KALIDASA- THE GREAT SANSKRIT POET

Kalidasa was one of the greatest Sanskrit poets of India. It is estimated that he lived between the 4^th and 5^th century AD. His biography provides loads of details about his life style and the places he travelled.

He wrote epic poems in classical Sanskrit to be utilized for fine arts like dance and music. He stayed at Chandragupta’s palace in Pataliputra (today called Patna). Legends hold that Kalidasa was good-looking, and one of the “nine gems’ in Chandragupta’s court.

The most beautiful and popular work of Kalidasa is the Shakuntalam which is the love story of king Dushyant and the beautiful Shakuntala, a saint’s daughter. It was one of the first Sanskrit plays to be translated into English. Two more plays written by Kalidasa are highly popular. These include Malavikagnimitram, the love story between King Agnimitra and Malavika, an exiled servant girl; and Vikramorvasiyam, the love story between the mortal King Pururavas and the celestial nymph Urvashi.

During his life time, Kalidasa also wrote two epic poems Kumarasambhava (the birth of Kumara) and Raghuvamsa (the dynasty of Raghu). Two of his renowned lyric poems include Rtusamhara (the exposition on the seasons) and Meghaduta (cloud messenger). 

By: Angel

Content: Wikipedia