Kalidasa

Kalidasa (5th Century) was the greatest of the Sanskrit dramatists and poets in India. He lived during the reign of Chandra Gupta II and Kumara Gupta. His major works are : epics - Raghuvansham ( Dynasty of Raghu) and Kumarsambhavam ( The birth of the war god Kartikeya ) ; Plays - Malvikagnimitra ( Malvika and Agnimitra ) (a comedy of harem intrigue) , Vikramorvashiyam ( Urvashi won by valour ) , Abhigyan Shakuntalam ( Recognition of Shakuntala ) ; Lyrics - Meghadootam ( the Cloud messenger) and Ritu Sanhara (Garland of Seasons ).

Two of his great works were translated under the titles "The Lost Ring" and "The Hero and the Nymph," by Sir William Jones. He was much praised by Goethe and Max Müller.

Wisdom & Quotes

• Praise to you, O Trinity,

one before creation,
afterwards divided
in your three qualities ! ...

You, the one cause
of death and life and birth,
in your three forms
proclaim your own glory...

In the cycle of your day and night
all things live and all things die.

When you wake we live,
when you sleep we perish...

Hard and soft, large and small,
heavy and light, you are all things,
You are both substance and form,
ineffable in power...

You are the knower and the known,
You are the eater and the food,
You are priest and the oblation,
You are the worshipper and the prayer.
- Kumarsambhavam Mahakavyam

• With their teeth half-shown in causeless laughter,

and their efforts at talking so sweetly uncertain,
when children ask to sit on his lap,
a man is blessed, even by the dirt on their bodies.

• Even in birds and beasts the female needs no lessons in deceit !

How much less she who has the power of reason !
Cuckoos, before they take to flight,
make sure that other birds will rear their chicks !
- Abhigyan Shakuntalam

• One should think hard before making love,

especially in secret.
Friendship to those whose hearts we know not
soon turns to hatred.
- Abhigyan Shakuntalam

• The word of one who from her birth

has learnt no guile carries no weight at all,
but they who have mastered the science of deceit
have power to speak words of authority.
- Abhigyan Shakuntalam

• Here is your Lordship's wife -

leave her or accept her.
It is said that the husband's power
over the wife is all-embracing.
- Abhigyan Shakuntalam

• The moon awakens the night-flowering lotuses,

and the sun those that flower by day,
The way of the man of self-control
is to have no dealings with the wife of another.
- Abhigyan Shakuntalam

Talmud