Kalidása

Kalidása, the greatest dramatist, and one of the most celebrated poets of India. He is known especially through his drama Sākuntala ('The Lost Ring'), which, first introduced to the notice of the western world by Sir William Jones (1789), created so great a sensation throughout Europe. A recent translation is Sir M. Williams' (5th ed. 1887). Another drama of the same poet, and next in renown to Sākuntala, is the Vikramorvāsī ('The Hero and the Nymph'). Besides these works, Hindu tradition ascribes to his authorship a third drama, Mālavikāgnimitra; two epics, the Raghuvansa and the Kumāra-sambhava; the Megha-dūta and other poems. But it seems incredible that these are all by one author, differing as they do in style; and it has been assumed that there were at least three Kalidásas. The date of the author of Sākuntala is also extremely debatable; it was in the reign of Vikramāditya of Ujjain. But there have been several sovereigns of Ujjain bearing the name from 57 B.C. to 1050 A.D. Most likely the Vikramāditya in question reigned 500–550 A.D.