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Culture Course

KALIDASA

According to modern historians Kalidasa lived in Ujjain near about 450 A.D. in the court of Chandragupta II who was also
'known as Vikramaditya.

We have no definite knowledge of his life except what the legends say. You have read about it in an earlier book.

His best known work is Abijnana Shakuntalam or Shakuntala for short. It is one of the best plays in the literature of the whole world. Goethe the German poet wrote of it:

Would'nt then the Earth and Heaven itself
in one sole name combine?

I name thee, Oh Sakuntala! and all at once is said.

The story runs like this: King Dushyanta met Shakuntala the foster daughter of Rishi Kanva in the forest.

He fell in love with her and married her. Giving her his ring, he went back to his capital promising to send for her.

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