India is said to experience the following six seasons – Grishma (Summer), Varsha (Monsoon), Sharada (Autumn), Hemanta (Early winter), Sisira (Winter) and Vasanta (Spring). Kalidasa writes one canto for each of these six seasons in ‘Ritusamhara’ (‘Collection of Seasons’).
It is probably the first of his creations. For a long time, scholars debated whether he wrote it at all, since it is amateurish compared to his other works. It is a novel attempt that describes seasons in general without defined human characters. Perhaps, that’s why it appears less sophisticated than his later compositions.
Kalidasa’s famed poetic skills are on display. Describing summer, he says: “Tormented by the savage heat and thirst, the lion, though capable of attack, no longer hunts the elephant. They rest together, side by side, on the river bank.”
Kalidasa was the first talking movie in Tamil and Telugu. The picture is a poster for the film.
Source: GC Jhal, ‘Kalidasa – A Study’

‘The Birth of the War God’ is accepted as a mahakavya (grand poem) by traditional Sanskrit commentators. Kalidasa tells the Puranic story of Kartikeya (Kumara, Skanda) taking birth to kill the invincible demon Taraka. He converts it into an epic. Kalidasa tells stories that are masterpieces – such as Devi Parvati’s penance to woo Shiva, Shiva burning Kama (Cupid) with his third eye when Kama tries to ignite love in Shiva’s heart, and Kama’s wife Rati’s lament on his death etc. Kalidasa’s portraiture of Uma stands supreme in literature.
The image is a Kerala Mural by Manikandan Punnakkal featuring Kumarasambhavam.
Source: KS Ramaswami Sastri, ‘Kalidasa: His Period, Personality & Poetry’

‘Meghaduta’ or ‘Meghasandesa’ – ‘Cloud Messenger’ has been described by Kincaid as “the most wonderful love poem in any language.” A yaksha (demigod) employed by Kubera, god of wealth, is banished from the capital Alaka to a mountain in Central India. Feeling lonely, the yaksha pours his heart out to the cloud, asking it to convey his feelings to his beloved in Alaka.
Kalidasa was inspired by Valmiki and Rama’s longing for news about Sita. The yaksha recalls how Sita and Rama lived on the very mountain where he was exiled. He asks the cloud to go slowly, shower rain, extinguish forest fires and be beneficent to all. Kalidasa describes the route of the cloud in North India magnificently.
Kalidasa combines poetry, geography, divine love, and devotion in an unreal conversation between a semi-divine human and a natural element. Years later Shakespeare echoed Kalidasa when he wrote, “The lunatic, the lover and the poet are of imagination all compact.” The entire Meghaduta is composed in the slow mandakranta meter, symbolic of the slow pace of the cloud and the sorrow.
The Wikimedia image is a painting by Abanindranath Tagore ‘The Banished Yaksha’ from Meghaduta.
Source: KS Ramaswami Sastri, ‘Kalidasa: His Period, Personality & Poetry’

Two of Kalidasa’s works are recognized as ‘mahakavyas.’ He is the only Sanskrit poet with this achievement. ‘Raghuvamsa,’ (Raghu’s Dynasty) meets more attributes of Mahakavya than any other work. Thirty-three commentaries have been written on it – only the epics were more popular. Raghuvamsa describes 29 kings in the solar dynasty of Sri Rama. Five kings are described in detail – Dilip, Raghu, Aja, Dashratha, and Rama. Kalidasa primarily uses Valmiki as the source but also the Vishnu and Vayu Puranas. The book ends on a tragic note. The last king Kalidasa describes is Agnivarna. He was a womanizer who left the kingdom in disarray. After his death, his pregnant widow had to pick up the pieces. How the mighty can fall, the poet seems to suggest.
The Wikimedia image by Sntshkumar750 is of the statue of the book Raghuvansham at the campus of Kalidas Dih in Madhubani, Bihar.
Source: GC Jhal, ‘Kalidasa – A Study’

Pushyamitra Sunga founded the Sunga dynasty in 185 BCE. It held sway over North India for 100 years. Pushyamitra is said to have assassinated the last Mauryan king at a military parade and taken over power. Agnimitra succeeded him as the Sunga king. ‘Malavika & Agnimitra’ is the first drama written by Kalidasa. It is a historical fiction that enacts the twists and turns in the love story of Prince Agnimitra. His lover is Malavika, a noble woman who was captured by robbers and had to become a servant in the palace. Agnimitra and Malavika overcame political upheavals and the displeasure of Agnimitra’s two senior wives. A Vidushak (comedian) helps the lovers. This is a staple character in even current day films. The drama is one of action and romance. The aesthetic touch of Kalidasa is not prominent.
The image from imdb is of a 2014 Sanskrit play on Malavikagnimitram by KN Panicker.
Source: GC Jhal, ‘Kalidasa – A Study’

Encyclopedia Britannica says, The Recognition of Shakuntala is generally considered to be the greatest Indian literary work of any period. The work tells of the seduction of Shakuntala by King Dushyanta, his rejection of the girl and his child, and their subsequent reunion in heaven. The child that is born is Bharata, the ancestor of the Indian nation.
The Shakuntala-Dushyanta story features in Mahabharata, but as a clinical straightforward story. Shakuntala confronts Dushyanta in open court and forces devatas to confirm the parentage. Kalidasa converts this into a classic. The characters represent a pristine aristocratic ideal: the girl, sentimental, selfless, alive to little but the delicacies of nature. The king is the first servant of the dharma, resolute hero, yet tender and suffering agonies over his lost love. Like all of Kalidasa’s works, the beauty of nature is captured through metaphors.
The Wikimedia image is of a Raja Ravi Varma painting showing Shakuntala lost in thought.
Source: https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abhijnanashakuntala

‘Vikramorvasiyam’ describes the love story between the King Pururava and the apsara Urvashi. There is no character named Vikrama in the play. Some historians contend that Kalidasa was paying a tribute to his patron who had the title ‘Vikramaditya.’ There is no agreement on this though. This title was used by many ancient kings and the identity of the patron is also debated. Some say that the play’s title simply means ‘Urvashi won by valour.’ Pururava is a King of lunar dynasty. He is indeed portrayed as a man of valour. When Urvashi was returning to heaven, he rescues her from a demon. They fall in love but Urvashi returns to heaven. Later, when Urvashi is acting as Lakshmi in a play, instead of referring to her (Lakshmi’s) husband as Purushottama, she mistakenly mentions Pururava. For this, she is cursed to be born as a mortal. Pururava finds her and after further drama, they are united. The story appears first in Rig-Veda where Urvashi is clinical and leaves Pururava for violating an agreement. Even after Pururava traces her, she tells him that she is gone forever, but promises to send him the son who was born to them.
The Wikimedia image is of a Raja Ravi Varma painting depicting Pururava & Urvashi.
Source: GC Jhal, ‘Kalidasa – A Study’

Tradition associates Kalidasa with Vikramaditya, the destroyer of the Sakas. The name Vikramaditya is used to describe many Kings: the mythical king after whom the Vikrama era is named from the 1st century BCE or a Satavahana king of the same period or a few Gupta emperors or Harsha Vikrama of Ujjain from the mid 6th century CE or Raja Bhoja of an even later period.
Most agree that Kalidasa was likely at the court of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II Vikramaditya who ruled between 380-415 CE. He could also have been at the courts of his successors Kumaragupta or Skandagupta or even at the Vakataka court of Chandragupta’s daughter, Prabhavati Gupta. The references to Vikrama, Kumara, and Skanda in his works buttress this conclusion. The Gupta period is sometimes referred to as the golden age of ancient India. It won’t be a surprise that a genius like Kalidasa contributed to it.
The image is a painting by Asit Kumar Haldar sourced from the Sotheby’s website. It shows Prabhavati Gupta at her court with her son on her lap & Kalidasa composing verses.
Source: GC Jhal, ‘Kalidasa – A Study’

A learned princess wanted to marry only a scholar. She tested and humiliated many. The jilted men wanted to take revenge. They located a fool and asked him to pretend to be a scholar who has taken the vow of silence. The princess was fooled and married the pretender. When she found out, she threw him out. He went to a Kali temple and the Devi’s grace turned him overnight into a pandit. The fool was Kalidasa. The story has no credible source.
Kalidasa displays great mastery of philosophy, Puranas, epics, geography, and science. Kalidasa is claimed by many places. Because he wrote on saffron, Kashmir claims him; because the princess was from Kashi, the city claims him; because he was so learned, Mithila claims him; because he described the Himalayas so well, Uttarakhand claims him.
However, his work displays the greatest familiarity with Ujjain. Thus, it is said that the Gadhkalika temple of Ujjain is where Kalidasa became the jewel of Indian literature. . There are Kali temples in Uttarakhand and Mithila which also make similar claims.
The Wikimedia image by Sunil Ujjain is of the Gadhkalika temple.
Source: HD Bhatt, The Story of Kalidas’

The yaksha is exiled to Ramagiri mountain in Central India. He laments his separation from his wife and recalls the happy moments Sita and Rama spent there. Ramtek (where Rama rested) near Nagpur is identified with this place. Because the poem is set in the place, historians contend that Kalidasa wrote it there. Every year in the month of November the popular Kalidas Festival is celebrated at Ramtek. The festival features music, dance and drama over two days.
The Wikimedia image by Sarah Welch shows the Kalidas memorial in Ramtek
Source: https://utsav.gov.in/view-event/kalidas-nagpur-festival

Tagore wrote a famous essay on Shakuntalam in 1902. He recognizes two distinct parts of Shakuntalam. He describes the first part as the material love of the impulsive Shakuntala and playful Dushyanta. In the last part, after Dushyanta rejects Shakuntala in open court, she retreats to a hermitage and lives with her son. Dushyanta is distraught with remorse. Both Dushyanta and Sakuntala tread the path of sorrow. Through this Tapasya, their initial physical union in the first part is purified and elevated into a moral union. Tagore likens the final part to an exposition of Dharma. Tagore says, as per Kalidasa, “Beauty that goes hand in hand with Moral Law is eternal.” He further says that Kalidasa refuses to recognise Love as its own highest glory; and that the love of man and woman is beautiful, lasting and fruitful only when it is selfless and begets Goodness.
The meditative painting is by Kalipada Ghosh from the Bengal School
Source: Jadunath Sarkar translation of Shakuntala, Its Inner Meaning.

Kalidasa is called the king of metaphor and simile. Upama Kalidasasya means Kalidasa is master of the simile. His metaphors are not just wordplays, they deepen understanding, often revealing profound philosophical insights. For example, In Raghuvamsa, he describes King Dilipa and his queen Sudakshina as: “Just as the word and its meaning are inseparable, so too were Dilipa and Sudakshina, perfectly united.” Here, the simile doesn’t just compare; it establishes their fundamental unity. It’s concise and profound.