SYBA: Paper II

कु मारस भवम् - प मः सगः ।

DATE OF KALIDAS

Date (Period) of Kalidas

1. 11th century -

He was in the court of king Bhoja of Dharā. This king ruled around 11th ventur AD. So, the

same can be considered as the period of Kalidas. This claim is based on various stories

highlighting the poetic genius of Kalidas in which his name is associated with King Bhoj

2. 2nd century A.D. -

Kalidas has written a play titled मालिवका-अि िम म्. अि िम is a histotical character. He was

from शुंग dynasty that rulesd during 1st-2nd century AD. Other references in the play like

Vidarbha region िव दषा city are also historical. There is a reference to a war between king

of िव दशा and agnimitra which had actually taken place. Probably, he must have lived

during the same periof and may have been a court poet of अि िम

3. 3rd -4th century B.C.-

In the same play मालिवका अि िम म, there is a reference to भास. "भास सौिम ल कािवपु आ दनां

िथतयाशसां रचनां अवम य वतमानकवेः कािलदास य रचनायां कथं प रषदो ब मानः |" भास हस् been

mentioned as a popular dramatist. So, probably Kalidas lived after bhas, but withing the

span of 100 years

4. 4th - 5th century AD -

He was a court poet of the गु king च गु II.

Analysis -

We have to set पूवमयादा and उ र मयादा of his period ( earliest limit and latest limit )

There two types of material evidence which have to be looked for -

One is inscriptions etc and another is literary evidence

Literary evidence is reference found in some lietarty text

Evidence for later limit -

बाण भ - हष च रतम् has a reference to Kalidas. Banabhatta was a court poet of King harsha

who lived around 650AD.

Theis is an inscription which complements this reference. There is an inscription at a place

called Aihole in Karnataka. It is related to king Pulkeshi 2 who ruled around the same

period. There is a ref. to Kalidas as a great poet in thus inscription.

So, 650 AD can be confirmed as the upper limit of kalidasa's period

Evidence for lower limit -

The character of Agnimitra is historical. There is a reference to a ashvamedha sacrifice

performed by the father of Agnimitra whose name was पु यिम in this play. पु यिम rulked in

1st century AD

There is a supportive inscirotional evidence

There is an inscription in which thus sacrifice performed by पुषिम has been mentioned

So, 1st century AD can be considered as the earliest limit of his period
Thus, he must have lived between 1st century AD to 7th centry AD (150AD- 650AD)
This rules out the first and third possibility mentioned above

PLACE of Kalidas

Date and Place of Kalidas

Place of Kalidas - कािलदास य थानम्

There are different views about where did he stay. All these views are based on

hypothesis derived from his literature and there is no supportive material evidence for any

of the views.

1 He was from Bengal or eastern India. His name is Kalidas which means that he was a

devotee of kali. And the tradition of worshipping Kali is found in begal and surrounding

region

2. He was from Himalaya. He seems to be a devotee of Shiva as every literary work

composed by him begins with a prayer to Shiva. The form of Shiva he describes is

followed by Shaiva sect that stays in Himalayas. So, he must be from the same region

3. He was from Madhyapradesh and a resident of Ujjayini. This view is based on the

folklore about Kalidas and his marriage with the princess. Kalidas has specially mentioned

Ujjayini in Meghduta as if it was his hometown

4. He was from Maharashtra. The mountain Ramgiri mentioned in Meghduta is believed to

be Ramtek a place near Nagpur in Maharashra

Title and Story of कु मारसंभव

Title -

कु मारसंभव - कु मार य संभव: |

कु मार - young boy / son,

संभव - सम् + भू - to born, birth

Birth of the son

Son of lord िशव and पावती

Elder son was का तके य, younger son was गणपित

Story of birth of का तके य

Significance of the title in determining the date of कािलदास -

Story of the कु मारस भव -

There are 8 cantos

सग 5 - Chapter number 5

Total number of verses 86

Prescribed verses are approximately 35 selected verses from verse no. 30 to 86

30

अथ - Then

अिजन - skin of a dear - मृगचम

आषाढ़ - rod of Palash tree

धरः - holding / possessed of

ग भ - mature

वाक् - speech ( oratory )

 वलन् - shining , glowing

इव - as if

- मयेन - supreme principle, knowledge

तेजसा - lustre, aura

िववेश - िवश् - to enter - entered

कि त् - Certain

ज टलः - one who is possessed of जटा - matted hair

तपोवनं - penance grove

शरीर - ब ः - built in body - bodily form

थम - आ मः - first stage of life - चय - stage of life when one seeks knoweldge

यथा -- just as

32

िविध - according custom

यु ां - offered

प रगृ - प र + ह - to accept - having accepted

सत् - यां - hospitality - आित य

प र मं - fatigue

नाम - only

िवनीय - िव + नी - to relase / ease

च - and

णम् - for a moment

उमां - पावती
स - He

प यन् - प य - while looking at

ऋजुना - soft / full of affection

एव -
च ुषा - with eyes / with a glance
 च मे - strated

व ुं - वच - तो speak

अन् - उि झत - without crossing / breaking

मः - decorum / order

३३. अिप याथ सुलभं सिम कु शम् (?)जला यिप ानिविध मािण ते ।

अिप वश या तपिस वतसे शरीरमा ं खलु धमसाधनम् ॥

अिप - When comes at the beginning suggest interrogation : it suggest a question mark

याथ - या - अथम् - for the (action of) penance/ ritual

सुलभं - easily obtainable

सिम कु शम् - सिमत् - कु शम् - sacred grass to be offered in fire

जला यिप - जलािन + अिप - water also/ is

ानिविध मािण - ान - bathing, िविध - sacred म -proper

ते - your

अिप - When comes at the beginning suggest interrogation : it suggest a question mark

वश या - व - own, श या - capacity

तपिस - penance

वतसे - to perform

शरीरमा ं - शरीरम् - body/ physical fitness, आ म् - prime, most important

खलु - indeed

धमसाधनम् - धम - duty, साधनम् - means

(The young ascetic is showing care/ affection towards पावती. She should feel that he is
concerned about her )

३९. यु स कारिवशेषमा मना न मां परं सं ितप ुमहिस ।

यतः सतां संनतगाि संगतं मनीिषिभः सा पदीनमु यते ॥

यु स कारिवशेषमा मना - यु - स कार - िवशेषम् - offered with special hospitality

आ मना - yourself

न - not

मां - me

परं - stranger / other

सं ितप ुमहिस - सं ितप ुम् - to consider, अहिस - you should

यतः - because

सतां - of good people

संनतगाि - oh girl with beautiful looks (beautiful lady)

संगतं - company, friendship

मनीिषिभः - with wise people

सा पदीनमु यते - सा -पदीनम् - स पद - walking seven steps together / exchanging seven

words with each other

उ यते - It is said that

(The Young ascetic is suggesting that, he is genuine and पावती can speak freely with him,
considering him as a good friend)
४१. कु ले सूितः थम य वेधसि लोकसौ दयिमवो दतं वपुः ।

अमृ यमै यसुखं नवं वय तपफलं याि कमतः परं वद ॥

कु ले - in a family

सूितः - birth

थम य - first

वेधसि लोकसौ दयिमवो दतं -

वेधस: - father - First father - lord Brahmadev

ि लोक - three world: earth, heaven, netherworld

सौ दयम् - beauty

इव - like / as if

उ दतं - bearing

वपुः - body/ physical beauty

अमृ यमै यसुखं - अमृ यम् - not to be searched, sought, ऐ य - prosperity, सुखं - pleasures

नवं - new, young

वय तपफलं - वय: - age

तपफलं - fruit/ result/ motive of the penance

याि कमतः - यात् - shall be, कम् - what,

अतः परं - beyond this, more than this

वद - tell (me)

(He is praising that, she has the best possible things that one can have in this world and

seeking to know the reason for her penance. He wants to hear it from her that she is
seeking lord Shiva)

४४. किम यपा याभरणािन यौवने धृतं वया वाधकशोिभ व कलम् ।

वद दोषे फु टच तारका िवभावरी य णाय क पते ॥

किम यपा याभरणािन - कम् + इित + अपा य + आभरणािन

कम् - what / why

इित - #

अपा य - removing

आभरणािन - ornaments

यौवने - at this young age

धृतं - wearing

वया - you

वाधकशोिभ - befits old age

व कलम् - bark garment

वद - tell me

दोषे - in the twilight , time of sunset

फु टच तारका - moon and stars are just visible

िवभावरी - night
य णाय - य द - if, अ णाय - rising Sun

क पते - desires for

(He is conveying that, पावती wearing bark garments and performing penance is

inappropriate to her age and he is also suggesting that, if she is desirous of Shiva, it
doesn’t befit her. It is like night desiring for the rising sun)

४५. दवं य द ाथयसे वृथा मः, िपतुः देशा तव देवभूमयः |

अथोपय तारमलम् समािधना, न र मि व यित मृ यते िह तत् ||

दवं - heaven

य द - If

ाथयसे - to wish for / to want

वृथा - futile

मः - efforts

िपतुः - of father

देशा - regions / kingdom

तव - your

देवभूमयः - land of gods

अथ - Moreover / Or

उपय तारम् - suitable groom

अलम् - enough

समािधना - penance

न - Not

र म् - gem / jewel / a precious thing

अि व यित - to search - शोधत नाही ( Active voice)

मृ यते - to search - being searched - शोधले जाते ( Passive voice )

तत् - that ( jewel)

The last phrase is also found in the play अिभ ान शाकु तलम्. The same expression is used

for शकु तला by दु य त

५०. कयि रं ा यसे गौ र, िव ते ममािप पूवा मसि तं तपः |

तदधभागेन लभ व काि तं वरं तम् इ छािम च साधु वे दतुम् ||

कयत् - Why

िचरम् - so much

ा यसे - to take efforts

गौ र - Oh गौरी

िव ते - to be / to exist

तपः - पु य - merit (accumulated) by penance

मम - my

अिप - also

पूवा म - पूव - आ म - थम आ म - in first stage if life - in चय

सि तं - accumulated

तदधभागेन - by utilising half of that

लभ व - you may obtain

काि तं - desired

वरं - groom

तम् - him

इ छािम - I wish

च - and / but

साधु - well
वे दतुम् - िवद् - to know
51

इित िव यािभिहता ि ज मना मनोगतं सा न शशाक शंिसतुम् |

अथो वय यां प रपा व तन िवव तता े मै त ||

इित - thus

िव य - having entered

अिभिहता - said

ि ज मना - young ascetic

सा - she

शशाक - शक् - to be able to

शंिसतुम् - शंस् - to express

अथ - Then

वय यां - friend

प रपा व तन - standing beside

िवव तत - without

अ न - corrylium

ने म् - with her eyes

ऐ त - ई - to see

53

इयं मह भृतीन् अिधि यः चतु दगीशान् अवम य मािननी |

अ पहायम् मदन य िन हात् िपनाकपा ण पितम् आ ुम् इ छित ||

Parvati's friend said to the young ascetic -

इयं - This (girl )

मह भृतीन् - Indra etc

अिधि यः - wealthy

चतु दगीशान् - चतुर् दक् ईश - gods of four directions

( East West North South )

अवम य - having denied / rejected

मािननी - proud ( girl)

इ छित - wishes to

िपनाकपा ण - the one who holds a bow called pinak in his hands ( lord Shiv )

आ ुम् - to obtain

पितम् - as her husband

अ पहायम् - the one who can't be influenced by mere beauty

मदन य - of cupid

िन हात् - defeat

64 parvati said -

यथा त
ु ं वेदिवदां वर वया जनः अयं उ ैः पदलंघनो सुकः |

तपः कलेदं तदवाि साधनं मनोरथानाम् अगितः न िव ते ||

यथा - As

ुतं - was heard

वया - by you

वेदिवदां वर - superior among learned / scholar

जनः अयं - this person (I)

उ ैः - higher

पद - step / position

लंघन - cross

उ सुकाः - eager

तपः - penance
कल - indeed

इदम् - this

तद - of that

अवाि - obtainment / fulfillment

साधनं - means

मनोरथानाम् - desire / wish / thoughts of mind

अगितः - stagnancy / limit

न - not

िव ते - is

The last line is not related to this story

This figure of speech is अथा तर यास

65

अथ आह वण "िव दतः महे रः, तद थिन वं पुनरेव वतसे |

अमंगला यसर त िविच य तं तवानुवृ न कतुम् उ सहे ||

अथ - then

आह - saI'd

वण - the young ascetic

िव दतः - well-known
महे रः - िशव
तद थिन - desire for him

वं - you

पुनरेव - तथािप - still

वतसे - are

अमंगल - inauspicious
अ यसर त - liking

तं - him

िविच य - considering / as I understand

तव - you

अनुवृ - support

कतुम् - to do

न उ सहे - I am not eager

66। The young ascetic says to Parvati -

अव तुिनब धपरे कथं नु ते करः अयम् आमु िववाहकौतुकः |

करेण श भुवलयकृ तािहना कथं सिह यते तत् थमावल बनम् ||

अव तुिनब धपरे - oh girl, the one who is insiting for something worthless

करः - hand

ते - your

आमु - tied with

िववाहकौतुकः - auspicious thread around wrist

A yellow auspicious silk/ woolen thread tied around the wrist of a girl who wishes to

Marry

सिह यते - to bear

कथं - how ( can your hand bear )

थमावल बनम् - first handshake / first touch

करेण - with the hand

श भु - िशव
वलयकृ त - surrounded by

अिहना - snakes
67

वमेव तावत् प रिच तय वयं कदािचत् एते योगम् अहतः |

वधू दुकूलं कलहंसल णं गजािजनम् शोिणत िब दुव ष च ||

वमेव - you only

तावत् - now

प रिच तय - think

वयं - yourself

कदािचत् - ever

एते - these two

य द - Do

योगम् - unioun

अहतः - deserve

वधू दुकूलं - silk cloth of a bride

कलहंसल णं - having marks/ design of swans

गजािजनम् - skin of elephant

शोिणत - blood
िब दुव ष - dripping with the drops

69

अयु पं कमतःपरं वद ि ने व ः सुलभं तवािप यद् ।

तन ये अि मन् ह रच दना पदे पदं िचताभ मरजः क र यित ॥

अयु पं - inappropriate

कम् - What
अतःपरं - beyond this / more than this

वद - Tell me

ि ने व ः - chest (body) of lord Shiva

सुलभं - easily obtainable

तवािप - your also

यद् - that

तन ये - chest (body)

अि मन् - this

ह रच दना पदे - smeared with sandalwood paste

पदं - to step / to touch

िचताभ मरजः - particles of ashes on funeral pyre

क र यित - will
Comprehension -

The ashes of funeral pyre shall touch the body of Parvati who applies sandalwood paste
on her body

72

वपु व पा मल यज मता दग बर वेन िनवे दतं वसु ।

वरेषु यद् बालमृगा ी मृ यते तदि त क तमिप ि लोचने॥

वपुः - (Neuter)- body, appearance

िव पा म् - िव प - अ म् - ugly due to eyes

अल यज मता - अल य - ज मता - birth is unknown

दग बर वेन - by his habit of not wearing good clothes

िनवे दतं - indicated

वसु - wealth

वरेषु - among grooms

यद् - that which

बालमृगा ी - oh beautiful lady having eyes like a deer

मृ यते - sought

तदि त क - is it present

तमिप - even a little bit

ि लोचने - in this person having three eyes

74

इित ि जातौ ितकु लवा दिन वेपमानाधरल यकोपया ।

िवकु ि त ूलतमािहते तया िवलोचने ितयगुपा तलोिहते ॥

इित - Thus

ि जातौ - while the young ascetic

ितकु लवा दिन - was speaking against, then

वेपमानाधरल यकोपया - वेपमान - अधर - ल य - कोपया

वेपमान - trembling
अधर - lower lip

ल य - indicating

कोपया - anger

वेपमान - अधर - ल य - कोपया

िवकु ि त ूलतमािहते - िवकु ि त - ूलतम् - आिहते

िवकु ि त - contracted

ूलतम् - creeper like eyebrows

आिहते - Verb - आ+ धा - To cast - कटा टाकणे

तया - by her

िवलोचने - eyes

ितयगुपा तलोिहते - ितयक् + उपा त+ लोिहते

ितयक् - slant

उपा त - at corner

लोिहते - red

75

उवाच चैनं “परमाथतः हरं न वेि स नूनं यत एवमा थ माम् ।

अलोकसामा यमिच यहेतुकं ि षि त म दाः च रतं महा मनाम्” ॥

उवाच - said

चैनं - च + एनम् - and , to him

परमाथतः - in reality, true form

हरं - lord Shiva

न - not

वेि स = to know

नूनं - indeed

यत - because of which

एवमा थ - एवम् - thus

आ थ - you are telling

माम् - to me

अलोकसामा यमिच यहेतुकं (Adj of च रतम्) - अ -लोक-सामा यम्- अिच य -हेतुकं

अ -लोक-सामा यम् - extraordinary

अिच य -हेतुकं - हेतु - motive, अिच य - beyond comprehending of ordinary people

ि षि त - hate, be jealous

म दाः - Fools

च रतं - character / life story / conduct

महा मनाम् - of great people

78

िवभूषणो ािस िपन भोिग वा गजािजनालि ब दुकूलधा र वा ।

कपािल वा यादथवे दुशेखरं न िव मूतरवधायते वपुः ॥

िवभूषणो ािस - िवभूषण + उ ािस - adorned with ornaments

िपन भोिग - िपन - snakes भोिग - enjoying

गजािजनालि ब - wearing elephant’s skin

दुकूलधा र - wearing silk garment

वा - or / whether

कपािल - holding human skull on head

वा

यादथवे दुशख
े रं - यात् अथवा - इ दुशेखरं - holds crescent moon

िव मूत - Lord Shiva (who manifest himself in all worldly things)

न अवधायते - beyond our comprehension

वपुः - appearance

82

अलं िववादेन यथा ुतः वया तथािवधं तावद् अशेषम तु सः ।

ममा भावैकरसं मनः ि थतं न कामवृि ः वचनीयम् ई ते ॥

अलं - enough

िववादेन - debate

यथा - तथा - as - likewise

ुतः वया - as is heard by you (about him)

तथािवधं - of the same type/ kind

अशेषम तु - let (him)be completely

सः - he (him)

ममा भावैकरसं मनः ि थतं - my mind is completely set on him

न - not

कामवृि ः - those who follow their will

वचनीयम् - reproach (by other)

ई ते - to consider

The figure of speech - अथा तर यास

83.

िनवायतामािल कम ययं बटुः पुन वव ुः फु रतो राधरः ।

न के वलं यो महतोपभाषते ुणोित त मादिप यः स पापभाक् ॥

She says to her friend -

िनवायतामािल - िनवायताम् - Drive away + आिल - Oh friend

बटुः - young ascetic

कम ययं - कम् + अिप - something, अयम् - This (young ascetic)

पुन वव ुः - wishing to say again

फु रतो राधरः - फु रत - raised + उ र - upper + अधरः - lip

न के वलं - Not only, अिप - But also

यो- यः - The one who

महतोपभाषते - महतः - of great people अपभाषते - speaks wrong

 ुणोित - hears

त मादिप - त मात् - from him + अिप - also

यः- The one

स - he

पापभाक् - gets a part of the sin.

84

इतः गिम यािम अथ वा इित वा दिन, चचाल बाला तनिभ व कला ।

व पम् आ थाय च तां कृ ति मतः समालल बे वृषराजके तनः ॥

बाला - girl

वा दिन - वद् - to speak - while speaking

इतः - from here

गिम यािम - I will go / let me go

अथ वा - Or else

चचाल - she started walking away

तनिभ व कला - the one whose bark garment has slipped off from shoulders

व पम् - original form

आ थाय - having taken

च - and

तां - towards her

कृ ति मतः - smiling

समालल बे - hugged her

वृषराजके तनः - Lord Shiva

85

तं वी य वेपथुमती सरसा गयि , िन ेपणाय पदम् उधृतम् उ ह ती ।

मागाचल तीकराकु िलतेव िस धुः शैलािधराजतनया न ययौ न त थौ ॥

तं - at him

वी य - looking

वेपथुमती - क पवती -

सरसा गयि - सरस - perspiration अ गयि - body

पदम् - foot

उधृतम् - raised

उ ह ती - carrying

िन ेपणाय - for taking exit

िस धुः - river

मागाचल तीकराकु िलतेव - माग - way + अचल - huge rock + तीकर - obstacle + आकु िलत
confused + इव - like

न ययौ - could not proceed further

न त थौ - could not stay back

The figure of speech is उपमा

86

अ भृित अवनता गी तव अि म दासः, तः तपोिभः इित वा दिन च मौलौ ।

अ नाय सा िनयमजं लमम् उ ससज, लेशः फलेन िह पुनः नवतां िवध े ॥

Lord Shiva says to Parvati -

अ भृित - Here onwards

अवनता गी - Oh beautiful lady

तव अि म दासः - I am your slave

तः - I have been bought

तपोिभः - by penance

इित वा दिन च मौलौ - while lord Shiva was saying this

अ नाय - झ टित - at the moment itself

सा - she

िनयमजं - िनयम - penance - caused by penance

लमम् - trouble/ fatigue

उ ससज - released / forgot

लेशः - fatigue

फलेन - by the desired result

िह - indeed
पुनः नवताम् - refreshed

िवध े - is