London Swaminathan

KALIDASA is one of the greatest poets in the world. He became famous because of his apt similes and imageries in his seven works. He was a playwright and poet. His age is still an unsolved mystery. He is dated between second century BCE and 4th century CE, that means any date in a range of 600 years! Foreigners placed him in Gupta period around 4th century CE. But great Indian scholars dated him around first or second century BCE. I wrote a thesis to get Ph.D.in this matter. But the Sanskrit University asked me to put it in Sanskrit and I am yet to do it. After reading all the 18 books of Sangam Tamil literature and all the seven dramas and poems of Kalidasa, I came to conclusion that Kalidasa lived in Pre-Sangam period.

Indian tradition also links him with the greatest of the Indian Emperors, Vikramaditya. After the original Vikramaditya of first century BCE died, hundreds of Hindu Kings called themselves Vikrama or Aditya or Vikramaditya. The proof for my thesis lies in the Kalidasa’s 200++ similes found in Sangam Tamil literature. Sangam poets even used the same epithet to the Himalayas (Kaanchana Srnga- Por Kotu) ‘Golden Peaked’. The first ten slokas of Kumara Sambhava of Kalidasa are used by Sangam poets to describe Himalayas and sages.

Pustaka Digital Media

Kalidasa's Similes In Sangam Tamil Literature: New Clue To Fix His Age

Login with...