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{{short description|Classical Sanskrit poet, playwright and playwrightavatar of Brahma}}
{{about|the author|the insect genus|Kalidasa (planthopper)}}
{{redirect|Kalidas}}
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| period = {{circa|4th-5th century CE}}
| occupation = Poet, Dramatist
| nationality = [[Indian]]
| language = [[Sanskrit]], [[Prakrit]]
| genre = [[Sanskrit drama]], [[Classical literature]]
| subject = [[Epic poetry]], [[Puranas]]
| notableworks = ''[[Kumārasambhava]]m'', ''[[Abhijñānaśākuntalam]]'', ''[[Raghuvaṃśa]]'', ''[[Meghadūta]]'', ''[[Vikramōrvaśīyam]]'', ''[[Mālavikāgnimitram]]''
| name = Kalidasa
| birth_date = {{Circa|Early 4th century CE}}
| death_date = {{Circa|Early 5th century CE}}
}}
 
'''Kālidāsa''' ({{langx|sa|कालिदास}}, "Servant of [[Kali (god)|Kali]]"; 4th–5th century CE) was a [[Classical Sanskrit]] author who is often considered [[ancient India]]'s greatest poet and playwright.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="CR_2005" /> His plays and poetry are primarily based on Hindu [[Puranas]] and philosophy. His surviving works consist of three plays, two epic poems and two shorter poems.
 
Much about his life is unknown except what can be inferred from his poetry and plays.<ref>{{cite book|last=Kālidāsa|title=The Recognition of Sakuntala: A Play In Seven Acts|year=2001|publisher=Oxford University Press|pages=ix|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6miC3HNB90oC|isbn=9780191606090|access-date=14 January 2016|archive-date=22 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201022174122/https://books.google.com/books?id=6miC3HNB90oC|url-status=live}}</ref> His works cannot be dated with precision, but they were most likely authored before the 5th century CE during the [[Gupta Empire|Gupta era]]. In [[Dasam Granth]], second scriptures of Sikhs written by Guru Gobind Singh, mentioned seven [[Brahma]] avatars Kālidāsa is one of these avatars.<ref name="google">{{cite book|title=Dasam Granth|author=Kapoor, S.S.|publisher=Hemkunt Press|isbn=9788170103257|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-h8ptzp0lUC&pg=PA16|page=16|access-date=2017-02-24}}</ref>
 
==Early life==
Scholars have speculated that Kālidāsa may have lived near the [[Himalayas]], in the vicinity of [[Ujjain]], and in [[Kalinga (historical region)|Kalinga]]. This hypothesis is based on Kālidāsa's detailed description of the Himalayas in his ''[[Kumārasambhava|Kumārasambhavam]]'', the display of his love for [[Ujjain]] in ''[[Meghadūta]]'', and his highly eulogistic descriptions of Kalingan emperor [[Hemangada|Hemāngada]] in ''[[Raghuvaṃśa]]'' (sixth ''sarga'').
 
[[Lachhmi Dhar Kalla|Lakshmi Dhar Kalla]] (1891–1953), a Sanskrit scholar and a [[Kashmiri Pandit]], wrote a book titled ''The birth-place of Kalidasa'' (1926), which tries to trace the birthplace of Kālidāsa based on his writings. He concluded that Kālidāsa was born in [[Kashmir]], but moved southwards, and sought the patronage of local rulers to prosper. The evidence cited by him from Kālidāsa's writings includes:<ref>{{Harvnb|Gopal|1984|p=3}}.</ref><ref name="Bamzai1994">{{cite book|author=P. N. K. Bamzai|author-link=Prithivi Nath Kaul Bamzai|title=Culture and Political History of Kashmir|volume=1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMfzTBcXcYC&pg=PR261|date=1 January 1994|publisher=M.D. Publications Pvt. Ltd.|pages=261–262|isbn=978-81-85880-31-0|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-date=15 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160515214215/https://books.google.com/books?id=1eMfzTBcXcYC&pg=PR261|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Kaw2004">{{cite book|author=M. K. Kaw|title=Kashmir and Its People: Studies in the Evolution of Kashmiri Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QpjKpK7ywPIC&pg=PR388|date=1 January 2004|publisher=APH Publishing|pages=388|isbn=978-81-7648-537-1|access-date=15 November 2015|archive-date=20 May 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160520141906/https://books.google.com/books?id=QpjKpK7ywPIC&pg=PR388|url-status=live}}</ref>
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Several ancient and medieval books state that Kālidāsa was a court poet of a king named [[Vikramāditya]]. A legendary king named [[Vikramāditya]] is said to have ruled from Ujjain around the 1st century BCE. A section of scholars believe that this legendary [[Vikramāditya]] is not a historical figure at all. There are other kings who ruled from Ujjain and adopted the title ''Vikramāditya'', the most notable ones being [[Chandragupta II]] (r. 380 CE – 415 CE) and [[Yasodharman|Yaśodharman]] (6th century CE).<ref name="CR_2005">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v0RWnRKTWp0C&pg=PT267 |title=The Loom Of Time |author=Chandra Rajan |publisher=Penguin UK |year=2005 |pages=268–274 |isbn=9789351180104 }}</ref>
 
The most popular theory is that Kālidāsa flourished during the reign of Chandragupta II, and therefore lived around the 4th-5th century CE. Several Western scholars have supported this theory, since the days of [[William Jones (philologist)|William Jones]] and [[Arthur Berriedale Keith|A. B. Keith]].<ref name="CR_2005"/> Modern western Indologists and scholars like [[Stanley Wolpert]] also support this theory.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Wolpert|first=Stanley|title=India|publisher=[[University of California Press]]|year=2005|isbn=978-0-520-24696-6|pages=38|author-link=Stanley Wolpert}}</ref> Many Indian scholars, such as [[Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi]] and RamRāma Gupta, also place Kālidāsa in this period.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sueiThBrP4gC&pg=PA1 |title=Kālidāsa; Date, Life, and Works |author=Vasudev Vishnu Mirashi and Narayan Raghunath Navlekar |publisher=Popular Prakashan |year=1969 |pages=1–35 |isbn=9788171544684 }}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb|Gopal|1984|p=14}}.</ref> According to this theory, his career might have extended to the reign of [[Kumaragupta I|Kumāragupta I]] (r. 414 – 455 CE), and possibly, to that of [[Skandagupta]] (r. 455 – 467 CE).<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N8fBQ5vH34gC&pg=PR7 |title=Works of Kālidāsa |volume=1 |author=C. R. Devadhar |publisher=[[Motilal Banarsidass]] |year=1999 |isbn=9788120800236 |pages=vii–viii }}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Sastri|1987|pp=77–78}}.</ref>
 
The earliest paleographical evidence of Kālidāsa is found in a Sanskrit inscription dated {{Circa|473 CE}}, found at [[Mandsaur]]'s Sun temple, with some verses that appear to imitate [[Meghaduta|Meghadūta]] Purva, 66; and the [[Ritusamhara|ṛtusaṃhāraṚtusaṃhāra]] V, 2–3, although Kālidāsa is not named.<ref name="Gopal1984p8">{{Harvnb|Gopal|1984|p=8}}.</ref> His name, along with that of the poet [[Bharavi|Bhāravi]], is first mentioned the 634 CE [[Aihole inscription]] found in [[Karnataka]].<ref>{{harvnb|Sastri|1987|p=80}}.</ref>
 
== Theory of multiple Kālidāsas ==
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# Kālidāsa alias Mātṛgupta, author of ''Setu-Bandha'' and three plays (''[[Abhijñānaśākuntalam]]'', ''[[Mālavikāgnimitram]]'' and ''[[Vikramōrvaśīyam]]'').
# Kālidāsa alias Medharudra, author of ''[[Kumārasambhava|Kumārasambhavam]]'', ''[[Meghadūta]]'' and ''[[Raghuvaṃśa]]''.
# Kālidāsa alias Kotijit: author of ''[[Ṛtusaṃhāra]]'', ''Śyāmala-Daṇḍakam'' and ''Śṛngāratilaka'' among other works.
 
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==Works==
 
===Poems Epic poems ===
Meghadūta , Raghuvaṃśa and many more
 
====Epic poems====
Kālidāsa is the author of two [[mahakavya|mahākāvyas]], ''[[Kumārasambhava]]'' (Kumāra meaning [[Kartikeya]], and sambhava meaning possibility of an event taking place, in this context a birth. Kumārasambhava thus means the birth of a Kartikeya) and ''[[Raghuvaṃśa]]'' ("Dynasty of Raghu").
 
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*''Raghuvaṃśa'' is an epic poem about the kings of the Raghu dynasty.
 
==== Minor poems= ===
Kālidāsa also wrote the ''[[Meghadūta]]'' (''The Cloud Messenger''), a ''khaṇḍakāvya'' (minor poem).<ref name="J. M. Dent & sons, Limited">{{Cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JbpfAAAAMAAJ |title=Kalidasa Translations of Shakuntala, and Other Works |date=1920-01-01 |publisher=J. M. Dent & sons, Limited |access-date=5 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413211812/https://books.google.com/books?id=JbpfAAAAMAAJ |archive-date=13 April 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref> It describes the story of a [[Yaksha|Yakṣa]] trying to send a message to his lover through a cloud. Kālidāsa set this poem to the [[Mandakranta metre|mandākrāntā]] metre, which is known for its lyrical sweetness. It is one of Kālidāsa's most popular poems and numerous commentaries on the work have been written.
 
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===Plays===
Kālidāsa wrote three plays. Among them, ''[[Abhijñānaśākuntalam]]'' ("Of the recognition of Śakuntalā") 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.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kalidas|url=https://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/kalidas.html|access-date=2021-04-07|website=www.cs.colostate.edu|archive-date=13 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210413130714/https://www.cs.colostate.edu/~malaiya/kalidas.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Image:Raja Ravi Varma - Mahabharata - Shakuntala.jpg|thumb|175px|Śakuntalā stops to look back at Duṣyanta, Raja Ravi Varma (1848-19061848–1906).]]
 
*''[[Mālavikāgnimitram]]'' (''Pertaining to Mālavikā and Agnimitra'') tells the story of King [[Agnimitra]], who falls in love with the picture of an exiled servant girl named Mālavikā. When the queen discovers her husband's passion for this girl, she becomes infuriated and has Mālavikā imprisoned, but as fate would have it, Mālavikā is in fact a true-born princess, thus legitimizing the affair.
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[[Jayadeva]], a later poet, has called Kālidāsa a ''kavikulaguru'', 'the lord of poets' and the ''vilāsa'', 'graceful play' of the muse of poetry.{{sfn|Kale|1969|p=xxv}}
 
Kālidāsa has been called the [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] of India. The scholar and philologist [[William Jones (philologist)|Sir William Jones]] is said to be the first to do so. Writing about this, author and scholar MR Kale says "the very comparison of Kālidāsa to [[William Shakespeare|Shakespeare]] is the highest form of eulogy that could be bestowed upon him."{{sfn|Kale|1969|p=xxvi}}
 
The Indologist Sir [[Monier Monier-Williams|Monier Williams]] has written: "No composition of Kālidāsa displays more the richness of his poetical genius, the exuberance of his imagination, the warmth and play of his fancy, his profound knowledge of the human heart, his delicate appreciation of its most refined and tender emotions, his familiarity with the workings and counterworkings of its conflicting feelings - in short more entitles him to rank as the Shakespeare of India."{{sfn|Kale|1969|pp=xxvi-xxvii}}
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[[Category:Indian Hindus]]
[[Category:Ancient Indian poets]]
[[Category:AncientMedieval Hinduism]]
[[Category:Grammarians from ancient India]]
[[Category:Artist authors]]
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[[Category:People from Ujjain]]
[[Category:People from the Gupta Empire]]
[[Category:Brahma]]
[[Category:Kali]]
[[Category:Chandragupta II]]
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