Was Kalidasa contemporary of Jesus Christ?

Considered among the finest poets India has ever produced; Kālidāsa was a pioneer of Sanskrit poetry and has written many successful works of literature. Some of the legends state that Kālidāsa was humiliated by a princess for his lack of knowledge and this motivated him to pursue reading, writing and improving his literary skills. Kālidāsa is speculated to have lived near the Himalayas, around the region of Kalinga and Ujjain.

Kālidāsa invoking nature

Kālidāsa’s love for nature, especially monsoons, rains, seasonal changes, plants, animals is clearly visible all through his works and sometimes plays an integral part of the narrative. The mention of saffron plant, the deodar trees, musk deer, swans and lakes.

Kālidāsa wrote three plays.

1.Mālavikāgnimitram (Pertaining to Mālavikā and Agnimitra)
2. Abhijñānaśākuntalam (Of the recollection of Shakuntala)
3. Vikramōrvaśīyam (Urvashi Won by Valor)

Kālidāsa is the author of two epic poems, Raghuvaṃśa (“Dynasty of Raghu”) and Kumārasambhava (The birth of a son to goddess Parvati and Shiva).

Kālidāsa also wrote two khandakavyas (minor poems) which have their own appreciation in literary circles even today and continue to inspire modern adaptations.

1. Ṛitusaṃhāra describes the six seasons by narrating the experiences of two lovers in each of the seasons.
2. Meghadūta (The Cloud Messenger), the story of a Yaksha trying to send a message to his lover through a cloud.

His influence on modern art

Kālidāsa’s work continued to evoke inspiration among the artistic circles of Europe during the late 19th century and early 20th century, as evidenced by Camille Claudel’s sculpture Shakuntala.

Kālidāsa has had great influence on several Sanskrit works; on all Indian literature. He also had a great impact on Rabindranath Tagore. The Meghadutam’s romanticism is found in Tagore’s poems on the monsoons. According to Dale Carnegie, Father of Modern Medicine Sir William Osler always kept on his desk a poem written by Kālidāsa.

So do you think Kalidasa was a contemporary of Jesus Christ?

#IndianLiterature #Celebratingmonsoon#Kalisada #Jesus #PlantScienceFacts #PlantScienceHistory #plantScienceFam