Appointment with Kalidasa

Author(s): G K Bhatt
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 14

PERIOD OF LIFE AND LITERARY ACTIVITY
It still appears difficult to fix the date of Kālidāsa, the periods of his life and Jiterary activity. Silence on the part of the poets and lack of precise, decisive evidence lead, at the most, to some probable inferences. But the deductions are bowled down if the literary evidence on which they are based are shown to be capable of a different interpretation; sometimes, the interpretations act like double-edged sword cutting both ways. The evidence of edicts, copperplates, cions etc. is generally regarded to be reliable as authentic historical material. But evidence of this kind is inadequate in the case of Kālidāsa. Moreover, it appears that there were a number of poets in Sanskrit literature who did have the same name Kālidāsa. Rājasekhara, of the 10th-11th century A.D., poetically refers to three Kalidāsas.2 Though it is likely to be an allusion to three works of Kālidāsa, such literary references are confusing, and they make the question of the poet's date more complicated.
But the discussion over the years has yielded some well defined limits within which the date of Kalidasa could now be tackled. (a) The dramatic plot of Malavikāgnimitra is based on the life of king Agnimitra, who belongs to the Sunga dynasty known to ancient Indian history; the period of this dynastic rule is 2nd to 1st century B.C. It is therefore clear that Kālidāsa could not be earlier than this limit of time. The opinion of Fauche, who regarded Kalidāsa as a contemporary of the last king of the Raghuvamśa, Agnivarṇa and ascribed him to 800 B.C., will have, therefore, to be rejected. (b) The downward limit of Kālidāsa's time is determined by two factors : A Jain poet Ravikīrti has mentioned Kālidāsa and Bhāravi together, this is recorded in the Aihole Inscription which is dated 634 A.D. Secondly, Bāņa, the protege of emperor Harsavardhana (606-647 A.D.) is known to have paid a glorious tribute to Kalidasa.4 These two references show that the date of Kalidasa cannot be taken beyond the 6th-7th century A.D. The assumption in Bhojaprabandha that Kāli. dāsa was a court poet of Bhoja of Dhārā (10th century A.D.) or that he was a senior contemporary of Bhavabhūti (700-730 A.D.) as a popular legend assumes, will both appear to be fortuitous.
The period of Kālidāsa's life and literary activity, thus, falls between first century B.C. and sixth century A.D. The precise date within this period of time is, again, a matter of opinion and shows some distinct divergence, Two views stand out prominently :