Appointment with Kalidasa

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

Page 20

Period of Life and Literary Activity
rail-coping shows a wine-pot in a sling, jewels and variegated garments issuing from a Kalpavalli, and answers the description in the Meghadata. The sculpture is of the Sunga period, 2nd century R. C. (b) Another Barhut rail-coping depicts the hand of Vanadevata issuing from a tree clump. This also is of the Sunga period and recalls to mind the gifts of Vanadevata to Sakuntals .20 Prof. Sivaramamurti observes that it is probably the best explanation of the verse in the Sakuntala,' (c) Referring to the sport of married couples Kalidasa describes in the Raghuvamba, Aja tenderly feeling the body of his beloved.27 This idea is well depicted in a Nagarjunakoṇḍa sculpture of the Iksvaku period, 3rd century A. D. (d) A verse in Uttara-Megha describes the flower decorations and marks of enjoyment of women.28 Prof Sivaramamurti believes that the entire verse has a vivid sculptural commentary in a panel from Nagarjunakonda', which belongs to 3rd century A. D. (e) Describing the diversions of lovers. Kalidasa mentions the Yaksapatni speaking to the Sarika in a cage, 20 A fine sculp tural representation of this idea is found in Kushan work from Mathura, of which the Bhütesara Yakşi addressing the parrot is probably the most charming'. This is of 2nd century A. D. (f) Rama, in his aerial journey from Lanka to Ayodhya, shows a fancy fish-elephant30 in the ocean to Sita. This matanga-nakra is referred to as Thamṛga in earlier literature like the Ramayana. This curious animal is depicted on the Amaravati rail, of the Satavahana period, 2nd century A. D.
There are, of course, other pictorial representations inspired by Kalidasa's literary art that belong to later periods up to the 12th century A. D. But these earlier speci mens which show a close parallel between the literary idea and the pictorial-sculptural representation are not possible to be explained without assuming an early date, first century B. C., for Kalidasa.
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The discussion is enough, I believe, to make us aware of the wide difference of opinions and of the difficulty of determining precisely the date of Kalidasa. Prof. Karmarkar seems to be willing to admit two Kālidāsas and two Vikramadityas, one of the first century B. C. and another of the fourth century A. D. It, however, appears that Kalidasa has to be assigned to one of the two periods of time. The view of the earlier date has not been refuted by those who reject it, and the cumulative evidence, especially the recent one from art representations, is in favour of taking Kalidasa as a poet of the first century B. C.
Determining the date of a Sanskrit poet is a major task of history. But a common reader is likely to be confused and baffled by the variety of opinions held; and, interested more in the literary art of a poet like Kalidasa, would like to say in the words of Rabindranath Tagore :3
Hay re Kabe, kete geche, Kalidaser Kal! Panditera vivida kare laye tarikh så!!