eMfzTBcXcYC&pg=PR261) 1. M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd. pp. 261262. ISBN 978-81-85880-31-0.
3.
^ M. K. Kaw (1 January 2004). Kashmir and Its People: Studies in the Evolution of Kashmiri Society
(http://books.google.com/books?id=QpjKpK7ywPIC&pg=PR388). APH Publishing. p. 388.
ISBN 978-81-7648-537-1.
4.
^
a b
"About Kalidasa" (http://www.kalidasaakademi.nic.in/About_Kalidasa/about_kalidasa.html). Kalidasa
Academi. Retrieved 21 July 2013.
5.
^ Gaurntha str 1987, p. 78 6.
^ Gaurntha str 1987, p. 77 7.
^ Gaurntha str 1987, p. 80 8.
^ Kalidas, Encyclopedia Americana (http://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/kalidas.html) 9.
^ Schuyler, Jr., Montgomery (1901). "The Editions and Translations of akuntal". Journal of the American
Oriental Society 22: 237248. JSTOR 592432 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/592432).
10.
^ Schuyler, Jr., Montgomery (1902). "Bibliography of Klidsas Mlavikgnimitra and Vikramorva". Journal of
the American Oriental Society 23: 93101. JSTOR 592384 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/592384).
11.
^ Dominic Goodall and Harunaga Isaacson, The Raghupacik of Vallabhadeva, Volume 1, Groningen, Egbert
Forsten, 2004.
12.
^ Maurice Winternitz and Subhadra Jha, History of Indian Literature 13.
^ Maurice Winternitz; Moriz Winternitz (1 January 2008). History of Indian Literature (http://books.google.com
/books?id=ql0BmInD1c4C&pg=PA238). Motilal Banarsidass Publ. p. 238. ISBN 978-81-208-0056-4.
14.
^ Kavirathna Kalidasa (1983) Kannada Film at IMDb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0309764/) 15.
^ Mahakavi Kalidasu, 1960 Telugu film at IMDb. (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0261033/) 16.
Notes
^ tusahra was translated into Tamil by Muhandiram T. Sathasiva Iyer 1.
^ It was later published as the third volume of the 13 volume Columbia University Indo-Iranian Series, published
by the Columbia University Press, in between 1901-32 and edited by A. V. Williams Jackson
2.
Bibliography
Raghavan, V. (JanuaryMarch 1968). "A Bibliography of translations of Kalidasas works in Indian Languages".
Indian Literature 11 (1): 535. JSTOR 23329605 (https://www.jstor.org/stable/23329605).
Gaurntha str (1987). A Concise History of Classical Sanskrit Literature (http://books.google.com
/books?id=QYxpvZLg4hAC). Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0027-4.
External links
Kalidasa: Translations of Shakuntala and Other Works (http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sha/index.htm) by
Klidsa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klidsa
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Arthur W. Ryder
Biography of Kalidasa (http://www.imagi-nation.com/moonstruck/clsc60.html)
Works by Kalidasa (http://www.gutenberg.org/author/Kalidasa) at Project Gutenberg
Clay Sanskrit Library (http://www.claysanskritlibrary.org) publishes classical Indian literature, including the
works of Kalidasa with Sanskrit facing-page text and translation. Also offers searchable corpus and downloadable
materials.
Kalidasa (http://oll.libertyfund.org/Home3/AuthorBioPage.php?recordID=0140) at The Online Library of Liberty
Klidsa (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1359914/) at the Internet Movie Database
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Klidsa&oldid=615004834"
Categories: Klidsa Kashmiri people Kashmiri writers Indian poets Hindu poets Epic poets
Sanskrit dramatists and playwrights Sanskrit poets Ancient Indian poets
Ancient Indian dramatists and playwrights 5th-century writers
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