Kalidasa The whole succession of poets who appeared after Kalidasa have no doubt considered him as their guru,

and whether it is in epic, lyric or drama, they have all tried to follow in his footsteps. What is more significant is that even philosophers and scholars in different fields accepted the poets greatness. Without appearing to bear a load of learning, the poet has, with smiling ease, made his verses expressly or by their rich overtones, flash forth the wisdom of the Sastras, Mimamsa, Samkhya and Vedanta, the Artha Sastra and Kama Sastra, grammar and poetics, music, dance and drama. The votary of everyone of these will, when he reads Kalidasa, feel that the poet had made a minute study of his own specialty, and the poets precious observations illumine especially the subject of his own interest. The universality of Kalidasas appeal lies also in the mastery with which the poets genius passes from one form to another; in epic or lyric, or in drama of one kind or another, his hand is equally at home. Again in imagery and simile he has no equal; in natural description, his miniatures are exquisite; in the precious maxims and observations which he has strewn over his writings, he reveals his deep understanding of human character. Kalidasa is also known for precise phrasing, proportion and restraint, delicacy, sensitiveness, and above all, a profound suggestiveness,- qualities that should pertain to all great literature, whatever its place or period of origin-one can again go best to Kalidasa. The general approach to the problems of dharma(righteousness) and moksha (liberation) in all his works reveal his all-round knowledge, comprehension and integrated view of life. According to Kalidasa any kind of human activity, public or private, is fruitful only in so far as it helps the refinement and higher evolution of his/her personality. In his drama, the Sakuntala, is the poets highest expression and voices his highest aspiration, it would be proper for us to seek therein the summing up of the poets message; and this is what Kalidasa says at the end of that work. May the ruler act for the welfare of the people; and may proper learning flourish even more; and may I attain spiritual salvation. An Anecdote about Kalidasa According to one legend, Kalidasa was born in a Brahmin family but was an orphan. A family of cowherds looked after the boy and raised him. The boy grew up till 16 or 18 years of his age in the company of cowherd boys, illiterate and uneducated; but he was very handsome and fair and a picture of perfect health. It so happened that the king of that country had a daughter who was very beautiful. She was also educated in all the scriptures and trained in all the arts. When she came of age, she declared that she would choose her husband after testing him in sciences and arts, a whim though, quite consistent with the daughter of a king. But no young man could satisfy the princess who was herself a trained scholar and an accomplished artist. The king lost all hope for getting his girl ever married; and his minister too was frustrated and desperate. The minister wished to teach the obstinate princess a 1

lesson. In his search for a suitable bridegroom, the minister chanced to see this handsome, healthy boy, Kalidasa, and decided to work up a plot to hoodwink and outwit the princess. The minister brought Kalidasa secretly to his residence, kept him happy with good food, clothes and ornaments, gave him a little idea of what he intended to accomplish through him, and gave him a strict warning that he must not open his mouth to speak under any circumstances. Having thus prepared the boy the minister managed to bring from the city of Kashi a band of young boys trained in different scriptures and arts, and sent word to king and princess for a meeting. Kalidasa was posed as a young scholar who had arrived to woo the princess and the young boys as his pupils. The only condition stipulated for the meeting was that the pupils would answer the questions put by the princess, and if the answers did not satisfy the princess then only guru would speak to her. The princess agreed. The minister then dressed Kalidasa elegantly for this special occasion, instructed the boys properly and repeated his warning to Kalidasa. With complete preparation the meeting took place in the royal court. The result could be easily predicted. The questions the princess asked, from whatever science or art, were adequately answered by one boy or the other who was perfectly trained in that particular branch. The princess was impressed by the knowledge and skill of these boys and naturally supposed that their guru must be an exceptional young man, though the guru had no occasion to open his mouth. The guru or Kalidasa looked gorgeous in his clothes and ornaments and in his handsome appearance looked like a prince. Such a combination of rich personality and wide learning was indeed rare. The princess was overjoyed and consented to marry this young, handsome suitor, the wedding was duly celebrated. However, when the couple met for the first time in the royal bedchamber, the boy Kalidasa, left alone to manage for himself, was completely bewildered. The princess suspected something wrong and piled her husband with questions; but the young husband would not open his mouth to speak. The princess lifted a sword from the corner of the bed and threatened to kill the boy if he did not speak and tell her everything. Frightened beyond his wits, the boy narrated the whole story in his native, unpolished language. The princess was dumbfounded; then anger seized her, and also terrible shame. She was his wife, and could not do anything to her husband. She asked him to leave the palace, and not to show his face to her unless and until he accomplished something in his life and acquired some learning. The incident and particularly the dismissal affected the young Kalidasa very deeply. He went straight to the temple of Kali, sat down before the idol, praying for enlightenment, and vowing that he would cut his head and offer it to the goddess were she not to answer his prayer. The sincerity and devotion of the boy moved Kali and she placed her hand of blessing on the bowed head of the boy. He was endowed with knowledge and poetic genius as a favour of Kali, and came to be known thence as Kalidasa or a devoted servant of Kali. Kalidasa then went to Kashi, the home of all learning and lore, and soon mastered many scriptures and arts. Returning from Kashi Kalidasa first went to pay a call of gratitude to the princess, who had remained faithful to her husbad, sorrowing over her tragic fate. When she saw Kalidasa she wondered whether the years had at least turned his rustic speech into the language of the 2

polished and cultured gentry. She asked him, Is there any improvement in your speechasti kascit vag visesah. Kalidasa picked up each single word from her question and in reply recited on the spot, in a sudden burst of inspiration, an epic, a lyric and another epic; The Kumarasambhava begins with asti-uttarasyam disi devatatma, Meghaduta with kascit kanta viraha guruna and the Raghuvamsha with vag artha viva samprktau.. The princes already pleased in her mind by the return of he long-lost husband was amazed by this spontaneous exhibition of poetic genius and birth of wonderful poetry, and rushed to welcome and hug her husband with love and joy. He regarded the princess as his spiritual guru, and refused to take her as his wife. [Excerpted from An Appointment with Kalidasa, G.K. Bhat]